Vinyl Albums - Comments by Phantom Gtowner

Vinyl Albums - Comments by Phantom Gtowner

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Phantom Gtowner ● 21st Feb 2024		Vinyl Album The Beach Boys - Surf's Up (1971)	Review If the Beach Boys previous LP "Sunflower" has been described by some as Dennis Wilson's LP, this one should be called Carl's album. I thought this was the record where Carl really came into his own. But that's not all that's happening on this very fine record, one of their best of the 1970's. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 7th Sep 2021		Vinyl Album Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream And Other Delights (1965)	Definitely "What Now My Love" was originally on Quality. He was still incredibly hot at the time of its release (circa May 1966) so there has to be a few copies out there somewhere.
Phantom Gtowner ● 3rd Sep 2021		Vinyl Album Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream And Other Delights (1965)	This would have been available on the Quality label for roughly 15 months after it's spring 1965 release. It was roughly August/September 1966 when it would have been issued on A&M.
Phantom Gtowner ● 3rd Sep 2021		Vinyl Album Bobby Rydell - Forget Him (1964)	I thought I heard it was Tony Hatch.
Phantom Gtowner ● 7th Mar 2021		Vinyl Album Wings - Wild Life (1971)	Review Unlike its two predecessors, it sounds like it was thrown together very quickly. Most of it is disposable. "Some People Never Know" and "Dear Friend" are decent ballads but “Mumbo” “Love Is Strange” and “Bip Bop” are absolute time wasters. The title tune "Wild Life" sounds like a plagiarism of CSNY's "Almost Cut My Hair". Of his first three LP's, it is by far the least enjoyable. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 24th Mar 2020		Vinyl Album Bill Cosby - To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With (1968)	Label images 1912020/1912022 are from roughly 1975, possibly later but certainly no earlier.
Phantom Gtowner ● 24th Mar 2020		Vinyl Album Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits (1964)	According to Internet info this LP was issued in April 1964. If that's true the first Canadian pressings would be distributed by Quality Records. That issue however was short lived because on (give or take) August 15, 1964, the Canadian rights to Chess Records switched to Phonodisc where it remained until (I think) July 1, 1969. Doug's copy (image 1693825/1693826) is from 1969 or later.
Phantom Gtowner ● 9th Mar 2020		Vinyl Album Paul McCartney And Wings - Red Rose Speedway (1973)	Review When this recording was first issued many reviews were negative. True, it might not be as good as "Ram" but it has several charming tracks that need to be heard if you are a Beatles/McCartney fan. The first two songs on this record are ones I want to get out of the way quickly. "Big Barn Bed" is an over the top piece of typical PM fluff that rankles the life out of me. It is the "Monkberry Moon Delight" of this record, if you know what I mean. Truly it is a load of tripe but then so is the next track "My Love", or as I like to call it "Woh, Woh, Woh, Woh", but for different reasons. This one has my vote as the most bland and perfunctory piece of refuse ever created by Paul. (Okay, okay, maybe it’s not quite that bad. I’ve just heard it 5000 too many times.) I actually recommend you skip these first two to get to the good stuff because from here the LP takes a decisive turn for the better and we get one quality song after another. "Get On The Right Thing" is a strong song that would have been a great single, ditto for "One More Kiss" and then there's "Little Lamb Dragonfly" perhaps my favorite track of all here. Side two opens with the delightful "Single Pigeon" and then there's yet another strong song in "When The Night". From here it the quality dips a little bit but this is a Paul McCartney/Wings record well worth owning. The critics unfairly maligned it. Unlike his previous offering “Wild Life”, this wasn’t thrown together at the last minute. You can tell he took his time and put in a valiant effort. Some reviewers have had the audacity to say "Wild Life" was better. Sometimes wax builds up in the ears. I don’t know how else to explain it. "Red Rose Speedway" isn't his finest outing but it is a definite winner and one I like to listen to as often as I can. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 7th Mar 2020		Vinyl Album The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out! (1966)	Review I’m not going to pretend I understand all of Frank’s music because I don’t. There are entire LP/CD’s that are totally over my head but then, if you have read any of my previous reviews, that might not be difficult to believe. “Freak Out” is, for the most part, quite understandable. If you like music that is off the wall, iconoclastic and different, this might be the ticket. But there's something much more than humor, parody and the unconventional to this record. Zappa rails against something much more sinister and specific. “Hungry Freaks Daddy”, the opening track, is a call to arms to every underdog in America. What Frank Zappa is saying probably needed to be said but it’s the way he says it that is so alarming. There are other tracks that are much lighter in tone, like the humorous 1950’s doo-wop parodies such as “Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder”, “How Could I Be Such A Fool” and “Wowie Zowie”. A favorite of mine is “Who Are The Brain Police?” whose verses sound sweet and lightweight but the chorus is harsh and ominous. “Trouble Comin’ Every Day”, a Zappa rap over a bluesy backdrop is truly powerful and an unusual recording for 1966. Sometimes Frank’s humor works but often, for me anyway, he is far too angry to be really funny. Frank’s rage and frustration with conventional American life is an underlying theme in much of his music I have heard. Let’s hope that this mastermind and madman has finally found peace and contentment. 