DONOVAN ~ ANTHOLOGY 6

This Donovan's Anthology ends here. Six CDs totalizing 8 hours and containing 145 songs, from 1964 to 1981

DONOVAN ~ ANTHOLOGY 5

BONNIE RAITT ~ "STREETLIGHTS"

Original released on LP Warner Bros BS-2818 (US 1974-09)

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 45

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 44

JOAN BAEZ CANTA EN ESPAÑOL

Original released on LP A&M SP-3614

(US, March 1974)

Despite her Latin heritage, Joan Baez probably wouldn't have been encouraged by her 1960s record label, the New York-based independent Vanguard, to sing an entire album in Spanish. At A&M Records, the Los Angeles firm co-founded by Herb Alpert that she joined in the early '70s, however, it would have been a different story, and it was A&M that released "Gracias a la Vida" ("Here's to Life") in 1974. Baez demonstrates an affinity for Mexican folk music on such obvious choices as "Cucurrucucu Paloma," but it's no surprise that, a year after the assassination of leading nueva canción folksinger Victor Jara in a military coup in Chile, an atrocity that shocked the American folk community, she has not backed away from her political commitments. There is "Guantanamera," a song that may have been a Top Ten U.S. hit for the Sandpipers in 1966, but that has political implications, as Pete Seeger has been reminding listeners for more than a decade. There is a Spanish version of "We Shall Not Be Moved" ("No Nos Moveran") with a lengthy spoken introduction. There are songs like "El Preso Numero Nueve" ("Prisoner Number Nine"; repeated from 1960's "Joan Baez") and "Esquinazo del Guerrillero" ("The Guerillas Serenade"). And, inevitably, there is a song of Jara's, "Te Recuerdo Amanda" ("I Remember You Amanda"), which the slain singer wrote for his mother. But then there is also "Dida," a wordless duet with Joni Mitchell. Throughout, Baez demonstrates her mastery of Spanish singing over authentic arrangements while attempting to stir up her Spanish-speaking listeners just as she does their English-speaking compatriots. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

MELANIE's "Madrugada"

Original Released on LP Neighborhood Records NRS 48001 

(US 1974, February 3)

"Madrugada" was Melanie's follow-up release to the double-album "Live at Carnegie Hall." The more sophisticated a recording artist Melanie became, the less successful her recordings were in commercial terms. What a pity! Melanie is an underrated artist and songwriter with an incredibly devoted fan base. This album showcases Melanie as an excellent songwriter and interpreter of songs from top writers such as Randy Newman, Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, Woody Guthrie, and Jim Croce. Expertly produced by Melanie's husband Peter Schekeryk; engineered by Brooks Arthur with assistance from Larry Alexander. In the UK version of this album, the track "I Am Been Guided" was replaced by Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" because the single had become a Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom.

EMERSON LAKE & PALMER: Live 1973/74

Original released on Triple LP Manticore K 63500

(UK 1974, August 19)

Upon its release, the 1973 LP "Brain Salad Surgery" had been hailed as Emerson, Lake & Palmer's masterpiece. A long tour ensued that left the trio flushed and begging for time off. Before disbanding for three years, they assembled a three-LP live set (something of a badge of achievement at the time, earned by Yes in 1973 with "Yessongs" and, somewhat more dubiously, Leon Russell with "Leon Live"). "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends" gives a very accurate representation of ELP's shows at the time, including their uncertain sound quality. It isn't that the group didn't try hard to give a good show; they did, but left to just his two hands, without the use of multi-tracking and overdubs to build layer-upon-layer of electronic keyboard sounds, Keith Emerson was at a singular disadvantage on some of the boldest material in the trio's repertory. And even allowing how far the art and science of recording rock concerts had advanced in the 1970s, there were still inherent problems in recording a fully exposed bass - Greg Lake's primary instrument - in an arena setting that couldn't be overcome here. Even the most recent remastered editions could not fix the feedback, the occasionally leakages, the echo, the seeming distance - the listener often gets the impression of being seated in the upper mezzanine of an arena. That said, the group still had a lot of fire, enthusiasm, and cohesion at this point in its history, and that does come through. And if they don't solve every problem with the sound, the remastered editions from Rhino, Japanese WEA, and Sanctuary do give Lake's voice and Emerson's piano their richest, fullest possible tone and a fighting chance in these surroundings, and bring Carl Palmer's drumming much more up close and personal than it ever was on the LP. 

