Poll: Fred Neil`s self-titled album
 

This is a discussion thread for the following album:


The album won a recent selection poll of http://www.musicbanter.com/country-f...lbum-club.html - but of course everyone is welcome to join in the debate. :)

So, anyone have an opinion they want to share ?

I heard the entire album, and wrote my impressions for each song.

Now I read what I wrote, and it sounds pricky. I don't intend to be, they are just my honest toughs.

As I write this text, I'm not sure if I will post it. I don't like to say to other people that I don't like his music.
This is not bad album. But I'm not onto it.

-The Dolphins. Stylized speak.
-Bady la. I like the “abandonment” feeling in the voice.
-Faretheewell. Formulaic. Instruments are only for refilling purposes.
-Everybody's Talkin. Same as the above, but it sounds better. It haves some “trance” effect, and the voice has a credible tone of nostalgia.
-Everything Happens. Again formulaic, refilling song.
-Sweet Cocaine. Classy blues. It can’t fail.
-Green Rocky Road. Heard it a million times, with different lyrics.
-Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga. It would be effective as a soundtrack for some movie’s scene. It conveys a sense of chaos, but do not tries to catch conscious attention. It makes my thoughts wander.
-I've Got a Secret. Take a professional singer, make him speak at slow speed. Stylized speak. Add some purposeless instruments, and you have another recipe-song. Somebody will buy it.

I get the sensation that the album intends to be “just okay”. Doesn’t have ambitions.

My preferred songs are Bady la, and Sweet Cocaine, but is not something that I want to add to my collection.

I think my interest in this album was more historical than anything. I came across it while looking for Harry Nilsson's version of Everybody's Talkin'. I never realised it was a cover and reading up on Fred Neil he seemed to be an influential artist in the folk movement that I had never heard of. I guess I nominated it as a kind of manic reparation :).

Anyway that said I thought it was a pretty good album. I originally nominated the bluesier Bleecker and MacDougal but decided on this one as a folkier milestone.

I rather expected that this would be an album of mediocre material padding out the one famous track of Everybody`s Talkin`. So I was pleased to hear a bunch of songs of consistently good quality, and, despite what Argento says, a voice that has a distinctive, relaxed tone.
But on these points, I`d agree :-
If I`d bought this album when it came out, I think I might`ve been disappointed by it`s low-key approach. It`s interesting, mellow but never tries for anything more powerful.

^ Yep! I agree completely, especially about I`ve Got a Secret, which is equal favourite with Dolphins for me.

^ These days, I think it`s unusual that such a well-known song comes from a guy who has received so little public attention - so thanks for bringing FN to my notice. I`ll certainly be playing this album again.

I`ve just been reading about Fred Neil playing at New York`s Cafe Wha` in 1960. He used to invite a girl called Karen Dalton to join him on vocals, as well as permitting an aspiring 19-year-old from Minnesota to play harmonica with him. Twenty-five years later, the harmonica player had this to say:-

Here`s a pic of them playing together:-

http://www.wirz.de/music/dalton/grafik/dalton.jpg

Thanks Lisnaholic. Hadn't heard Karen Dalton before. Just listening to her first album "It's So Hard to Tell Who's Going to Love You the Best". Some nice stuff. Two tracks off the album were Fred Neil covers.

^ Hey, that`s interesting, fazstp ! It never occured to me to check out what, if anything, Karen Dalton had achieved on her own.

LOL. I assumed you were familiar with her when you posted the pic until I realised it was Bob Dylan on the harmonica.

Even if it was an accident Lisnaholic I'm glad you brought her to my attention. Some nice stuff.

This is her version of the Fred Neil track A Little Bit of Rain from her first album.




Here's her cover of the Motown/ Marvin Gaye song How Sweet It Is from her second album In My Own Time.




Search wise yours seems to be the first mention she has had on MB. I'm thinking she might even need her own thread.