8 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 7th Mar 2020		Vinyl Album Anne Murray - This Way Is My Way (1969)	Review Pop music is full of pretentiousness. Always was and always will be. You only need to look at people like Gene Simmons or Madonna to understand that. But Anne Murray was different, at least at first. Take a look at the photo of her on the cover of this LP, her second long play and her first for Capitol Records. Sitting on a large rock by a stream in her stylish early '70's pantsuit and downhome hairdo, she looks totally unhip and not what one might expect from a hitmaking pop singer. And I like that. The record is good too. The arrangements are simple and the words are real and honest. You can marvel at the latest flavour of the week rapper's oh so hip and meaningful lyrics if you want, but I think the words to Gene MacLellan's "Snowbird" are real poetry about a love lost and the heartbreak that comes with it. It's a simple country/folk/pop tune with a barebones accompanyment. Anne and her producer Brian Ahern left out one of the verses which is why it only clocks in at 2:08. I only found this out upon listening to Gene MacLellan's own version of the song a few years later. Another stand-out track is "Bidin' My Time" also written by MacLellan which might be my all-time favourite song by Anne. This should have been as big as "Snowbird" but it was released as a 45 immediately prior and got no airplay at all. Other unassuming yet very noteworthy songs include Eric Andersen's "Thirsty Boots", The Lovin' Spoonful's "Sittin' Back Lovin' You", Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" and yet another MacLellan tune "Hard As I Try". But not everything on this record is great. She covers a not-quite-so-well-known Monkees' song "Nice To Be With You", it's not terrible or anything but down a notch from "Snowbird" for sure. This might not be my all-time favourite LP but it is a really steadfast effort from a young 24 year old girl from Springhill, N.S. who seemed to be a little bit out of her comfort zone and squinting in those bright lights. Her vulnerability was as refreshing as a cold Molson Canadian on a hot day. To this day I don't think Anne Murray gets it. "This Way Is My Way" is by far one her best works. It's uncluttered, rootsy and honest to a tee. Unlike her later work it's far better than those recordings with that "genius" overproducer David Foster in the 1980's. Her next couple of LP's after this one, "Straight, Clean And Simple" And "Honey, Wheat And Laughter", are pretty good too but just four years later in the mid 1970's she had lost her way. By then she was recording Beatles' songs like "Day Tripper" and "You Won't See Me" and a wonky white version of the old Doris Troy tune "Just One Look". Was she that hard up for material? If you haven't heard this LP in a long time, or maybe never, please give it a spin. You might be surprised. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 5th Feb 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma (1979)	Review Hailed as his return to rock, this record seemed to get more exposure than Nesmith had enjoyed in almost a decade. While “From A Radio Engine To A Photon Wing”, his previous entry, still had a few vague references to country this one is almost straight ahead pop/rock. (By now I was beginning to get a little irritated with his long winded LP titles.) The irony on this record, to me, is that it is by far his most accessible LP, yet for him it is easily his most unusual recording. He shows off an amazing versatility with a mix and match of different styles. On the uptempo numbers like the opening track “Dance”, “Horserace” and “Cruisin’ (Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam)”, the single, he seems to try hard to sound like a rocker but ultimately his voice just isn’t up to it. Far better are the ballads like “Carioca” “Light” and “Flying”. Another ballad, “Magic” is sung almost totally in falsetto and is a very impressive performance, one of the high points of the LP but the song itself sounds musically quite a bit like “When A Man Loves A Woman”. The final track “Capsule” is also a nice almost jazzy piece and like nothing he has ever done before to my recollection. If Michael Nesmith ever had thoughts of moving into the mainstream of popular music, this would have been the LP to do it. The good news is that the playing is superb. Someone in a previous review panned this record for being “over produced” and that is a very fair criticism. Back in 1980 it wasn’t so noticeable to me but today it sticks out like a sore thumb. A few short years ago I would have given this five stars but revisionism reigns supreme. A fine performance by all and possibly a good starting point for those not familiar with his work. