Aretha Franklin - Ten Years Of Gold (1976) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Queen of Soul", she was twice named by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer of all time.

Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide. 

She charted 112 singles on the US Billboard charts, including 73 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 96 R&B entries and 20 number-one R&B singles.

Following her signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Think". 

These hits and more helped her to gain the title The Queen of Soul by the end of the 1960s decade.

This is a nice collection from 1976 of Aretha's best stuff (some of it) on Atlantic, the label that was home to her absolute best music.  These songs are all available on any number of collections, but it's nice to spin this one on the turntable.

The Atlantic sessions were truly special with Jerry Wexler producing those fabulous early sessions with The MG's backing up Aretha. You know all the songs, they're timeless.

It's also nice to see the Curtis Mayfield produced "Something He Can Feel" on here.  It's Aretha singing at her sexiest, and Mayfield's arrangement is sweet.

If anyone asks why they call Aretha "the queen of Soul", just put this on, she'll do the rest.

Side A

A1.  I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)  (2:42)

A2.  Respect  (2:26)

A3.  Baby, I Love You  (2:37)

A4.  (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman  (2:42)

A5.  Think  (2:17)

A6.  See Saw  (2:44)

A7.  Spanish Harlem  (3:32)

Side B

B1.  Rock Steady  (3:12)

B2.  Day Dreaming  (3:58)

B3.  Angel  (4:28)

B4.  Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)  (3:26)

B5.  Something He Can Feel  (6:19)

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic Recording Corporation
• Copyright © – Atlantic Recording Corporation
• Distributed By – WEA Records Ltd.
• Printed By – Gothic Print Finishers Ltd.
• Made By – Gothic Print Finishers Ltd.
• Published By – April Music
• Published By – Shapiro Bernstein
• Published By – Screen Gems-Columbia
• Published By – Carlin Music Corp.
• Published By – Jobete London Music
• Published By – Warner Bros. Music
• Lacquer Cut At – Strawberry Mastering
• Pressed By – WEA Records Pressing Plant, West Drayton

Credits

• Art Direction – Bob Defrin
• Photography By – Joel Brodsky
• Sleeve Notes – Jerry Wexler

Notes

Release: 1976

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Soul

Label:  Atlantic Records

Catalog#  K50328

Vinyl:  Goed (G)

Cover:  Goed (G)

Prijs: €10,00

Euson - Better Days (1974) (LP) - €5,00

posted  by ad-vinylrecords

Op Aruba geboren zanger die in de jaren zestig in Nederland een aardige soulreputatie opbouwt, onder meer als J.B Euson & Stax met daarin Chris Hinze en ex-leden van The Lords. In 1970 heeft Julio Bernardo Euson zijn grootste hit met de Joni Mitchell-cover ‘Both sides now’.

Julio Bernardo Euson wordt op 12 april geboren op Aruba in 1941. Als tiener richt hij daar zijn eerste band op. De groep is van alle markten thuis. Euson en consorten spelen rock 'n roll, maar hebben ook Zuid-Amerikaanse invloeden. 

Euson blijkt veel talent te hebben. Gesterkt door het winnen van diverse talentenjachten verhuist hij begin jaren zestig naar Nederland. Daar wordt hij soulzanger van het Rotterdamse Kreole Kats. Tussen 1965 en 1967 worden enkele singles uitgebracht.

Toetsenist Chris Hinze en Euson bundelen in 1968 hun krachten samen met The Lords, de vroegere begeleidingsband van Rob De Nijs. Als J.B. Euson & Stax toert dit gezelschap heel Europa door. Met single 'I Want You Around Me', scoren ze een zeer bescheiden hitje.

Als solo-act heeft Euson meer succes. Met Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' bestormt hij als een bezetene de charts en er lijkt een grote toekomst in het verschiet te liggen voor de Arubaan. Het succes van dit nummer resulteert in enkele elpees en singles waarin de scherpe randjes van zijn eerdere werk ontbreken.

Drie jaar later, in 1973, scoort Euson opnieuw een paar hits met 'Life Is On My Side', 'Leon' en 'I Use The Soap'. Als beloning ontvangt hij de Zilveren Harp van de stichting Conamus. Na dit hoogtepunt gaat het snel bergafwaarts met zijn carrière.

Eusons populariteit neemt gestaag af en gedesillusioneerd zoekt hij zijn geluk overzees. Samen met manager Peter Kok vertrekt hij naar de Verenigde Staten. Ook daar komt zijn carrière niet van de grond en in 1978 verhuist het duo naar Chili. Hier richten zij P.J. (Peter Julio) Productions op en brengen platen uit van Chileense artiesten. Ook eigen werk wordt op deze manier op de markt gebracht.

