Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis (1969)

There is no doubting that Dusty Springfield was one of the greatest singers of all time, as well as being one of England’s best vocal exports. And it was on her 1969 release Dusty in Memphis where everything came together harmoniously, in a collection of songs that optimises the amazing vocal abilities of this great singer.

Dusty in Memphis was Dusty’s fifth studio album and came at a time when she needed a career boost in order to get her out of the British club circuit and onto a wider stage. So it was with this that she dived head first into American soul music, signing with prominent R&B/soul label Atlantic Records and inheriting a team of producers that included Jerry Wexler who had worked on albums by Aretha Franklin (one of Dusty’s main inspirations). The result was soul and nothing but soul, and it seemed that Dusty had finally found her calling as a singer, with the combination of some great soul songs and Dusty fitting together perfectly like a glove. Backed by a group of studio musicians called the Memphis Cats who had played with Wilson Pickett and Elvis amongst others, and the prestigious singing group The Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals, Dusty delved into the annuls of the then modern day American songbook, taking on songs by some of the best songwriters of the period. Burt Bacharach, Randy Newman, Goffin/King and Mann/Weill originals would all feature, as Dusty put her stamp on some amazing songs and in many cases made them her own. Dusty’s voice sounds mega on here, in what is surely one of the best vocal performances on record. She nails pretty much every song with amazing technique and delivery, with a voice that also sounds soft and silky and that harnesses incredible range and an amazing control of tone.

In terms of the overall sound of the album and on the production side of things, Wexler and co go for a heavily produced sound on here with a full backing band complete with string and horn sections, as well as the prominent use of backing vocalists, not that Dusty needed them of course. This leads to quite a dense layer of sound across the album similar to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, as well as the great recordings of Motown. The extensive nature of the production means that at times it feels like Dusty is having to compete with the massively extravagant instrumental arrangements in order to let her voice shine through. This appears to especially be the case during the choruses. Sometimes I feel they tend to overdo the production side of things rather than just letting Dusty’s voice take centre stage, and that some of the songs would have sounded even better if the instrumental arrangements were stripped right back. However this is just more of an overall observation rather than a criticism, while the heavy production on these songs is no real surprise and was immensely popular on records by soul singers and singing groups during that time.

There are many highlights for me on this album starting with opening track “Just a Little Lovin” which is quite a sexy number with a great vocal and nice arrangement, and the gorgeous “So Much Love” which captures the essence of Dusty so well in what is also one of the more soulful tracks on the record. Then there’s “Son of a Preacher Man” which goes without saying really, and the up-tempo “Don’t Forget About Me” which is more of an R&B-like number that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Stax record. Finally, “The Windmills of Your Mind” is very different from everything else on the record and has an overall eerie mystery to it, whilst also featuring an almost bossa nova styled acoustic guitar accompaniment, and the brilliant album closer “I Can’t Make It Alone”, a track which appears almost like a soul anthem and one that Dusty puts everything she has into.

Time has been kind to Dusty in Memphis, although it was not a great commercial success at the time despite garnering a good response from the critics. It has since gone on to become considered a great album, of which Rolling Stone magazine listed as the eighty-ninth best album of all time, and the third best album in a poll titled “women in Rock: 50 essential albums”. The praise heaped on this album comes as no real surprise when you consider the quality on here and the amazing vocal performance from Dusty herself. Dusty in Memphis was the moment that turned Dusty from a really good singer into a great singer, whilst helping to turn her career around completely. This would arguably become her defining statement as a singer and is also one of the things she will be best remembered for as an artist. Dusty in Memphis is one of the great soul records and contains in my opinion one of the greatest vocal performances. It is truly a great listen and a must for music fans.

A-

- Sam

Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - Girl from the North Country (1969)

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline (1969)

Released in 1969 during the height of flower power Nashville Skyline was completely removed from much of everything else that was going on musically at the time and saw Bob Dylan build on the rootsy sound of his previous release 1967s John Wesley Harding as he moved head first into country music, leaving behind his politically charged folk anthems in the process.

Nashville Skyline is a very warm and friendly album, and has a strong homely feel to it. The music on the album is unthreatening lyrically and musically very much unlike Dylan’s earlier folk material as he attempts a radical change of direction in his music. Coming in the wake of his motorcycle accident in 1966, Dylan’s change of direction musically seems to have fallen in line with his new perspective on life where he became a more private family man. He also began to publically distance himself from the political and social unrest of the late-1960s and from the counter-culture, especially the tag of being seen as the spokesmen for a generation to which he responded “I wasn’t the toastmaster of any generation”. The state of mind Dylan seemingly was in during this period comes across in the tranquil-like music on Nashville Skyline, while country music was the perfect genre for him in which to retreat into his thoughts and reflect on his feelings.

On this album Dylan surrounds himself with in demand Nashville country players a move which I feel translates into an I play, you follow ethos on the album. What I mean by this is that the backing musicians are simply there to serve the song rather than to display their virtuosity on their instrument. These simple country songs don’t lend themselves to solos or amazing displays of musicianship, with Dylan very much going for simplicity over any form of musical statement. The album contains a mixture of soft country ballads and up-tempo tracks, while the only real display of musicianship from his reputable Nashville musicians occurs in the form of instrumental “Nashville Skyline Rag”. Although the album as a coherent whole flows nicely from song to song, the songs that stand out for me include the opening track “Girl from the North Country” which features Johnny Cash on vocals, one of the few up-tempo songs on the album “To Be Alone with You” and album closer “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You”. Dylan’s voice is also a pleasant surprise as he switches to a country crooning style taking many fans by surprise. On first listen he sounds unrecognisable in comparison to his folk twang that made him famous, but after a few songs his voice begins to grow on you as it gives off this warm soothing sound well suited to the short and sweet songs, and the country style of the album.

Although the style of the album was a surprise to many, Dylan was lauded by critics for this album especially for going down a completely different avenue musically. Nashville Skyline went on to become one of his best-selling albums and had a direct influence on the development of country rock during the early-70s. This reaction was quite ironic considering Dylan wanted more privacy and less attention at this time and what he got instead with this album was the exact opposite in the form of praise from music critics and commercial success. This albums release led to an increased interest in Dylan and his music, his whereabouts, and what his next move would be, the sort of heightened attention that resulted in his highly anticipated set at the 1969 Isle of White Festival, his first concert in three years. Nashville Skyline is a very fine album and is one of Dylan’s best, marking the moment where he left behind his political folk songs for a more self-reflective sound that he would continue with for much of his career. It is a very soothing album musically, which is not always the case for Dylan who can be a hard listen at times, and has an underlying relaxing quality to it allowing listeners to drift off. I thoroughly recommend it to Dylan fans, country rock fans, and those that like to chill out and relax to music.

 

Very High A-

 

- Sam

Humble Pie - Town and Country (1969)

Formed in 1969, Humble Pie was an English rock band led by ex-Small Faces singer-guitarist Steve Marriott and a very young yet-to-be famous Peter Frampton. Very much in the line of contemporary acts like The Faces, The Who and Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie never really achieved the recognition and success of their peers but did release a few good albums in the period between 1969 and 1975,  whilst also building a reputation as a strong live act.

One of their earlier more experimental albums was 1969s Town and Country, their second release and one of their best works. Stylistically Town and Country was very different from the hard rock sound Humble Pie became known for in the early-70s and contained an eclectic mix of acoustic folk, rock and roll, and boogie rock. In fact the album was very much in the mould of their live shows at the time which contained an acoustic set followed directly by an electric set, with softer tracks interspersed with heavier guitar-driven material. This album much like the band itself was very much a showcase for Frampton and Marriott to display their talents, the former who would go on to establish a successful career as a classic rock staple in the mid-70s, and the latter who had a reputation to live up to in the form of one of the 60s most loved bands the Small Faces. And showcase their talents they did,  Frampton’s acoustic guitar playing is incredibly layered and very much like that of the great English folk players of the early-60s, while he gets a chance to display his vocal qualities on tracks such as “Home and Away” and “Take Me Back”. Because Frampton sings solo on several of the tracks and on occasion in unison with Marriott, we hear less of Marriott and his amazing vocal prowess. A shame considering he possessed one of the greatest voices to come out of Britain. But when he does let rip on songs such as the soulful “Cold Lady” and the rock and roll boogie of “Sad Bag of Shaky Jake” his vocal delivery just oozes soul and gospel and is definitely one of the highlights of the album. The singing on bonus track “Wrist Job” is out of this world, with Marriott not only singing like a man possessed with that gravely soulful voice of his but also showcasing his ability on the Hammond organ with a blistering solo. Why this track missed the final cut for the album is hard to fathom.

One criticism I do have of Town and Country is that there is probably a little too much in the way of acoustic/folk tracks for my liking, especially as the more rockier tracks are of such good quality and not to mention Marriot’s background as a great R&B singer. In some places the acoustic numbers have a tendency to drift along without doing much to the point that it gets a bit laborious to listen to, but I guess when you consider that the folk sound on display is most unlike them musically we can accuse this and evidently credit them for experimenting this early on in their career.

Although Town and Country did not do anything commercially, it gave a good insight into the bands developing sound, as well as their folk and rock and roll influences. Also from my perspective it is a more enjoyable listen than some of their later albums where they do get very heavy in gravitating towards a hard rock sound. I think the combination of acoustic-folk with rock and roll tracks gives the album plenty of balance and some nice diversity something that their later work tended to lack on occasion. I believe Town and Country holds up pretty well alongside some of the more popular albums from the period and is worth a listen if you are into British rock from the late-60, early-70s.

 

B+

 

- Sam