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 29th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - From A Radio Engine To The Photon Wing (1977)	Review His previous three LP's were not issued here in Canada so this became his first Canadian release since early 1972. It was recorded in Nashville with several notable musicians including David Briggs on keyboards, Lonnie Mack on guitar, David MacKay on bass and Weldon Myrick on steel and dobro. It starts off well with the playful “Rio” complete with sound affects, background singers and party atmosphere. This song was apparently a minor hit in the U.K. but in North America, to my knowledge, it was almost unplayed. Pity! It’s become a Nesmith classic of sorts. “Casablanca Moonlight” is a surprisingly moody piece that I like quite a bit but “More Than We Imagine” struck fear in my heart upon hearing a somewhat sneaky disco intro before it settled into a fairly normal, yet uneventful, Nesmith groove. Next he tackles the Roy Rogers’ classic “Along The Navajo Trail”. Anyone familiar with him knows of his penchant for cowboy songs and this one does not disappoint. It brings it into the 1970’s without it sounding dated, no mean feat. “We Are Awake” is an edgy and surprisingly bluesy piece, “Love’s First Kiss” is a tuneless song but with romantic wordy imagery and “The Other Room” is an uptempo country number that closes out the LP. Some of the stiffness of “The Prison” still remains in this recording. It’s a saw-off really. The overall quality of the songs is not quite what we had from the RCA Victor LP’s, however the fidelity and musicianship is far better. This is not his finest hour but it’s still a solid record. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 29th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album The Beach Boys - M.I.U. Album (1978)	I completely agree with the above review by The Doors - Topic. This LP was far, far better than the critiques ever gave it credit for. It's time for all you Beach Boys fans to give it a chance. You won't be disappointed.
Phantom Gtowner ● 27th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash (1973)	Review His sixth and final LP for RCA Victor before they gave him the pink slip. But don't be fooled by that because this LP is a return to form and once again features a full band sound. Like two of his previous RCA LP’s, side one is all Nesmith compositions and side two features covers. The first side is comprised four songs, three are new songs (to me) and one “Some Of Shelley’s Blues” probably goes back to the mid 1960’s. This was recorded with The Monkees (unreleased) and covered by The Stone Poneys (Linda Ronstadt, lead singer) in 1967 but this re-working may be his finest version of it yet. The two ballads “Continuing” and “Release” are fine Nesmith tunes and “Winonah” is a passable piece of country honk about a barmaid who likes to drink too much. Two of the covers are marvelous, including veteran country writer Cindy Walker's "Born to Love You" and Billy Hill's "Prairie Lullaby". These songs don’t miss their mark and provide as much or more entertainment as the Nesmith compositions. They alone ought to silence anyone who questions his ability as a vocalist. In between these two gems is a piece called “The Back Porch And A Fruit Jar Of Iced Tea” which is an amalgamation of two songs, the traditional “The F.F.V.” and Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen”. It sounds like some sort of country hoedown that might appeal to some but unfortunately not me. This record is probably as good as any of his previous releases and was his last country/rock LP for many years. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 18th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - The Prison (1975)	Review The Prison was the first Michael Nesmith recording that I could never really warm up to. It features semi-dull tunes and almost every track seems to be twice as long as it needed to be. In truth perhaps I’m using the wrong yardstick to measure it. Supposedly one is to read the story in the accompanying booklet and play the record at the same time. As revolutionary and creative as this might be, it is something I never had the patience, time or desire to do. This review is judging it strictly as an audio LP. The sound of this record is like none of his previous works. Gone is the stylish steel guitar country/rock and in its place is a dense monolithic and layered drone that never really seems to get going. For the first time, Red Rhodes’ is not the dominant musical element although he does contribute the odd little piece here and there throughout. All songs are written by Nesmith and the good news is that he has not lost his lyrical ability. The problems seem to stem from all songs being pretty much the same tempo and unlike his previous work, there’s a definite lack of strong melody. If you can get through "Opening Theme (Life, The Unsuspecting Captive)" without falling asleep, the next tune “Dance Between The Raindrops” actually rocks a little. “Elusive Ragings”, “Waking Mystery” and “Hear Me Calling” are pleasant enough but there’s always a feeling that they are a little bit unfocused and heading in the wrong direction. Another track, “Marie’s Theme” again is a passable piece of work but seems hindered by the repetitious last line of “..Hidden Behind All The Logic One Finds Without Truth”. A great line for sure but cripes, I don’t need to hear it forty or so times or more. I might as well be listening to the "Hey Jude" finale. In summing up, I give Nesmith an A for ambition but overall, for me anyway, it didn’t work. That’s okay, he doesn’t fail me too often. