Second post-Spooky Tooth effort better than I remembered.
Dennis Hawley | Asheville, NC | 01/03/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As a big fan of the late sixties band Spooky Tooth, I had this on vinyl when it came out (as well as Harrison's first solo release). I recall at the time not being too taken with this album, listening to only a couple of cuts. Well, thanks to both time and Repertoire's pristine sounding release, my opinion has changed. No, this is not in the same league as 'Spooky Two' (one of the best rock albums ever), but it does contain some great vocals and superb musicianship. Harrison traveled to Alabama and recorded this at Muscle Shoals, using their studio band (which included David Hood and Roger Hawkins, who later joined Traffic). From the R&B flavored 'What a Price' to the plaintive anguish of 'Tears', Harrison's voice handles the material perfectly. His rocking version of the old Joe Tex tune 'I Wanna Be Free' is a vocal showcase, with some tasty guitar. Oddly, the song that I don't even recall from earlier years is (to me, anyway) the best song on the album. Written by Harrison and former Spooky Tooth bandmate Luther Grosvenor, 'Turning Over' has a pulsing rhythm, stabbing organ runs and fiery guitar, plus Harrison's great voice. The final cut, (there are only six songs on the album), the title track, is a 12-minute long reworking of the classic Chester Burnette song. While ponderous, it's nearly saved by the tightness of the band. The one song that I feel misses the boat is 'Paid My Dues'. It's 'woe is me' lament is buried in overproduction; the vocals are nearly drowned in lush string arrangements. Less would have been more here.
(It's interesting to note that two of the songs here, 'I Wanna Be Free' and the title track, were recorded by Harrison years earlier with his pre-Spooky Tooth band 'The V.I.P.s.)
Repertoire is to be commended for the incredible sound quality of this recording, and for all of their releases. Their CDs make the old Mobile Fidelity Gold discs sound like they were recorded through cheesecloth. I heard instrumentation in this recording I never knew existed. Same with all of their other releases.
Final note: Mike Harrison/Spooky Tooth fans would do well to get their hands on an import CD titled 'Touch' by Mike Harrison and the Hamburg Blues Band. You'll be glad you did."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1