It is ironic that the CD release of Mickey Newbury's debut album and initial RCA recordings are the very ones he despised and disowned, yet have better sound than those reissued on his own label. (The reason for this is that the master no longer existed for many of his later records and they were remastered from pristine LPs.) Nonetheless, despite Newbury's own discontent, this album holds up amazingly well. It is easy to hear how Felton Jarvis' production may not have exactly been to his liking in that it was not quite as ...
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It is ironic that the CD release of Mickey Newbury's debut album and initial RCA recordings are the very ones he despised and disowned, yet have better sound than those reissued on his own label. (The reason for this is that the master no longer existed for many of his later records and they were remastered from pristine LPs.) Nonetheless, despite Newbury's own discontent, this album holds up amazingly well. It is easy to hear how Felton Jarvis' production may not have exactly been to his liking in that it was not quite as subtle as his own, and these textures are a bit thinner and less impressionistic, but that can easily be forgiven -- especially considering what else was going on in Nashville in 1968 (there are no reverb or echo chamber effects on his vocals). The CD combines Harlequin Melodies from 1968 with Sings His Own from 1972. Here are several Newbury firsts, whose re-recorded and reinvented versions on later albums -- "Sunshine," "Sweet Memories," and "Good Morning Dear" from Heaven Help the Child -- became definitive takes. There is also the original version of his infamous "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." Also included is a stripped-down, honky tonk version of "How I Love Them Old Songs" and the rocker "Dizzy Lizzy." Most significant is the first version of Newbury's signature medley, "An American Trilogy." There are two tracks here, "Mister Can't You See" and "Weeping Annaleah," co-written with a very young Townes Van Zandt. For a deeper analysis of the music and production techniques here, reference the review of the original LP by Eugene Chadbourne at the top the Newbury listing of recordings. For fans, this is a must-have; for those who have only heard the legend, you can shell out a mere 15 dollars to what it would sound like if a Bob Dylan-literate Nick Drake was from Texas and produced by Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson. Newbury arrived in Nash Vegas in full possession of his nearly limitless power as both a singer and songwriter. This CD attests to that in spades. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