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 16th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' (1972)	Review This was his fifth RCA Victor release in slightly more than two years and was so highly thought of by RCA Victor of Canada that they decided not to issue it here at all. Luckily I had a good friend in the U.S.A. who picked me up my copy. I have heard some people say this is Nesmith at his best but I'm not convinced. It features the somewhat sparse sound of an ever faithful Orville "Red" Rhodes on steel guitar and Nesmith on rhythm guitar and vocals. All songs are Nesmith originals although some of the tunes featured had been composed years before. It was a chance to get them recorded and perhaps out of the way. Most, if not all, tracks are barely arranged and are a little more like fancy demos than a finished product. “Different Drum” definitely falls into this category. It would have been nice to hear a full band arrangement and a more intense vocal of this classic. However, I'm sure that's what Michael wanted because, like Sinatra, he always seemed to do things his own way. And good for him. Some outstanding tracks include “Two Different Roads”, “Harmony Constant” and the single “Roll With The Flow”. There’s a good feel to this LP especially where a couple of times, just prior to a guitar break, Nesmith chirps “Go Red!”. With that cue, Red Rhodes dives into one his classic steel guitar solos that by now are so entertaining and familiar. In short this record doesn’t compare to his previous four LP’s. But then, because of the high quality of those recordings, it would have been hard pressed to do so anyway. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 7th Jan 2020		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith And The Second National Band - Tantamount To Treason, Vol. I (1972)	Review Tantamount To Treason Volume One (Was a volume two ever in the works?) introduces a new band with the exception of holdover and steel guitar player Red Rhodes. The overall feel of The Second National Band is a little less country and slightly more pop/rock. Like its predecessor, "Nevada Fighter", all songs on side one are Nesmith originals and all on side two are covers with one exception. Side one consists of only four songs and, of those, only "Lazy Lady" and “In The Afternoon” catches Nesmith at his best. The other two songs here seem a little tired and listless. "Mama Rocker", the single, is a fine rock’n’roller, somewhat unusual for him, but really just a knock-off and “You Are My One” catches Nesmith sounding uncharacteristically boring and repetitious. "In The Afternoon" is a really fine tune although it sounds to me a little like "Lady Of The Valley" from Loose Salute. But on side two he redeems himself by choosing some amazing cover tunes to perform such as Richard Stekol’s “Wax Minute”, “Talking To The Wall”, a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a Monkees’ album, and the George Jones classic “She Thinks I Still Care”. Another good cover tune is Pee Wee King’s “Bonaparte’s Retreat”. I was familiar with this tune as done by Billy Grammer from the late 1950’s and a couple of years after this, in the mid 1970’s, Glen Campbell covered it (does he listen to Nesmith too?). But no one that I’ve heard gives it quite such a good reading as the ex-Monkee does here. Oh yes, and there’s “Highway 99 With Melange” written by another band member which is offbeat and a little crazy. Don’t know what to make of it to be honest, comic relief perhaps? Nesmith never used The Second National Band again for reasons unknown to me. This record seemed to me to be a very slight step backwards but it is still a very enjoyable listen. Some consider this to be his finest hour. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 21st Jan 2019		Vinyl Album George Harrison - Extra Texture (1975)	Review I'm getting really tired of this LP constantly being hammered by the critics. Yet I agree, it certainly isn't his masterpiece. Most of George's solo records, even LP’s like “Living In The Material World” and “Thirty Three And A Third”, are very uneven. But it’s not absolutely terrible either, there are redeeming qualities.The single "You" is a good song, very commercial, but totally over produced in a “Phil Spector/All Things Must Pass” type of way. Was “You” recorded at another session? It sure sounds like it. I really like "The Answer's At The End", "His Name Is Legs", "Grey Cloudy Lies" and in particular Leon Russell's piano passage in "Tired Of Midnight Blue". On the other hand "Can't Stop Thinking About You" is not much to write home about. It's too repetitious and long. Oh, and the track "This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)" is yet another good listen. George isn’t really a great singer and that becomes evident in several places on “Extra Texture” and many of his other LP’s. But I think this record was as good as George could possibly do at that time. To say that this was a throwaway and his contractual obligation is a very misleading, if not an outright lie. When he was in that previous band he got a lot of help from his friends and he was so much better because he only had to write one or two songs per album. Now he’s standing naked for all of us to see. We knew what his talents were as a player but it wasn’t until his solo career began that we really got a much better look at George’s abilities as a music creator. 