62. Fred Neil - Fred Neil (1966)




















Track Listing

1. Dolphins
2. I've Got a Secret (Didn't We Shake Sugaree)
3. That's the Bag I'm In
4. Badi-Da
5. Faretheewell (Fred's Tune)
6. Everybody's Talkin'
7. Everything Happens
8. Sweet Cocaine
9. Green Rocky Road
10. Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga

Review

This is an interesting album that my GF calls schizophrenic. There is something of the schizoid to this selection of songs and Fred Neil's approach in general. Neil has a great voice, but one that seems more approapriate to Honky-Tonk style music to revolutionary electric folk. Although that is what he does. From songs on cocaine to the introduction of Raga-Folk. This guy is all about the hip 60's.

The album itself is a split between more conventional songs and weirder ones. All are, nonetheless really well executed. You will most certainly know Everybody's Talking from the later Harry Nilsson version used on the soundtrack of Midnight Cowboy, the Fred Neil original is as good if not better.

I have to admire Fred (Fred is a great word to type as all the characters are next to each other in the keyboard. Fred Fred Fred Fred) Neil for his sheer capacity to change register towards the end of his album to the 8 minute long Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga a kind of Jazzy Folk with a big Middle Eastern tinge, with the use of a bouzouki and everything. It sounds more like an track by Rabih Abou-Khalil than anything else. Other than this track, its a very good folk-country album with some electric elements in the tradition started by Bob Dylan and a very nice one at that.

Definitely enjoyed listening to it. but in truth it's like two albums in one, as the last track is a whole different universe, but props to Fred "the Fred" Neil. And no, you can't stream it from Napster, Amazon is your only crappy option seeing as you might have to wait up to 6 weeks for availability. If you want you can try to get it from Amazon anyway, from the UK or US.

Track Highlights

1. Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga
2. Dolphins
3. Badi-Da
4. Everybody's Talkin'

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

This guy is a very strange mix.

From Wiki:

Selected list of Fred Neil songs and artists that covered them

* Come Back Baby - Buddy Holly (1958)
* Candy Man - Roy Orbison (1961)
* Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson (1969)
* A Little Bit Of Rain - Karen Dalton (1969)
* Tear Down the Walls - Vince Martin and Fred Neil (1964)
* The Dolphins - Tim Buckley (1973)
* Green Rocky Road - Blue Orchids (2005)