Search - Gerry Rafferty :: Can I Have My Money Back

Complete package merits 5 stars.

Bt | Parts unknown | 04/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When talking about Gerry Rafferty, we have an enigma. Sure, he struck paydirt early in his career, but what happened to him afterwards is open to interpratation on so many levels. According to the reviews on this site, Gerry's music was top-notch right until the end of his catalogue. My take on this guy is simple. He came out strong, hit mainstream success, then found that he and succcess did not get along very well. I found his later material dated, and lumbering compared to his early/middle work. Hey, that's just me. This, his first solo release entitle "Can I Have My Money Back" is excellent. It's an acoustic singer songwriter style that'll remind you of Nick Drake. You get a bonus cd here. His pre-solo band " The Humblebums" is included here and it's a doosy. Great songwriting and pop acoustic melody. After releasing a solo, he formed what was to be his great triumph "Steelers Wheel" with Joe Egan. Who doesn't know the bubble gum classic "Stuck in the Middle"? Huge, huge hit. They were in the pop/rock camp. They made two more records, and yet it seems like they were always meshed into some spider web of clutter. Gerry decided to solo it again and released another beauty, "City to City". Great writing. More hits, more success, more heartache. His next, "Night Owl" was also very good, but to me, it was the beginning of the fall. It provided more success. His next disc "Snakes and Ladders" was a 1980 release. It was here that things changed for our boy. I hear the reviews, but to me, there was major change in his approach, his sound, and the quality of his songwriting. Personal problems besieged Gerry afterwards for years. The thing is, musically, his "sound" changed to "dated", soft and predicatble "Zellers" music to my ears. Gone was that edge and heart. Obviously his personal life took some twists and turns, and I don't pretend to know what that was about, but I know what I hear musically. It was really after "Night Owl" that Gerry Rafferty faded from my view. These early works however remind me of the talent this hard living Scott provided."

Pre- Stealers Wheel

Auramac | Albany, NY | 06/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gerry Rafferty and crew, including Joe Egan, on an album that led to the creation of Stealers Wheel. As usual, some great overlooked songs. As Stealers Wheel was a whole lot more than just "Stuck in the Middle With You," Rafferty did most of his greatest work before "Baker Street," a classic later in his career."