Search - Jim Croce :: Bombs Over Puerto Rico

An UTTER disappointment & a total [disappointment]!

John J. Martinez | Chicago, Illinois United States | 08/04/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I expected some new "lost" rarities when I first heard the title of this CD, but I found to my shock (and disappointment) that this is nothing more but a bad-sounding, badly-recycled and AWFULLY-RETITLED version of Jim's very first self-produced album called "Croce."



The CD above was first released in 1996 under the Bear Family label, but the recent 1999 One Way Records CD version is FAR superior to this one, and even contains the original cover art! Check around, you should be able to find a copy for practically nothing and believe me, it's worth it!



(Here's a bit of trivia - If you can find the long OOP 1969 vinyl album, the initial pressings contained a song called "Gunga Din," which was deleted on it's final release.)



As far as the music is concerned, I like it! The whole album has a real folk feel and sound, as it was recorded with wife Ingrid in 1969, but still, it has some real promise to it.



(One song, titled "Age," sounds almost the same as his re-recording of it on his last album before he tragically died in 1973.)



This ENTIRE first album is great, and you can tell he was a storyteller right from the gate. To me, all of his songs will always have that slow summer's day crusin' tempo which is just fine for me, and besides, he wrote stories you could understand and want to listen to over and over.



I say buy this album, and judge for yourself, but PLEASE, do yourself a favor - buy "Croce," not this obvious, re-treaded garbage.



The Bear Family should be ashamed of themselves! ! !



Thanks for reading, and check out my other not so trendy reviews."

"Bombs" is an exceptional first effort.

John J. Martinez | 10/14/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Those of us who appreciate Jim's music are aware that he is a master craftsman when it comes to writing a song. He was somehow able provide hours of background, characterization, and simple, universal truths in a two to three minute song. The stories he told were never long, drawn out, monotonous jumbles of words and phrases threaded together to make songs. They had melody, were catchy, and were meaningful.This record provides a glimpse of the song writer that Jim Croce was at the time and would eventually become. It has everything a good Croce record should have. There are songs that tell stories such as "What Do People Do," and "Vespers." It contains traveling treats like "Another Day, Another Town," and "Big Wheel." It also gives us Jim's insights and simple truths in songs such as "Age"(redone on Jim's "I Got A Name" record), "Spin, Spin, Spin," and "What the Hell."This record is different when compared to his later work for ABC. It has a more folky feel instead of the counrty-rock sound that he has later on. Sadly, Jim did not work with Maury Mulheisen(I think it's spelled that way), so his intricate guitar licks don't make an appearance.Although it probably isn't a good starting point for the Croce beginner, it is a must have for the big Croce fan."

Rip Off of Capitol album "Croce"-buy it instead

J. Cross | TN | 06/04/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This album is so over-priced and misnamed. It is just a rip off of the Capitol album "Croce" that has the exact same stuff on it, except "Bombs" is a bomb, not as good quality. Don't get me wrong, the songs and music are great. The Capitol album is 5 stars. But don't waste extra money for this inferior product. Buy the real thing with the genuine artwork and the better sound. As far as songs go, "Age" is great and when recorded later with Maury Muehleisen it showed the growth in style. "What the Hell" is one of my favorite Croce songs (but some of you may not get the Johnny Carson reference and may need to picture Jay Leno instead). And the other songs are good also, showing a glimpse of what was to come. You will probably miss the great acoustic styling Jim and Maury shared together, but this still has a "freshness" and an "energy" that makes it unique, and holds up well to other folk albums. Also you realize Ingrid was a performer in her own right, though she didn't have the "magic" Jim had, but will still very good on what she did (Initially it was "Ingrid and Jim Croce", as I even have vinyl including radio station DJ promos listing the singles as such). JUST DON'T BUY THIS ONE, BUY THE CAPTIOL ONE OR YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR THE WASTE OF MONEY, LOSS OF QUALITY, AND LACK OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK. Also check out www.maurymuehleisen.com/main.html if you want to know more about Maury (this page is run by Maury's sister, Mary (a great lady)."