Naturally...

Three Dog Night - "Naturally" (1970) - Dunhill

Hello Friends,

Naturally is Three Dog Night's fifth record.  Not a great record, but certainly not terrible.

For the most part definitely sounds dated and, at its worst, sounds like a bunch of white guys trying to sound soulful.

Except for the side one instrumental, "Fire Eater" the album is comprised completely of cover songs.  (Actually, we believe all of this band's hits were either cover songs or written by non-band members.  The band became a sort of proving grounds for lots of burgeoning songwriters of the era-- including Bernie Taupin, Leo Sayer, Harry Nilsson, Paul Williams, Laura Nyro, etc.)

The Hoyt Axton-penned, "Joy to the World" was obviously the big hit from this record, but our album winner is without a doubt their take on the Russ Ballard song, "Liar"-- a rollicking, bad ass, sort of sleazy early 70's anthem.

This song is amazing and heads-and-shoulders beyond anything else on the LP.  (With covers of Spooky Tooth's "I've Got Enough Heartache" and Free's creepy "I'll Be Creeping" a distant second and third.)

And yes, friends, that's the same Russ Ballard who wrote the songs "New York Groove" & "God Gave Rock & Roll To You"!

Fun Fact: Hey kids, a three-dog night is an expression that originated in the Australian outback referring the to the temperature at night.  A one dog night is cool.  A two dog night is cold.  A three dog night is fucking freezing and you will therefore need three dogs to sleep in the tent with you.  Crikey!

RATING: 3.5 fishes in the deep blue see out of 5

Jose Feliciano & Daryl Hall - "Light My Fire" (2010)

Hola Amigos,

Don't let the Winter blues get you down!

This (and a hot toddy) should warm you up on a chilly January night!

Enjoy!

This is the day of the expanding man...

Steely Dan - "Aja" (1977) - ABC Records

Hello Friends,

We're chilling out on this cool November evening with some strong red wine and some Steelies on the turntable.

Steely Dan's sixth album is also probably their best album and its biggest claim to fame is being the "go to" record for audiophiles in the late 70's & early 80's for testing/showing off their Hi Fi systems.

(Personally, I think this was just a ploy to lure a young lady back to your apartment to "hear your sound system"... the 70's were so f'ing creepy!)

Seven songs in Steely's signature soft-rock/jazz style.  "Black Cow", "Aja" & "Deacon Blues" on Side One; Side Two is home to "Peg", "Home at Last", "I Got The News" & "Josie".

Sonically, the album does bring you back to a certain time and place: a dark-lit, late 70's love den, a whiff of incense, a hanging tapestry painted with a stalking puma and a box of Chinese medicine balls sitting atop a coffee table.

Lyrically, its literally insane what these guys were able to get away with:

Learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch Whisky all night long
And die behind wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

Wow!

RATING: 4 chinese music under banyan trees here at the dude ranch above the sea out of 5

No Way Jose!

José Feliciano - "Feliciano" (1968) - RCA Victor

Hola Amigos,

Great album of cover songs by everyone's favorite blind Puerto Rican guitarist, José Feliciano.

Perfect for a crisp fall afternoon when the cider is flowing, the leaves are rustling and the air smells like a bakery!

Things get kicked off with his rendition of The Mamas & Papas' "California Dreamin'" and trust us friends, you haven't lived until you heard his version of "California Dreamin'".  Its absolutely perfect!

His take on The Doors' "Light My Fire" would win Feliciano a Grammy Award in 1969 and, of course, we prefer his version over the original in every way possible!

Also on the record, there's three Beatles' tunes ("In My Life", "And I Love Her" and "Here, There and Everywhere"); a cover of Gerry & the Pacemakers' "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying"; the Bacharach/David standard, "Always Something There To Remind Me"; Bobby Hebb's "Sunny"; Jorge Ben's "Nena Na Na"; Fred Neil's "A Little Bit of Rain"; and Tom Paxton's contemplative folksong, "The Last Thing On My Mind".

