This is another TIME/LIFE compilation of songs from the early 1970s. And like similar TIME/LIFE compilations, this 2-CD set is a mish-mash of styles. You have The Grateful Death next to Richie Havens. You have James Taylor next to Bryan Hyland. And, you have multiple songs by Cat Stevens and Marvin Gaye. Do you recognize these songs? Any favorites? GRADE: B
Tracklist
| 1-1 | –Rod Stewart | Maggie May | 5:15 |
| 1-2 | –Carole King | It’s Too Late | 3:55 |
| 1-3 | –Janis Joplin | Me And Bobby McGee | 4:31 |
| 1-4 | –Marvin Gaye | What’s Going On | 3:54 |
| 1-5 | –Cat Stevens | Wild World | 3:21 |
| 1-6 | –Bill Withers | Ain’t No Sunshine | 2:07 |
| 1-7 | –Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Mr. Bojangles | 5:12 |
| 1-8 | –Matthews’ Southern Comfort | Woodstock | 4:31 |
| 1-9 | –The Grateful Dead | Uncle John’s Band | 4:45 |
| 1-10 | –Richie Havens | Here Comes The Sun | 3:48 |
| 1-11 | –Stephen Stills | Love The One You’re With | 3:07 |
| 1-12 | –Jonathan Edwards (2) | Sunshine | 2:17 |
| 2-1 | –John Denver | Take Me Home, Country Roads | 3:13 |
| 2-2 | –James Taylor (2) | Fire And Rain | 3:24 |
| 2-3 | –Bryan Hyland* | Gypsy Woman | 2:35 |
| 2-4 | –Cat Stevens | Peace Train | 4:06 |
| 2-5 | –The Hollies | He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother | 4:17 |
| 2-6 | –Carly Simon | That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be | 4:17 |
| 2-7 | –Marvin Gaye | Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) | 3:16 |
| 2-8 | –Joan Baez | The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down | |
| 2-9 | –Bread | If | 2:35 |
| 2-10 | –Melanie (2) | Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) | 3:56 |
| 2-11 | –John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band | Jealous Guy | 4:16 |
| 2-12 | –Dave Mason | Only You Know And I Know | 4:08 |
Kind of a mish mash but not too many bad tracks. Always hated Bread and preferred The Band’s version of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down over Joan Baez’s. Never liked any version of Mr. Bojangles. A lot of overly familiar tracks makes it sort of a dull compilation. A guess a B seems appropriate.
Steve, I’m hoping to find more volumes in the SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS series. Hopefully, they’ll be a bit more adventurous.
Of the songs here (most of which I like, despite the rather random nature of the collection), my favorite is Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which I think is one of the most soulful and melancholy pop songs ever. I also really like Brian Hyland’s similarly downbeat (in a lovely way) take on Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Woman”—especially given the fact that Hyland’s previous hit was “Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” (from the ridiculous to the sublime, indeed). Interesting (or perhaps not, given the time period of the songs) that several of them are related in some way to Woodstock: Melanie’s “Candles in the Rain” (with epic backup from the Edwin Hawkins Singers) is about Woodstock; Matthews’ Southern Comfort does Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” (a version much closer to Joni’s original than the rock version made popular by CSNY); and Richie Havens version of “Here Comes the Sun” (recorded live at Woodstock, iirc).
And by coincidence, I put on the extended (by 40 minutes) Director’s Cut of WOODSTOCK last night. Always willing to have an attack of galloping nostalgia. We didn’t go (luckily, as Jackie wouldn’t have lasted half a day in those conditions), but my brother Ken was there (though I never found him in the movie). I’ve always found it interesting how much was left out – you see the Dead and Janis and others but never see them perform. Also, it is a mishmash rather than chronological – Sha Na Na were the last group to perform on Monday morning before Jimi Hendrix, for instance. But I’ve always loved some of the performances – Alvin Lee shredding “I’m Going Home,” Santana acid tripping (thanks to Jerry Garcia) on “Soul Sacrifice,” Joe Cocker doing “WIth a Little Help From My Friends” and the Sly & the Family Stone set. Also, even the groups you see do one or two songs, but in reality some did 10 or 15.