Side A

A1.  Night Time Lady

A2.  Soap

A3.  My Girl

A4.  He Gives Us All His Love

A5.  Amy’s Gone

A6.  Better Days

Side B

B1.  Prison

B2.  Wedding Song

B3.  The Lady Came From Baltimore

B4.  Help Me

B5.  If You Could Read My Mind

B6.  Mary Jane

Notes

Released:  1974

Genre:  Pop, Soul

Label:  Polydor ‎Records

Catalog#  2925 026

Vinyl:  Goed

Cover:  Goed

Prijs: €5,00

BAP - Vün Drinne Noh Drüsse (1982) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

BAP (Colognian pronunciation: [bap]) is a German rock band. With eleven albums reaching the number one in the German record charts, BAP is one of the most successful rock acts in their home country.

Nearly all of BAP’s lyrics are written in Kölsch, the dialect of Cologne, or more precisely in a Kölsch-influenced derivation of Eifelplatt, a regional variant of the Ripuarian language spoken in the nearby rural Eifel. 

Niedecken’s most prominent musical influences, especially early in his career, were Bob Dylan, the Kinks, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Wolfgang Ambros.

Pure German rock combined with ironic, sometimes angry, sometimes melancholic texts. Powerful political protest songs such as “Kristallnaach” (Kristallnaach (Colognian for Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass) is a political song. The track was the album’s only single and reached #25 on the German charts. 

The song was meant to raise awareness of the resurgence of right-wing populism in Europe and critique Germany‘s Vergangenheitsbewältigung of the Nazi era.) as well as “Zehnter Juni” are followed by romantic or melancholic ballads such as “Do kanns zaubre”, one of the best lovesongs ever written in German, or the sad “Ah`ner Leitplank” about a deadly car accident. For non-German speakers: Never mind the language barrier (Even Germans have sometimes problems with the slang, so that all texts are generally translated in “School German”), the music on its own is worth it a million times.

Side A

A1.  Kristallnaach - 4:56

A2.  Wellenreiter - 2:20

A3.  Zehnter Juni - 4:21

A4.  Wie ‘Ne Stein - 4:26

        Music By – Bob Dylan

A5.  Do Kanns Zaubere - 4:34

Side B

B1.  Nit Für Kooche (Teil 1) - 1:40

        Soloist, Vocals – Birgit Van Der Most

B2.  Nit Für Kooche (Teil 2) - 4:03

B3.  Ahn ‘Ner Leitplank - 4:14

B4.  Wenn Et Bedde Sich Lohne Däät - 4:32

B5.  Eins Für Carmen Un En Insel - 2:53

B6.  Koot Vüür Aach - 3:29

Companies, etc.

• Printed By – 4P Nicolaus GmbH
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Musikproduktion West
• Recorded At – Tonstudio Rüssmann
• Mixed At – Tonstudio Rüssmann

Credits

• Arranged By [Streicher- Und Bläserarrangements] – Georg Rüßmann
• Bass, Piano – Steve Borg
• Chorus – Birgit Van Der Most, Gunne Wagner, Ina Deter, Marianne Langfeldt
• Design – Adam Backhausen, "Co-Duck" Meidt, Manfred Boecker, Wolfgang Niedecken
• Drums – Manfred "Schmal" Boecker, Wolli Boecker
• Engineer – Hans Wollrath, Helmut Rüßmann
• Guitar, Mandolin – Klaus "Major" Heuser
• Keyboards – Alexander "Effendi" Büchel
• Lyrics By, Liner Notes, Harmonica – Wolfgang Niedecken
• Music By – BAP (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B6)
• Percussion – Hans "Fonz" Wollrath, Manfred "Schmal" Boecker
• Photography By [Cover- Und Innenheftphotos] – "Co-Duck" Meidt
• Producer – BAP, Helmut Rüßmann
• Strings [Never-Doubt-Again-Quartett] – Frederike Zumach, Jens Oppermann, Steve Borg, Ulrike Kleine
• Vocals – Alexander "Effendi" Büchel, Hans "Fonz" Wollrath, Klaus "Major" Heuser, Manfred "Schmal" Boecker, Wolfgang Niedecken

Notes

Release:  1982

Format: LP, Vinyl

Genre: : Neue Deutsche Welle

Label:  Musikant Records

Catalog#  1C 066-46639

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)  Gatefold

Prijs: €10,00

The Alan Parson Project - Stereotomy (1985) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Stereotomy is the ninth studio album by the Alan Parsons Project, released in 1985.

Not as commercially successful as its predecessor Vulture Culture, the album is structured differently from earlier Project albums: containing three lengthy tracks ("Stereotomy" at over seven minutes, "Light of the World" at over six minutes, and the instrumental "Where's the Walrus?" running over seven and a half minutes) and two minute-long songs at the end. 

On this album, the theme circles around the way in which the modern world molds the personality, the character, and the livelihood of the human being. 

People are but a slave to their lifestyle and their environment, and they are destined to be thrown into this situation at birth, with tolerance as an inevitability. 

One must really pay attention to the profound lyrics and loose structuring of the music to attain the concept that Parsons metaphorically dances around. John Miles' angriness on the title track kicks things off, and his forceful voice makes for a passable rock tune. 

Aside from this song, the only other vocal standout is "In the Real World," again with the help of Miles' assertiveness. 

Two of the album's instrumentals, "Where's the Walrus?" and "Urbania," conjure up mood and keep the listener slightly poised, causing some musical buoyancy among the blandness of the other tracks. Stereotomy's main theme remains stagnant, ever so slightly regaining consciousness across the nine songs laid out here. Parsons' genius can be better investigated on numerous past releases, as this album comes up short.

It is a full digital production and both the LP and CD releases were encoded using the two-channel Ambisonic UHJ format. Stereotomy earned a Grammy nomination in 1987 – for Best Rock Instrumental Performance: Orchestra, Group, or Soloist – for the track "Where's the Walrus?"

Stereotomy marks the final appearance of David Paton on bass – he went on to join Elton John's touring band – and is the first Project release since Tales of Mystery and Imagination not to feature Lenny Zakatek. 

The track "Chinese Whispers" is based on the game of Chinese whispers. It has some snippets of dialogue heavily overlaid on top of each other. The words are taken from Edgar Allan Poe's work Murders in the Rue Morgue:

"...The larger links of the chain run thus – Chantilly, Orion, Dr. Nichol, Epicurus, Stereotomy, the street stones, the fruiterer."

The titles of "Urbania" and "Where's the Walrus?" can be attributed to Lee Abrams, a (then) radio programmer for WLUP Radio (Chicago, IL) and friend of Parsons and Woolfson. Eric Woolfson remembers:

"He was really quite inspirational in this album [Stereotomy] in telling us what we'd been doing wrong, in his view, on the previous albums... 'Urbania' was one of the words he came out with during the course of a long conversation. Another title he's responsible for... is 'Where's the Walrus,' the other instrumental, 'cause he was really giving us a hard time, I must tell you: 'Your guitar sounds are too soft, and your whole approach is, you know, slack, and your lyrics—there’s no great lyrics anymore! I mean, where's the walrus? I don't hear the walrus!' Referring, of course, to John Lennon's `I am the Walrus’..."

Side A

A1.  Stereotomy - 7:15  

        Lead Vocals – John Miles

A2.  Beaujolais - 4:27  

        Lead Vocals – Chris Rainbow

A3.  Urbania (Instrumental) - 4:34  

A4.  Limelight - 4:39  

        Lead Vocals – Gary Brooker

Side B

B1.  In The Real World - 4:17  

        Lead Vocals – John Miles

B2.  Where’s The Walrus? (Instrumental) - 7:34  

B3.  Light Of The World - 6:22  

        Lead Vocals – Graham Dye

B4.  Chinese Whispers (Instrumental) - 1:02  

B5.  Stereotomy Two - 1:18 

        Lead Vocals – John Miles

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Arista Records, Inc.
• Copyright © – Arista Records, Inc.
• Copyright © – Woolfsongs Ltd.
• Copyright © – Careers Music, Inc.
• Recorded At – Mayfair Studios
• Recorded At – Abbey Road Studios
• Mixed At – Mayfair Studios
• Copyright © – Icon Ltd.
• Published By – Woolfsongs Ltd.