On the down side, the division into two CDs (as opposed to three LPs) means that the 26-minute "Take a Pebble"/"Piano Improvisations"/"Take a Pebble" chain - complete with Lake's excellent acoustic guitar spot for "Still You Turn Me On" and "Lucky Man" - is broken up between the two discs. The song selection - if not quite the career-ranging array of repertory that Yessongs was for Yes - is stellar and features all the material from "Brain Salad Surgery" (with the exception of "Benny the Bouncer"), including a complete 36-minute rendition of "Karn Evil 9," which filled both sides of the third LP in the original set. The latter is thoroughly bracing, with a level of visceral energy that was lacking in some moments of the original studio version, and is also almost as good a showcase for Lake, whose singing and playing here are better than they were on the studio original, as it is for Emerson and Palmer. Add to that a 27-minute "Tarkus" - complete with one Pete Sinfield-authored verse from King Crimson's "Epitaph" (which they'd been adding to the piece in concert at least since the Trilogy tour) -- and you now have three quarters of the music. Hearing any of those three pieces (and the stunning "Toccata") performed live, obviously without any overdubs, makes one realize how accomplished these musicians were, and how well they worked together when the going was good. This was the group's last successful and satisfying tour, as subsequent journeys on the road, in association with the "Works" album, were mired in acrimony about expenses, repertory, ego clashes, and the decision about going out with an orchestra (or not), or were motivated purely by contractual and financial obligations, whereas here they proved that even their most ambitious ideas could work musically, done by just the three of them. The sometimes disappointing sound quality should not be too much of a turnoff for fans, but newcomers should definitely start with the studio albums, and make this the third or fourth ELP album in their collection. And it should be listened too loud. (François Couture in AllMusic)

"Journey To The Centre Of The Earth"

Original released on LP A&M SP 3621

(US, January 1974)

"Journey to the Centre of the Earth" is one of progressive rock's crowning achievements. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, Rick Wakeman turns this classic Jules Verne tale into an exciting and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by David Hemmings in between the use of Wakeman's keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the orchestra, creates the album's fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic living world that exists in the Earth's core is told musically through Wakeman's synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir. Broken into four parts, the album's most riveting segment, entitled "The Battle," involves Wakeman's most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both "The Journey" and "The Forest," it's the effective use of the strings and percussion section of the London Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the album's depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and some interesting guitar work via Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" still stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized music, and it is truly one of Wakeman's most flamboyant projects. (Mike DeGagne in AllMusic)

TIMES TO REMEMBER ~ VOLUME 43

The GRATEFUL DEAD: "Steal Your Face"

 

Original released on Double LP Grateful Dead GD-LA620-32
(US 1976, June 26)

Some Deadheads and enthusiasts have dismissed this two-disc live set as being foul-sounding and wholly unrepresentative of a typical Grateful Dead show circa 1974. These are undeniably accurate thumbnail assessments. However, somewhat obscured beneath what is not on this collection are a few salvageable performances. The story of why the Dead would contribute to such substandard workmanship has long been grist for the rumor mill. The evidence, however, speaks in the package's indescribably poor song selection and complete lack of cohesion. "Steal Your Face" is compiled from the same four-night stand (October 16 through October 20, 1974) at Winterland Arena that the Dead filmed for the "Grateful Dead Movie" (1976). Because the band had announced their decision to cease their incessant touring and essentially go on sabbatical, these concerts were being touted at the time as the "final four." By all accounts there was plenty of inspired musical interaction during the course of the run. So, why weren't those tracks accessed for this release? In essence, this boils down to two factors: the absence of quality control at the time the recordings were made, and some decidedly unsavory and unethical conduct by the band's concurrent management. What listeners are left with is a loose assortment of shorter tracks and self-contained performances. 

This was written off by the band as an attempt not to duplicate the style of their previous concert releases "Live/Dead" (1969), "Grateful Dead" (1971), and "Europe '72" (1972) - all of which were infinitely more realistic and warmly received. There are a few throwaways, such as the Chuck Berry covers "Promised Land" and "Around and Around" as well as Bob Weir's cowboy tunes "Big River" and "El Paso." It should be noted that these particular cuts are not all that bad. However, none of the songs have much room for any ensemble work or extended improvisation - key elements when capturing the essence of the Grateful Dead live. Conversely, newer originals such as the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter ballads "Ship of Fools," "It Must Have Been the Roses," and the album's unmitigated gem, "Stella Blue," rate among the package's most thoughtful and lyrical moments. (Lindsay Planer in AllMusic)

HIGH, WIDE AND HAMMOND...

Original released on LP EMI STUDIO 2 TWOX 1019

(UK, 1974)