Retro Reviews: Neil Diamond: Tap Root Manuscript

     I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Neil Diamond – Tap Root Manuscript (1970)

****

Producers: Tom Catalano, Neil Diamond

Musicians: Neil Diamond, Al Cassey, David Bennett Cohen, Neil LeVang, Don Peake, Louis Sheldon, Red Rhodes, Randy Cierley, Joe Osborn, Ray Pohlman, Artie Butler, Larry Muhoberac, Marty Paich, Don Randi, Hal Blane, Larry Bunker, Sandra Crouch, Earl Palmer, Gary Coleman,  Gene Estes, Emil Richards, Lee Shamburger, etc…

Songs: Cracklin’ Rosie, Free Life, Coldwater Morning, Done Too Soon, He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother, Childsong, I Am A Lion, Madrigal, Soolaimon, Missa, The African Trilogy, Childsong (Reprise)

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Songwriter Neil Diamond is a figure who seems suspect to some critical peers and I am not certain why, he had released two solid entries the prior year in 69, Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show, and Touching Me, Touching You. Perhaps it was his prior association with Bang Records as a songwriter for hire, or his association with The Monkees submitting two hit singles for them. Some seem to suggest that Neil is edging a little too close to the sensibility of Las Vegas. There’s a rush to judgment for this musician that seems premature, and this album could be the antidote to such skepticism, this is the song writer who created “Solitary Man, Shilo, Cherry Cherry”, and “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”, so there’s a certain breath of depth to him rather than just simple platitudes.

    The perennial single “Crackljn’ Rosie” may not quite reach the heights of “Sweet Caroline”, but it holds up well. “Free Life” has a light blues feeling with rich percussion work. “Coldwater Morning” has the feel of a Jimmy Webb number, while also retaining Webb’s ambition. “Done Too Soon” is probably the other potential single, it has a vibrancy with it’s groove. The cover “He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother” is a very moving, spiritually infused ballad. The second half of the album, subtitled The African Trilogy ( A Folk Ballet), is an impressive, if a little uneven group of songs that expresses itself as a fable about a perception of Africa. “Childsong” acts as a Lullaby sung by children and not Diamond himself. “I Am A Lion” is a little silly, gimmick like, but it reminds me of when Frank Sinatra recorded “High Hopes” with a group of children.

    But the next four tracks are truly impressive. The instrumental “Madrigal” uses a number of African instruments and does evoke a youthful mind cinema. “Soolaimon” has become one of the other singles, and features more African percussion and builds into a gospel feel with the Chorus. “Missa” goes even deeper with the African feel with a choir. “African Trilogy” is an instrumental that sort of rephrases various themes of the movement. The Reprise of “Childsong” seems to just reinforce that idea of this being a fable. Most western musicians have leaned so heavily into the use of Indian or Asian music, that it is refreshing to see a young composer tap into the flavor of regional Africa, and while some might complain about the appropriation of that culture, it is a bold step for Mr. Diamond to take. He’s willing to gamble, and while a small percentage of this may not fully work, it makes for a compelling listen. All of the material is well crafted - this is worth a listen.

Retro Reviews: Joni Micthell: Ladies Of The Canyon

  I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums.

Joni Mitchell – Ladies Of The Canyon (1970)

*****

Producer: Joni Mitchell

Musicians: Joni Mitchell, Teresa Adams, Paul Horn, Jim Horn, Milt Holland, David Crosby, Steven Stills, Graham Nash

Songs: Morning Morgantown, For Free, Conservation, Ladies Of The Canyon, Willy, The Arrangement, Rainy Night House, The Priest, Blue Boy, Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock, The Circle Game

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

I rarely use the phrase ‘astonishing’, but Joni Mitchell’s new album is a marked evolution from Song To A Seagull or Clouds. Her songbird range has not diminished, and there’s an inventiveness to acoustic playing that is shimmering. There’s the added element of her piano work that is featured solely on certain tracks, or acts as extra orientation, but she’s added other players too to give extra color. None of this is any different Dylan started to use outside musicians circa 64 or 65, but the cumulative impression is that these elements add an extra sophistication to her music. Her presence as the producer gives her extra control to be relaxed and creative, and this has been a wise choice. She is a talent that is creating her own world after all, like all great artists before. I have seen a small of percentage critics that have been dismissive of her and I find that baffling. She might very be one of the most naturally gifted artists working at the moment. This might be for everyone, but I think the vast majority will find this accessible.

The spiritually translucent “Morning Morgantown” evokes the painting of small down life, the acoustics lull brightly and Joni’s piano accents enforce the point of the lyrics. Her piano work is sensitive and evokes the somber quality of the lyrics in “For Free” as she observes a street musician, a cello adds flavor, and a clarinet illustrates the street minstrel. The lively “Conversation” is a kind of shared whisper or secret about a friend who is in troubled relationship, a comment of ambivalent situations that feels very real. The flutes and baritone horn adds a playful element that belies the subject. The title track has a lovely quality, her harmonies are nearly angelic. The pensive piano work of “Willy” has a wistful, and sophisticated feeling.

The mood on side two is furthered with the introspective piano of “The Arrangement”, a track that paints a vivid image of a struggling person. There’s a sweetness to the piano work on “Rainy Night House” as much as it’s a confessional of a woman who is more complicated than assumed. The acoustic “The Priest” is supported by some light percussion which seems to reference a past memory. The acoustic piano is brought back one last time for the lovely “Boy Blue”, often these songs seem to reflect on regret in various guises. The closing trio of songs are magical and probably the best group of closers for an album I have seen. The up-tempo “Big Yellow Tazi” has become the perennial single, an ecological lament on progress, but it has such a joyful sad quality, the tasteful percussion adds extra life. The moody “Woodstock” is a reflection on that already seminal festival with a dark electric piano with vibrato places you in a certain space. The closer “The Circle Game” is magical with its acoustic framing and the choruses of Crosby, Stills and Nash, an illusion of a boy who grows from various ages that could represent anyone, that enforces the idea that time should seen as a friend and ally as grow up. It’s all relative, as we renew ourselves at each stage. Remarkable work.