Credits

• Bass – David Paton
• Conductor – Andrew Powell
• Design, Art Direction – Andrew Ellis, Colin Chambers
• Drums, Percussion – Stuart Elliott
• Engineer – Alan Parsons, Noel Rafferty, Tony Richards
• Guitar – Ian Bairnson
• Orchestra – Philharmonia Orchestra
• Synthesizer, Saxophone – Richard Cottle
• Vocals – Chris Rainbow, Gary Brooker, Graham Dye, John Miles, Steve Dye
• Written-By, Keyboards, Producer – Alan Parsons
• Written-By, Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, Executive-Producer – Eric Woolfson

Notes

Release:  1985

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Progressive Rock

Label:  Arista Records

Catalog#  207463

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00

Kiki Dee - Kiki Dee (1977) (LP) - €5,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records.

Kiki Dee strikes as a potentially great singer but, on record at least, she seems to hold something in reserve.

 So it is with this album; her singing is undeniably 'good' but it lacks any sort of conviction. 

Having said that she isn't helped by the rather ordinary songs or the somewhat pedestrian production.

Perhaps, Kiki’s best album, with a solid set of songs, top-notch production and excellent singing throughout. 

High point is the barn-storming album-closer “First Thing in the Morning,” another Bias Boshell composition which should have been a much bigger hit. Features a guest appearance from members of Electric Light Orchestra on her version of Robert Palmer’s “How Much Fun.”

The self-titled  Kiki Dee (1977) yielded two hits ‘Chicago’ and ‘First Thing In The Morning’ (and featured session heavyweights The Brecker Brothers).

This 1977 Kiki Dee release is simply one of the best of her records. First of all Kiki's voice is beautiful and surely would deserve wider recognition. 

But that's not all: she penned herself five songs on this album and co-wrote another two, which is perhaps a lesser known side of Kiki Dee. The contribution of Keyboardist/composer Bias Boshell with two great songs is remarkable. 

Then we have the great musicians (most of them worked with Elton John, producer of the album) with special attention to the great guitar man Davey Johnstone who's all over... and the also the great James Newton-Howard. 

Then we have the exquisite orchestral arrangements, the horn arrangements with the Brecker Brothers (incl. great sax wizard Michael Brecker who sadly passed away recently) and another one of my favourites David Sanborn on alto sax (what a solo on "Keep right on"!).

This is a kind of soul-jazzy-funk-soft rock that I love so much, close to Steely Dan's music, I should say. There are no weak tracks, I love all of them, but I can't help make a special remark on "Keep right on" and "In return".

Side A

A1.  How Much Fun - 3:08

A2.  Sweet Creation - 3:40

A3.  Into Eternity - 3:07

A4.  Standing Room Only - 4:18

A5.  Bad Day Child - 3:19

A6.  Chicago - 4:18

Side B

B1.  Night Hours - 4:51

B2.  Keep Right On - 4:34

B3.  In Return - 3:56

B4.  Walking - 3:19

B5.  First Thing In The Morning - 5:46

Companies, etc.

• Produced For – Frank N. Stein Productions Ltd.
• Recorded At – The Manor
• Recorded At – A&R Studios
• Recorded At – Abbey Road Studios
• Recorded At – Sarm West Studios
• Mixed At – Sarm West Studios

Credits

• Acoustic Guitar – Davey Johnstone (tracks: A5, B1)
• Art Direction – David Costa
• Backing Vocals – Kiki Dee (tracks: A3, A5, B1, B3), R & J Stone (tracks: A1, A4, B5), Sunny (tracks: A1, A4, B5), Tony Burrows (tracks: A1, A4, B5)
• Bass – Dee Murray (tracks: A1, A2, A4, A5, B1 - B4), Phil Curtis (tracks: A6, B5)
• Brass – Barry Rogers (tracks: A2, B2, B3), David Sanborn (tracks: A2, B2, B3), Michael Brecker (tracks: A2, B2, B3), Randy Brecker (tracks: A2, B2, B3)
• Brass, Arranged By – James Newton-Howard (tracks: A2, B3), Randy Brecker (tracks: B2)
• Cello, Arranged By – Hugh McDowell (tracks: A3), Melvin Gale (tracks: A3)
• Conductor – Louis Clark (tracks: A1)
• Drums – Steve Holley (tracks: A1, A2, A4 - A6, B1 - B5)
• Electric Piano – Bias Boshell (tracks: A6, B5), James Newton-Howard (tracks: B1)
• Guitar – Brian Holloway (tracks: B5), Davey Johnstone (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B4)
• Guitar [Solo] – Andy Dalby (tracks: B5)
• Management – John Reid
• Mandolin, Dulcimer – Davey Johnstone (tracks: A5)
• Mellotron – James Newton-Howard (tracks: A3)
• Orchestra, Arranged By, Conductor – Gene Page (tracks: A6, B5)
• Organ – James Newton-Howard (tracks: A4, B2, B3)
• Percussion – Ray Cooper (tracks: A5, A6, B1, B3)
• Photography By – Gered Mankowitz
• Piano – Bias Boshell (tracks: A4), James Newton-Howard (tracks: A1, A2, A5, A6, B1, B2, B3, B4)
• Producer – Clive Franks, Elton John
• Saxophone [Solo] – David Sanborn (tracks: B2)
• Strings, Arranged By – Richard Tandy (tracks: A1)
• Synthesizer [ARP] – James Newton-Howard (tracks: A2, A4)
• Synthesizer [Polymoog] – Richard Tandy (tracks: A1)
• Vibraphone – Ray Cooper (tracks: B1)

