1072 - Mojo 81. Pearls Before Swine - One Nation Underground (1967)

Track Listing

1. Another Time
2. Playmate
3. Ballad To An Amber Lady
4. (Oh Dear) Miss Morse
5. Drop Out!
6. Morning Song
7. Regions of May
8. Uncle John
9. I Shall Not Care
10. The Surrealist Waltz

Review

Some more folk rock on the list, and while it is quite good and it does have quite a bit of variety to it, it never quite dazzles the way it might. There is one particular detail that makes it less than appealing and that is the fact that Tom Rapp has a bit of a lisp.

However you soon start to be able to live with the speech impediment and learn to enjoy the album. As I said there is quite a bit of variety here from the ballady first track to the aggressive Uncle John. However this is sometimes too much variety for one album and it seems a bit haphazard at times.

There is a very clear Bob Dylan influence to all this, particularly on the second track where even Rapp's voice seems to emulate Dylan. However he is never as consummate as Bob and so the comparisons become unfair to him... but he is the one which identifies with Dylan.

Track Highlights

1. The Surrealist Waltz
2. Another Time
3. Playmate
4. (Oh Dear) Miss Morse

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

"Another Time" is an acoustic song, the first that Rapp ever wrote, based on his experience in a car crash where he walked away unscathed, and, with "Morning Song", represents the most characteristic example of Rapp's later writing style. In contrast, "Drop Out !" and "Uncle John" are youthful protest songs. "(Oh Dear) Miss Morse" spells out in Morse code the word F-U-C-K, accompanied by banjo and organ.

Another Time:

Mojo 80. The Monkees - Headquarters (1967)

See Review

Mojo 79. Donovan - Sunshine Superman (1967)

See Review

Mojo 78. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (1967)

See Review

1071. Mojo 77. Tim Hardin - Tim Hardin 2 (1967)

Track Listing

1. If I Were a Carpenter
2. Red Balloon
3. Black Sheep Boy
4. Lady Came from Baltimore
5. Baby Close Its Eyes
6. You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie
7. Speak Like a Child
8. See Where You Are and Get Out
9. It's Hard to Believe in Love for Long
10. Tribute to Hank Williams

Review

So we revisit some songs that Bobby Daring was singing on this list not that long ago, but now we do it with the original songwriter doing it. This usually makes things better, and this album is no exception.

The only exception here is Black Sheep Boy, there is a version by Scott Walker which is just as good if not better, but then you can't really compete with Scott Walker, can you?

If I Were a Carpenter sounds more heartfelt here, particularly because Hardin has much more fragile voice, which makes it all the more touching. It also needs to be said that Hardin is a pretty great guitarist and his use of acoustic guitar throughout is pretty great, so he beats Bobby Darin hands down. Hardin's lyrics are great, as is his singing and playing... what else do you need?

Track Highlights

1. If I Were a Carpenter
2. Black Sheep Boy
3. Red Balloon
4. Tribute to Hank Williams

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Allmusic stated "Tim Hardin 2 is probably his best single album, on which he eschewed blues nearly entirely and forged a distinctive folk-rock voice..."

If I Were a Carpenter:

Mojo 76. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced (1967)

See Review

Mojo 75. The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out (1967)

See Review

Mojo 74. Merle Haggard and the Strangers - I'm A Lonesome Fugitive (1967)

See Review

Mojo 73. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

See Review

Mojo 72. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You (1967)

See Review

1070 - Mojo Special 12. Various Artists - Sentimental Journey: Pop Vocal Classics 1950-54 (1990)

Track Listing

1. Because of You - Tony Bennett, Percy Faith & His Orchestra
2. Cry - The Four Lads, Johnnie Ray, The Four Lads
3. Lover - Gordon Jenkins, Peggy Lee
4. Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney
5. Kiss of Fire - Georgia Gibbs, Glenn Osser & His Orchestra
6. I Apologize - Billy Eckstine, Pete Rugolo & Orchestra
7. Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?) - Percy Faith & His Orchestra, Felicia Sanders
8. You Belong to Me - Jo Stafford, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
9. Wheel of Fortune - Harold Mooney, Kay Starr
10. I Get Ideas - Tony Martin, Henri René & His Orchestra
11. Little Things Mean a Lot - Kitty Kallen
12. That's Amore - Dean Martin, Dick Stabile & His Orchestra
13. Here in My Heart - Monty Kelly & Orchestra, Al Martino
14. How High the Moon - Les Paul & Mary Ford
15. Hold My Hand - Jerry Carr, Don Cornell
16. (Why Did I Tell You I Was Going to) Shanghai - Doris Day, Paul Weston & His Orchestra
17. My Heart Cries for You - Mitch Miller, Guy Mitchell
18. Wish You Were Here - Eddie Fisher, Hugo Winterhalter

Review

So a nice best of album of pop vocal classics from the first half of the fifties... exactly what it says on the box. Fortunately it is a good collection bypassing much of the dross of that time, which doesn't necessarily make it great, but it does make it enjoyable.

You are bound to know many of the tracks and as a primer for what was being done before albums and rock came about it is pretty interesting. It runs the gamut from novelty so semi-operatic stuff.

So a fun album to listen to, which had me, at least, mimicking along to some of the songs, there are plenty of histrionics throughout which make it fun and there are also of plenty just fun tracks like Dean Martin's That's Amore or Rosemary Clooney's Come On-A My House.

Track Highlights

1. Lover
2. That's Amore
3. Come On-A My House
4. I Apologize

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

"Lover" is a popular song written by Richard Rodgers, with words by Lorenz Hart. It was featured in the movie Love Me Tonight (1932). Les Paul's version was a guitar instrumental released by Capitol Records in 1948, which is acknowledged to be the very first multitrack recording.

Peggy Lee with Lover: