Don Ho, Greatest Hits
The Byrds, Ballad of Easy Rider (6)
Harry Nilsson, Nilsson Schmilsson
Iron & Wine, Our Endless Numbered Days
The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man and Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Gene Clark, Echoes
Neil Young, Harvest
Ballad of Easy Rider has really made itself at home in my head, moreso than I initially thought it would. Seems like as soon as I'm done listening to it a few of the songs just linger in my head, nagging me to put it on again and again. Clearly it set me off on a Byrds kick, including spurring me to pick up Gene Clark's Echoes—a combo of his first album, Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers, and some other early recordings. Apparently the mix and the track list of the Gosdin Brothers album is different here from the original, which has me second guessing whether or not this was the version I should have bought. Still, it's good.
- Gene Clark: Echoes
Great idea. This is works much better as an album than either of its parents and is a very worthwhile exercise as both contain rewarding songs but fail to ignite in their original forms.
Funny the degree to which the weight of expectation colours judgement though. I had a spell of listening to each of these albums last year; Around The Sun in a bid to give it a second chance and Accelerate with all the expectant excitement of the much touted "return to form". Inevitably I was pleasantly surprised by Around The Sun and disappointed by Accelerate.
Revisiting Accelerate this year, without any preconceptions, I found it a much better album than I first thought.
Posted by: George Kitching | July 18, 2009 at 02:32 AM