Recorded at EMI Studios Abbey Road

Notes

Release:  1977

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Pop

Label:  The Rock Record Company

Catalog#  5C 062-98681

Vinyl:  Goed (G)

Cover:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen (G) (Gatefold)

Prijs: €5,00

The Carpenters - Live At The Palladium (1984) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Live at the Palladium is the second live album by the American music duo The Carpenters. It was recorded during a week of live concerts at the London Palladium in November 1976. 

With a back catalogue of hits at their disposal - not to mention one of the greatest female voices in pop music - you would be excused for thinking that a live album would represent the perfect vehicle for the Carpenters to show off their musical wares. Too bad then that they decided to release this load of junk instead.

There are moments when the duo's incredible success still seems a little difficult to comprehend. Side One of this album is a case in point. Rather than focussing on their hits the concert is set up more like a biographical cabaret performance. 

So alongside only two recognised Carpenters songs, this first side also sees Richard talking about the young Karen's drumming (followed by a drum duet between her and Cubby O'Brien). 

Then you have Karen talking about Richard's musicality (followed by a rendition of the Warsaw Concerto backed by an orchestra). I tried to imagine myself as a member of the Palladium audience, having waited weeks to hear them perform my favourite Carpenters song - in my case "Superstar" - only to be served up this slightly bizarre entertainment instead.

Things don't improve on Side Two. 

I've always disliked medleys and not even Karen's voice can make the first fifteen minutes seem worthwhile as they speed through ten of their best known songs. 

The closing "We've Only Just Begun" is at least performed in full but it doesn't come anywhere near to rescuing the album as a whole.

For sheer weirdness, the rendition of "Warsaw Concerto" might just be the most interesting thing on here but, trust me, unless you're a hardened Carpenters fan there is little reason to go and track down a copy. Stick with The Singles 1969-1973 instead.

No singles were released from the album, although it reached number 28 on the UK Albums Chart. 

On the cover of the record, Karen is wearing the same dress as in The Carpenters' First Television Special. 

The album was remastered and reissued in the 1980s on the budget Pickwick music label and went Gold in the UK. This album was not released in the U.S. but was widely available as an import. 

Side A

A1.  Flat Baroque - 1:33

A2.  There’s A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World) - 2:16

A3.  Jambalaya (On The Bayou) - 2:51

A4.  Medley - 5:34

       (a) Piano Picker

       (b) Strike Up The Band

       (c) S’Wonderful

       (d) Fascinatin’ Rhythm

A5.  Warsaw Concerto - 6:35

A6.  From This Moment On - 2:11

Side B

B1.  Medley - 15:44

       (a) (They Long To Be) Close To You

       (b) For All We Know

       (c) Top Of The World

       (d) Ticket To Ride

       (e) Only Yesterday

       (f) I Won’t Last A Day Without You

       (g) Hurting Each Other

       (h) Superstar

       (i) Rainy Days And Mondays

       (j) Goodbye To Love

B2.  We’ve Only Just Begun - 3:52

Companies, etc.

• Licensed From – A&M Records
• Marketed By – Pickwick International Inc. (GB) Ltd.
• Published By – Rondor Music (London) Ltd.
• Published By – Donna Music
• Published By – Acuff Rose Music
• Published By – Big 3 Music
• Published By – CBS Songs
• Published By – Chappell Music
• Published By – Keith Prowse Music
• Published By – Carlin Music Corp.
• Published By – MCA Music
• Published By – Northern Songs
• Published By – Heath Levy Music
• Published By – Teddy Jack Music
• Lacquer Cut At – Tape One
• Recorded By – Basing Street Mobile
• Mixed At – Air Studios
• Mastered At – Pye Studios
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – A&M Records, Inc.
• Copyright © – A&M Records

    