The guitar playing throughout (especially the finger-picking) is outstanding to boot!

Definitely try to pick this record up in a thrift store near you!

RATING: 4 loves become a funeral pyre out of 5

Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me (or else...)

Mac Davis - "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" (1972) - CBS Records

Hello Friends,

We've been on quite the Mac Davis kick lately.

(Actually, someone gave the local Goodwill all their Mac Davis records.  Their loss = Vinyl in the Valley's gain!)

This album is great!!  Early 70's country-soft-rock at its peak!

Every single song is a potential Solid Gold classic with the title track being the top of the heap! (here)

Songs like the opener, "Dream Me Home", "Everybody Loves A Love Song", "Whoever Finds This, I Love You" & the record's closer, "The Words (Don't Come Easy)" are velvety smooth soulful & sappy tunes that fall somewhere in between Dewey Cox and Bob Welch-era Fleetwood Mac.  (Fleetwood Mac Davis?)

Things do start getting a little pervy on Side One's uptempo "Naughty Girl": 

Well Dixie Farmer was a hot young blooded, dimpled, devil child A churnin', burnin', backseat bundle built to drive a young boy wild She taught me all about life and love in a Georgia cotton field I ain't never seen nothin' like her since and I know that I never will She was a naughty girl She took advantage of my youth She was a naughty girl But she taught me the gospel truth, woo-ooh

Actually, Dixie Farmer sounds like kind of a whore.  But that isn't even the worst of it! How about a contender for best song title from 1972 with Side Two's "Spread Your Love On Me"?   Eww! What a CREEP!!  

Although, like most of the songs here, its as catchy as a case of the crabs*!

(* Not that I would know!)

RATING: 4.0 A little old man walks along shuffling through the autumn afternoon and the autumn leaves reminded him another summer's come and gone out of 5

Texas In My Rear View Mirror

Mac Davis - "Texas in My Rear View Mirror" (1980) - Casablanca Records

Hello Friends,

For a short period of time in the 1970's Casablanca Records dominated the music universe. 

Due in no small part to the arena-sized success of KISS, as well as being directly involved in the ground floor of the burgeoning disco movement as early supporters of Giorgio Moroder & Donna Summer, Casablanca Records, for a time, looked unstoppable.  But massive egos and cocaine habits usually force all good things to end a little sooner than they should and Casablanca was no exception.  (For a great read with all the nasty details check out the book, "And Party Everyday: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records"  by longtime Casablanca employee, Larry Harris!)

Anyway, by 1980, Casablanca was really branching out and delving into newer, and hopefully trendsetting, arenas.  They flirted with some pop-oriented country music acts that were far removed from the more successful Outlaw Country movement going on elsewhere.  They signed bands and performers like Pure Prairie League, Tony Joe White and singer-songwriter Mac Davis.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, Mac Davis made quite a splash in the late 60's by writing some hits for Elvis (including "In the Ghetto" & "A Little Less Conversation") as well as having his own Solid Gold hit in 1972's "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" (here).

Known for his not-so-subtle innuendos and often overtly sexual song lyrics (see: "Baby Spread Your Love On Me"... ewww), on paper his move to Casablanca Records in the late 70's seemed like a match made in heaven! 

His 1980 release Texas In My Rear View Mirror is part country, part pop, part blue-eyed soul and part soft rock.  A forgotten gem which lacks any truly big hits and whose songs are a little all over the place, but it still makes a great soundtrack for late summer listening when the days are still warm, but the nights start to get cool and crisp!

Things get started with "Hooked on Music", a Johnny Cash-style shuffle which has Davis tipping his cap to his friend and mentor Elvis Presley as well as Lubbock Texas's original favorite son, Buddy Holly.

"Remember When (Beverly's Song)" is as sugary sweet Solid Gold pop gem that borders very close to the tried-and-true Yacht Rock formula.

"Me 'n Fat Boy" sounds like it could have been written by Paul Simon.

"Hot Texas Night" is a sultry country rock ballad reminiscent of Rhinestone Cowboy-era Glen Campbell.  