As to this CD, as long as we recognize that it is singers and songwriters rather than all singer/songwriters, I do know almost all of them and like a lot of them – the Marvin Gayes, of course, the Bill Withers (died this year), Janis, the Dead. I don’t love the Joan Baez either, Steve. I never cared for Cat Stevens or Melanie (also not seen in WOODSTOCK), The first time I heard that Carly Simon song (her first), I knew she was going to be a big star. I much preferred Rod Stewart in his “Maggie May” days to the more recent ones. And Deb, your secret husband Steve could still sing 50 years ago! And he looked better. Only Graham Nash looks better now.
Deb, I think Brian Hyland is an underrated artist. I’m with you on Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Classic! And, I’ve always been a fan of the Edwin Hawkins Singers.
Unlike any other compilation you’ve featured here, this one doesn’t have a single song I’ve never heard. Never could stand The Grateful Dead, so I could do without that. Nearly everything else here is at least tolerable. “Wild World” has been said to be the most sexist song ever written, and I can see why. But I find Stevens at least pleasant to listen to. Favorites would be the ones by Carly Simon and Rod Stewart, but I’ve heard both of them enough to be pretty tired of them.
Michael, I think familiarity was the theme of this volume of SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS.
I am familiar with and like most of these tracks. I am going in to ask Alexa to play a few.
Patti, we have the GOOGLE version of Alexa and love it!
The only one I’m not familiar with is the John & Yoko one, at least by title. I may recognize it if I heard it.
Agree about preferring the Band’s “DIXIE” to Baez’ version.
Maggie, but surprisingly, the Joan Baez version of “The Night We Drove Old Dixie Down” was a hit.
I like most of them, have heard of all of them except the John and Yoko. I like the last one listed, it has good memories.
Rick, I’m a big Dave Mason fan. I’ll have to dig out his GREATEST HITS CD.
George, you surely know that Dave Mason played in TRAFFIC with Steve Winwood – my all-time favourite.
I know and fondly remember most of the songs, still the selection is a bit strange.
A bit OT re Woodstock:
Of course I bought the record set and also watched the movie – fond memories.
And I’ve probably written about this already, but anyway:
12 years ago my new “girlfriend” (we were both over 60 already …) after a holiday in Miami Beach, immediately after Hungary became part of ESTA so she didn’t need a visa, went to NYC and Niagara Falls – those were the destinations she wanted to see,
On our way back from Niagara Falls through the mountains we passed a road sign showing the direction to Bethel Woods and I immediately remembered so we drove to the famous hill and went into the museum …
Very nice people there, a wonderful guide and memories …
I’m sure Brian Hyland had at least one hit after Yellow Polka Dot Bikini (Sealed With a Kiss)! I know all these songs and like most of them, but the thing about Time/Life CDs, tapes, etc. is they’re very cheaply made and fall apart too soon!
Bob, this TIME/LIFE set is from 2000. The quality was better then. I wouldn’t buy any TIME/LIFE CDs manufactured now.
I had dozens of cassettes from the eighties and nineties and they all corroded!
Bob, I was never a fan of cassettes. They sometimes jammed. Sometimes the tape broke. They were cheap and unreliable.
Re cassettes:
Do you mean those 8track US things?
I heard they were horrible.
Compact cassettes weren’t too bad – as working copies. I only bought vinyl (at that time), copied them immediately to CC and put back the originals.
My friends did the same and there was regular exchange – one liked and bought the Stones, I liked Winwood and Clapton, the next one Bob Dylan …
And we always had copies to spare. I remember several cases where I gave copies to “deserving” people. My favourite stories:
Once we were with our young ones in Yugoslavia and a young local passed by to listen. He worked for the camp site, selling ice cream and when I asked him which cassette he would like (as a tip) he lit up …
From that day the young ones always got something extra when they went and ordered ice cream and we got extra service wherever we went to dine …
So at the end of our holiday we gave him all of our cassettes – he and his colleagues were so happy.
And something similar happened at a hotel in Turkey.
PS:
The 60s and 70s were the best for pop music – of course I was young then … 🙂 🙂
Wolf, yes 8-track tapes were the worst! Cassettes were slightly better, but I had more mechanical problems with them–tape breaking, tape jamming, etc.–than with vinyl LPs or CDs.
Correct. He was 16 when he did “Itsy Bitsy” and 18 when he did “Sealed With a Kiss.”
Wolf, love TRAFFIC! I really must find my Dave Mason CDs! Glad you enjoyed New York State. I’m rather fond of it myself!