8 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 12th Jan 2019		Vinyl Album R.E.M. - Murmur (1984)	Review What "Murmur" lacks in melody it more than makes up for in unique guitar lines and quirky chord and tempo changes. The muddy production might have been intentional, something old guys like me don't understand, but this is one good listen. As the record progresses the songs seem to get better too. Favorite tracks are “Talk About The Passion”, “Shaking Through” and “We Walk” but several others are growing on me. Stick with it, because it takes a while to sink in. A success? Definitely. A Masterpiece? Maybe. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 22nd Dec 2018		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith And The First National Band - Loose Salute (1970)	Review Released just four months after Magnetic South, this record was a huge improvement in many ways. The difference is that this was produced in L.A. and by Nesmith himself which seems a good move on both counts. The material is generally better and it seems tighter and slightly less "country" than the previous LP. "Silver Moon" was a minor hit but the song musically is not nearly as strong as "Joanne". He experiments for the first time with Spanish rhythms on "Tengo Amore" a true masterpiece, "Thanx For The Ride" is another stand out track to go with his cover of Patsy Cline's "I Fall To Pieces" which he almost makes his own. Nesmith's voice on the surface is not great but he can do very ambitious things with it in falsetto and this makes his singing very interesting to me. The First National Band, with the exact same lineup as "Magnetic South", sound tighter on this record and everything just seems to fall into place. Red Rhodes steel playing is very evident throughout and though it is very much Nesmith’s band, the focus is always on Rhodes. He is definitely the main player. Two songs on this LP were recorded previously with The Monkees, “Listen To The Band” and “Conversations”. The Monkees’ version of the former was better than the one here but it’s far from terrible. Maybe I’m just more used to the earlier rendition. The latter song “Conversations” closes out side one and was also recorded by The Monkees as “Carlisle Wheeling” but not released until, I think, the 1990’s. This track is one that all Nesmith fans will like with its atmosphere and wordy emotion. The other thing about his version of country rock is, and maybe I shouldn’t say this but, it didn’t have the fake hippie trappings that some other acts of this genre got bogged down with. Hell, Mike didn’t even have very long hair on the back cover photo. In short this LP was a step up and ranks with his finest work. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 24th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)	Review Perhaps not their best effort but by most people's standards it's still six stars all the way. Side one isn't staggering. "Maxwell's...." is a little annoying from Paul and John's "I Want You..." sounds like Mel Torme's "Comin' Home Baby" to me. But George surprises us with two of his very best songs and Ringo delivers "Octopus' Garden", by far his best composition. Then there's an excellent collage of mostly short tunes on side two. Even when they were fighting they could make great music! Neil Young once said it's better to burn out than to fade away. I'm not sure The Beatles did either. This was the last long play The Beatles recorded and they went out with a bang. And we're still not over it. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 24th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Mitch Miller And The Gang - Sing Along With Mitch (1958)	Review A lot of music I listen to brings back vivid memories from my childhood and that's certainly the case with this one. Back then I hated Mitch Miller's music. It was too bland, even laughable, but the tables have turned. It's the stuff I liked that has aged badly while this CD now sounds timeless. Bravo Mitch! Some people would have you think that Elvis and Chuck Berry was the only thing that ever happened in the 1950's. They're wrong! 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 24th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Van Morrison - His Band And The Street Choir (1970)	Review This recording has seldom been given its due because of constantly being in the shadow of "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance". Unlike the previous LP's mentioned, this one produced two big hits "Domino" and "Blue Money" and it doesn't end there. Check out "Crazy Face" and try to imagine Elvis belting out "Give Me A Kiss". This is one fine recording by a fiercely dedicated artist who ranks right up there with the best. 8 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 12th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Frank Sinatra - Trilogy: Past, Present & Future (1980)	They cut off the last word in my review. It was "...that.".