Side One concludes with the great & sappy "Sad Songs".  Featuring some great pedal steel guitar work, its probably the purest country song on the record it featuring great, sappy lyrics like:

"Sad songs are like dumb old dogs 
Who can melt you by just lookin' up in your eyes,
Like they're tryin' to tell you 
There'll always be someone who cares
If you like or if you die..."



From start to finish, Side One is really good.  Again, its a little all over the place so you get a little bit of country, pop, soft rock, folk, et cetera.  Side Two continues with that theme although the songs aren't quite as good!

"Texas In My Rear View Mirror" IS good however.  Really good. An autobiographical, bouncy country-pop tune about leaving the town that you grew up in order to head west in search fame & fortune and finding out that fame & fortune are cruel mistresses. All told without any semblance of bitterness or cynicism.

The soft rock schmaltz is back with "Hello, Hollywood", think of the band America, but lighter... and with more saxophone.

"Rodeo Clown" seems to be Davis's response to the more cynical Outlaw country artists of the time basically stating that he'd rather be a rodeo clown and make his fans laugh rather than make them introspective and depressed.  Not a great song by any stretch. 

More 70's soft rock with "Secrets" which sounds like REALLY watered-down Hall & Oates.
  
The record's last song, the gospel-inspired "In the Eyes of My People" isn't all that bad, but again its really over-produced and oozes schmaltz!   Some songs on this record have aged better than others and this isn't one of 'em!

Still, overall, not a bad record if you don't mind some cheese served with your whiskey sour!


RATING: 3.5 hot texas nights waiting for the rains out of 5 

Mac Davis - "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" (1973)

Hello Friends,

You've got to really hand it to Mac Davis here in this song.

I mean he's laying it all out there for you ladies!

Please, don't get hooked on him, his denim jacket, his side burns nor his massive belt buckle!  

He'll just use you and set you free!

Don't get clingy and whatever you do, don't use the "F" word around him... Its a HUGE turnoff! 

(The "F" word = Family!)

I wonder if anyone ever made this their wedding song without realizing what the song was really about? Answer: Probably!

A Solid Gold classic!  They don't make 'em like this anymore kids!

Nothing more than feelings...

Morris Albert - "Feelings" (1975) - RCA Records

Hello Friends,

Morris Albert's "Feelings" was one of the 1970's biggest soft rock hits. His debut record, a Seventies Solid Gold gem, is the perfect foil for an oppressively humid, swampy summer evening like we're having tonight. 

Dubonnets on ice all around!

Brazilian-born Morris Albert is pretty much a first ballot inductee in the One Hit Wonder Hall of Fame.  "Feelings" was a HUGE international hit in the 70's and was covered by artists as diverse as Nina Simone and Glen Campbell.  "Feelings" would be Albert's lone brush with fame and, in most circles, is considered the ultimate 1970's party killer.  "Aw shit, is that Feelings?  I think its time to go!"  

Luckily, these are not our circles!

The rest of the album is a pretty milquetoasty affair. "Sweet Loving Man" is the follow-up hit that never was.  "Come to My Life" and "The World Today Is A Mess" sound kinda like 70's era Elvis.  Songs like "Falling Tears" (our favorite track) and "Where is the Love of the World" sound a little like early Bee-Gees(!).  For the most part the record sounds like second-rate Bread (Stale Bread, amiright?) with a Latin-flair thrown in for good measure. 

Actually a better description would be its more like a Jose Feliciano record without the cool covers and great finger-picking.

Still, the title of "one hit wonder" is viewed mockingly by some which we think is wrong! How many international hits do you have?

RATING: 3.5 teardrops rolling down on my face trying to forget my feelings of love out of 5

Albert Hammond - It Never Rains In Southern California (1972)

With record-breaking droughts and severe water shortages, this song has never rung so true!

Great Solid Gold gem from 1972!

Fun Fact: Albert Hammond's son is Albert Hammond, Jr. guitarist for The Strokes!

And remember, don't waste the water, kids, shower with a friend!