Fred Neil - self-titled

This is Fred Neil's second album from 1966 then re-released in 1969 to much greater success when " everyones talkin" became a worlwide hit due to the film " Midnight Cowboy " . Never comfortable in the limelight Fred more or less retired after a live album in 71 and dedicated himself to The Dolphin Project which  was established on Earth Day 1970 by Richard O'Barry with a donation from Fred Neil & Steven Stills and is dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide.

fred neil wikipedia

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Harry Nilsson - Aerial Ballet

This is Nilssons 3rd album but the first that features mostly his own compositions ( apart from " Daddys Song " written by Nilssons mother and the big hit  " Everybodys Talkin " by Fred Neil ) . This album features a lot of layering of vocals in the production which would become a Nilsson trademark.

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harry nilsson wikipedia

Various Artists - A Female Tribute to Tom Waits

A bit more recent than the usual offering. We are hosting the closing party for OSGrid's Valentines Week and as we are having a " Ladies Night " with 3 live female performers I thought this would be a good choice , There are 3 volumes of this so far the first being released in 2002 and I will be playing a selection from all 3.

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Mickey Newbury - Looks Like Rain

This is Mickey Newbury's second album - his first Harlequin Memories was a compilation of his versions of the many hits he had written for other artists including Kenny Rodgers and Solomon Burke . It was a record company driven release and was over produced but has some interesting nods to the popular  concept albums  of the time . Mickey largely disowned the album, considering its successor Looks Like Rain his true debut. The concept album theme is repeated here but in a much more subtle manner with weather sound effects between the tracks . This is a great album that showcases Mickeys songwriting genius and lovely voice and had a major influence on the " country outlaw " movement of the 70s .

Mickey Newbury Wikipedia

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It is said that since 1965 1,547 Newbury covers have been recorded by artists representing 50 genres of music.
Notably, 1,237 artists have interpreted 133 Newbury compositions as pop, folk, funk, jazz, rock, soul, blues, steel, Latin, gospel, reggae, ragtime,country, baby-sing, bluegrass, R&B, big band, karaoke,western swing, Motown sound, children’s music and easy listening. Weighing in esoterically are cuts in the Celtic domain, as well as opera, barbershop, synthesizer, pipe organ, stage musical, marching band, comedy-spoof, Spanish ballad, Spanish guitar, Scotish piper and German-Hamburger. Likewise, Newbury tracks have been laid down expressly for dancing, i.e. for waltz, disco, polka, rumba, tango, cha-cha and square dance.
Hard rockers have been Newbury’d too, dressing Mick’s “children” in punk, lo-fi, metal, death metal, post-metal, techno-metal, techno-sample and psychedelia. Source Mickey Newbury official site

Matthews Southern Comfort

Iain Matthews is one of  Fairport Convention's founders. He left in 1969 after not being invited to a recording session and in the same year released his first solo album, which was called Matthews Southern Comfort. With the help of his Fairport friends Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol it became a more country than a traditional folk album mainly due to the pedal steel guitar, played by Gordon Huntley.
This is not an album by Iain's band Matthews Southern Comfort, but a solo record after which he then named his next band
In his long, changing career the Southern Comfort album belongs to
Ians very best perhaps only equalled by " Return to Gospel Oak ". He sings beautifully on this album and the songwriting is excellent.

Iain Matthews wikipedia

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Bill Withers - Just As I Am

A native of West Virginia, Withers served for nine years in the U.S. Navy, and upon his 1965 discharge continued to work in the aircraft business even as he began pursuing an extracurricular interest in making music.  A number of fortuitous occurrences led to Withers being introduced to Clarence Avant of Sussex Records, who in turn brought Booker T. Jones, of Booker T. and the MGs, to Withers.  Jones was signed to produce the album that became Just As I Am, and brought along compatriots like Al Jackson and the recently-departed Donald "Duck" Dunn to contribute musically.  Adding a unique sound to the album was the guitar of Stephen Stills, with whom Jones had recently worked and also enlisted to join the sessions for the debut of this new singer/songwriter.

bill withers wikipedia

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Moody Blues - Days of Future Past

This is the Moody Blues second album and is one of the first so-called concept albums that led to the prog rock movement. Featuring the London Festival Orchestra it takes place over a day with 7 tracks concluding with Nights in White Satin . Drugs may have been involved here and dodgy haircuts certainly were . Unfortunately things went downhill soon after this with dalliences with scientology , break-ups and reformations and the haircuts got even worse.

moody blues wikipedia 

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