Phantom Gtowner ● 12th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Frank Sinatra - Trilogy: Past, Present & Future (1980)	Review One thing that becomes clear about this record is that Sinatra ignores all modern pop music trappings. It is totally out of time. There is not one nod to rock’n’roll, soul, disco or punk. Upon hearing this, a person who went into a coma in 1955 and woke up 25 years later might think that nothing had changed. He still has that confident and familiar swagger and he was never afraid to take a chance but “Trilogy” is a tell-tale period for him. Face it, Frank didn’t need to do “Trilogy”, arguably the most ambitious record of his career. At age 64, his place in pop music history was assured. Recording at all by then had its risks. This recording is a concept record of 3 discs, each representing The Past, The Present and The Future. “The Past” is conducted and arranged by Billy May, “The Present” features Don Costa and “The Future” is handled by Gordon Jenkins. All three volumes are produced by Sonny Burke. Record One, The Past is where Sinatra really shines. With bandleader Billy May, he effortlessly sails through tracks of varying tempo like “The Song Is You” and “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” with that familiar yet somewhat annoying Sinatra panache. If he had stopped at Record One we would have a very good LP, but there was more. The Present, record two, is an uneven set but the highlights are well worth a listen. “Theme From New York, New York”, the high point of the entire album is probably Frank's final masterpiece. Until this recording, the best known version of this tune was by Liza Minnelli. Today it would be hard to find someone who can even remember Minnelli doing it. Another track “You And Me (We Wanted It All)” is an emotional tune with a late 1970's flare. These are good songs but my problem with “The Present” is simply that, of the ten songs, six are tunes that I could have done without. In trying to represent the present, Frank performs songs that are far better known by other singers. Some examples are Kristofferson’s “For The Good Times”, an abbreviated “MacArthur Park”, The Beatles’ “Something” and Elvis' “Love Me Tender”. Sinatra’s ongoing problem since the 1960’s has been a lack of decent songs for him to sing. This is not a knock on contemporary songwriters. There will always be good quality songs written but many modern composers don’t suit Sinatra’s style. Most popular music of any certain era has an inherent sameness to it, a lot like automobile designs. Frank was at his best doing Cole Porter, James Van Heusen or Gershwin. These writers were from a different era and wrote in a style that suited Ol’ Blue Eyes. To me he compromised himself artistically by doing contemporary material like Jim Croce’s “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” or his version of Cher’s hit “Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”. This dilemma is far from over on Trilogy. He attempts Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are” and Neil Diamond’s “Song Sung Blue” with disastrous results. To hear Frank croon these tunes awkwardly was something I didn’t need to hear. Why would he even think about recording these songs? I’m guessing it’s because these tunes really did represent the present in 1980 to Frank and Sonny Burke, which speaks volumes about their take on the times and what they thought Sinatra’s fans wanted to hear. This brings us to the third record, “The Future”. This is where it gets just a little pretentious and a whole lot wiggy. Frank’s entire career consisted almost exclusively of singing short pop songs and when he gets into more elongated musical structures he sounds like The Sex Pistols trying to do Swan Lake. He performs six tracks all written specifically for this project by conductor Gordon Jenkins. I don’t make claims to have heard all of Sinatra’s work but this must surely rank as the strangest thing he has ever done. The first track “What Time Does The Next Miracle Happen”, a ten minute epic, is a futuristic musical trek around the solar system, much as you might fly an airplane, complete with airport like PA announcements. “World War None” sounds like it’s from some long lost musical and there’s “Song Without Words” which is okay but strangely, it actually has words. All this is followed by another epic length piece called “Before The Music Ends” which is all about returning to Hoboken to see his old neighborhood. It’s sobering to hear Frank off the rails but it has a certain charm. Maybe he meant this to be his last record. The Future has it’s credibility problems but it is ambitious. Most singers today don’t want to take any chances, or more likely, their record companies won’t let them. Sinatra solved that problem by starting his own record company, Reprise Records. Before his death he did two more LP’s,“She Shot Me Down” (1981) and “L.A. Is My Lady” (1984). “Trilogy” is not the ultimate Frank Sinatra LP but it’s far from insignificant. Despite my gentle slagging, this record is an enjoyable listen and it’s good to know that, in his mid 60’s, Frank was still feisty. There’s a certain ironic comfort in 10 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 12th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith - Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash (1977)	Review His sixth and final LP for RCA before they gave him the pink slip. But don't be fooled by that because this LP is a return to form and once again features a full band sound. Like two of his previous RCA LP’s, side one is all Nesmith compositions and side two features covers. The first side is comprised four songs, three are new songs (to me) and one “Some Of Shelley’s Blues” probably goes back to the mid 1960’s. This was recorded with The Monkees (unreleased) and covered by The Stone Poneys (Linda Ronstadt, lead singer) in 1968 but this re-working may be the finest version of it yet. The two ballads “Continuing” and “Release” are fine Nesmith tunes and “Winonah” is a passable piece of country honk about a barmaid who likes to drink too much. Two of the covers are marvelous, including veteran country writer Cindy Walker's "Born to Love You" and Billy Hill's "Prairie Lullaby". These songs don’t miss their mark and provide as much or more entertainment as the Nesmith compositions. They alone ought to silence anyone who questions his ability as a vocalist. In between these two gems is a piece called “The Back Porch And A Fruit Jar Of Iced Tea” which is an amalgamation of two songs, the traditional “The F.F.V.” and Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen”. It sounds like some sort of country hoedown that might appeal to some but unfortunately not me. This record is probably as good as any of his previous releases and was his last country/rock LP for many years. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 12th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith And The First National Band - Nevada Fighter (1971)	Review This was the third in a trilogy of LP's and it had the potential to be the best of them all. Produced once again by Nesmith and recorded in Los Angeles, side one is the best side The First National Band recorded. Leading off with "Grand Ennui" a short rocking rootsy tune without a lot of melody but still a promising start. The last entry on side one "Nevada Fighter", the title song, another rocker very similar to "Circle Sky" from The Monkees "Head" LP is not a song that moves me but sandwiched in between "Only Bound", "Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care)" and "Here I Am" are some of Mikey's finest moments. On "Here I Am" alone, we get some of the best western style falsetto singing we've heard since Slim Whitman hung them up. Side two, although far from terrible, is not as strong. All songs on side one are Nesmith compositions whereas side two is cover tunes. It begins well with a Michael Murphey (aka Michael Martin Murphey) tune called "Texas Morning", a minor cowboy classic and the second 45 release from the LP. (It flopped, no surprise there!) We continue in this cowboy motif with another of the record’s high points, The Sons Of The Pioneers classic "Tumbling Tumbleweeds". The Nilsson song "Rainmaker" fairs pretty well but " I Looked Away", a Derek & The Dominos tune didn't work. That song was too well known and recent for me. I think most fans of Nesmith want to hear his own compositions as opposed to covers. I know he had many other originals in the can so it is puzzling why he did so many non originals here. Another problem on Nevada Fighter was that the band was disintegrating as the record was being made and mercenaries, though very capable ones, like Al Casey and James Burton had to be recruited to provide some finishing touches. Despite a couple of negative things, this is still one very good record. If you like his first two, you’ll love this. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 5th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Elvis Presley - Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 (1968)	Review On the surface, Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 might not be as strong as the first three volumes. It features mostly newer material than Volume 3 (roughly 1963 thru 1966 although not exclusively), but it also contains at least three older B sides which were left off the earlier Gold Records LP’s. Many of these recordings aren’t as well known as the ones on the first three LP’s of this series and to some people, like me for instance, they just might be a more interesting listen. A few tunes like "Please Don't Drag That String Around" and "It Hurts Me" were B sides and might have been a little bit ignored although here they sound almost essential. The former, and flip side of “Devil In Disguise”, features The Jordanaires “bopping” and with the same sax sound that made “Return To Sender” so memorable. There’s an assortment of styles from ballads like “Love Letters”, “Ask Me” and “Indescribably Blue” to all out rockers such as “Witchcraft” and “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby”. “Indescribably Blue” in particular, is a somewhat lesser known work but nonetheless a lovely performance even if the vocal arrangement might be a little over the top. I think my favorite is “A Mess Of Blues”, the 1960 B side of “It’s Now Or Never”. If I had my way, it would have been the A side. Unfortunately for many of us today, when we think of Elvis, we don’t think about the things that made him so very special in the first place. Instead we reflect on that bloated Las Vegas Elvis with his outlandish costumes, prescription pills, shooting handguns at his TV screen and the 10,000 ice cream bars in his bedside fridge. We’ve all had a good chuckle. I’m saying it’s time to forget all that, pretend it didn’t happen and concentrate the good things. He is such a good vocalist that even when he does mediocre material, like he did on many of those God awful soundtrack LP’s and a certain portion of his 1970’s work, he can still make it competent, if not good. To turn nothing into something is a gift only a few singers are blessed with. The King might be dead but we needn’t bury him yet. He has left a lot of good listening for those of us still in the world of the living. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 5th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album George Harrison - Extra Texture (1975)	Review I'm getting really tired of this LP constantly being hammered by the critics. Yet I agree, it certainly isn't his masterpiece. Most of George's solo records, even LP’s like “Living In The Material World” and “Thirty Three And A Third”, are very uneven. But it’s not absolutely terrible either, there are redeeming qualities.The single "You" is a good song, very commercial, but totally over produced in a “Phil Spector/All Things Must Pass” type of way. Was “You” recorded at another session? Sure sounds like it. I really like "The Answer's At The End", "His Name Is Legs", "Grey Cloudy Lies" and in particular Leon Russell's piano passage in "Tired Of Midnight Blue". On the other hand "Can't Stop Thinking About You" is not much to write home about. It's too repetitious and long. Oh, and the track "This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)" is yet another good listen. George isn’t really a great singer and that becomes evident in several places on “Extra Texture” and many of his other LP’s. But I think this record was as good as George could possibly do at that time. To say that this was a throwaway and his contractual obligation is a very misleading, if not an outright lie. When he was in that previous band he got a lot of help from his friends and he was so much better because he only had to write one or two songs per album. Now he’s standing naked for all of us to see. We knew what his talents were as a player but it wasn’t until his solo career began that we really got a much better look at George’s abilities as a music creator. 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Phantom Gtowner ● 5th Oct 2018		Vinyl Album Michael Nesmith And The First National Band - Magnetic South (1970)	Review From the opening track "Calico Girlfriend", it hits home that this is not Monkees music. It has a very loose sound, almost as if it may have been recorded in a hurry. What is very surprising is that Nesmith relinquishes production duties to Felton Jarvis, a veteran producer who had worked with many famous artists including Elvis Presley. In his entire subsequent career he always did his own production but perhaps Mike wanted to get an authentic Nashville sound on his first post Monkees release. My first reaction to this LP in 1970 was that it was a disappointment. There was no "Tapioca Tundra" or "Listen To The Band" and it had a very pronounced country/western sound. I don’t think I warmed up to it until after his next two LP’s were released. For years I thought it was the weakest of this trilogy but now I’m not so sure. Of the three, Magnetic South seems to have harder country sound. A few songs here like "Nine Times Blue" and "The Crippled Lion" had actually been recorded with the Monkees but never released. The Magnetic South versions are all newly recorded in 1970. Nesmith had been recording in Nashville for at least two years prior to this with local musicians. Some of these recordings had made it onto several Monkees' LP's even though there was literally no output from Mickey, Davy & Peter. He assembled a band in early 1970 called The First National Band which was centered around steel guitar virtuoso O.J. "Red" Rhodes, a veteran of close to thirty years already in 1970. Other members included John London on bass guitar who had played with The Lewis & Clark Expedition, Johnny Ware on drums, Earl P. Ball on side piano & Nesmith on guitar & vocals. The only clue that this was not a truly “country” LP was Nesmith’s lyrics which tend to be incredibly more literate than most Nashville writers of the day. This LP would be a lot more obscure than it is but for the fact that it produced a Top Twenty hit in “Joanne”, a glorious little tune that today seems to sound much more country than it used to. Other tracks like “The Keys To The Car”, “Little Red Rider” and the rocking “Mama Nantucket” sound like they wouldn’t be out of place on a George Jones record. Then there’s “Hollywood” a five minute blend of country and psychedelia which seems to indicate Nesmith’s attitude in regard to his experiences as a teen idol with his former band. The last two tracks are covers, the country standard “The One Rose (That’s Left In My Heart)” and the 1930 classic “Beyond The Blue Horizon” which alone covers the price of admission with its sound effects, humor and ambience. I keep coming back to this record and I’m always entertained. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?

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