Credits

• Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Richard Carpenter
• Art Direction – Roland Young
• Bass, Keyboards, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Bob Messenger
• Bass, Vocals – Dan Woodhams
• Conductor [Orchestra] – Dick Palombi (tracks: A1 to A4, A6 to B2)
• Design [Art Design] – Chuck Beeson
• Drums – Cubby O'Brien
• Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Karen Carpenter
• Engineer – Ray Gerhardt
• Engineer [Air Studios], Mixed By – Jon Kelly
• Engineer [Basing Street] – Frank Owen
• Engineer [Pye Studios], Mastered By – Malcolm Davies
• Guitar, Keyboards, Bass – Tony Peluso
• Keyboards, Clarinet, Vocals – Doug Strawn
• Keyboards, Vocals – Richard Carpenter
• Lacquer Cut By – Pounda
• Management – Management 111 Ltd.
• Management [Personal] – Jerry Weintraub
• Producer – Richard Carpenter
• Producer [Associate] – Karen Carpenter

Notes

Released:  1984 (Reissue)

Format:  Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue

Genre:  Soft Pop

Label:  Hallmark Records  

Catalog#  SHM 3142

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10:00

Dickey Betts & Great Southern - Dickey Betts & Great Southern (1977) (LP) - €10,00

posted by ad-vinylrecords

Dickey Betts & Great Southern is the second studio album by Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded with his band Great Southern in 1977. 

The standout tracks are "Sweet Virginia" and the extended-jam "Bougainvillea", which was co-written by Don Johnson.

Three years after the issue of his landmark solo recording, Highway Call (and countless inbred brawls and unholy wars among the Allman Brothers), guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dickey Betts released the debut by his "other" band, Great Southern. 

Attempting to capture the loose, easy feel of Highway Call and combine it with the more blues-driven sound of the Allmans, Betts was largely successful though the record does suffer a tad from overly slick production. 

Evident from "Out to Get Me," the very first track, is Betts' trademark slide guitar burning a hole through the center of the mix. 

The undertone of the album is the shuffle, both country and blues, aided in large part by Topper Price's harmonica and the able second guitar of Dan Toler. 

But the feel is all Betts. He stretches out the stinging boogie of "Run Gypsy Run," with dual leads, a killer pre-verse riff, and a solid "Ramblin Man"-style melodic line in the heart of his blues. 

Perhaps the hinge piece on the album in on its third track, "Sweet Virginia" (not a cover of the Rolling Stones' track). 

Here, Betts' slide work is easily and lilting as it undergirds a sleepy country tune with a killer backbeat. Nostalgia, or at least the previous, is the backbone of Betts' sentiment as his vice rings through the guitars and rhythm section with conviction and a sureness that only comes out of the finest country-rock music (think Creedence Clearwater meets the Allmans). 

Ultimately, this album, with its funky New Orleans basslines and second-line percussions, is another restless country-soul set from Betts. 

And though more guitar driven than Highway Call (fiddle god Vassar Clements is not Betts' foil here), its songs hold as much soul and aplomb if not the same deeply held convictions that made the previous album the classic it is. 

Nonetheless, Great Southern is a very fine album that despite its polish holds a wealth of fine songs and truly astonishing playing within its grooves.

Side A

A1.  Out To Get Me - 4:42

A2.  Run Gypsy Run - 3:30

A3.  Sweet Virginia - 3:40

A4.  The Way Love Goes - 4:59

Side B

B1.  Nothing You Can Do - 4:10

B2.  California Blues - 5:00

B3.  Bougainvillea - 7:14

Great Southern

• Dickey Betts – electric guitar, slide guitar, lead vocals
• "Dangerous Dan" Toler – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals
• Tom Broome – keyboards, background vocals
• Ken Tibbets – bass
• Jerry Thompson – drums, percussion
• Donnie Sharbono – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Don Johnson – backing vocals on "Bougainvillea"
• Topper Price – harmonica on "Out to Get Me" and "Run Gypsy Run"
• Mickey Thomas – backing vocals on "Nothing You Can Do"

Production

• Produced by Dickey Betts
• Recording, production assistant: Steve Klein
• Assistant engineer: Stephen Hart
• Mixing: Johnny Sandlin, Buddy Thornton
• Mastering: George Marino
• Art Direction: Bob Heimall
• Photography: Benno Friedman

Notes

Released:  1977

Format:  LP, Vinyl

Genre:  Southern Rock

Label:  Arista ‎Records

Catalog#  AL 4123

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)

Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00