rily on his own. He was, in most cases, PEGGY LEE: Natural Woman. Peggy trapped in dance band tempos and was Lee, vocals; Mike Melvoin and Bobby only beginning to discover the uses of Bryant, arr. and cond. (Everyday Peo- the microphone. ple; Lean On Me; Please Send Me Otherwise, in listening to Powell versus Someone to Love; eight more.) Capitol Sinatra, one finds that movie songs ST 183, $4.98. in the Thirties were just as ghastly as Peggy Lee can work with any vocal movie songs in the Forties, but Powell fashion and flatter it without betraying got slightly better material than Sinatra. herself. What other white singer, for In general, Powell's backing is superior instance, can get into Ray Charles' to Sinatra's simply because it is looser. material on his terms as well as her The Sinatra disc starts out with three own? The question, in relation to chang- selections recorded during J. Caesar ing trends, is what kind of singer does Petrillo's great contribution to American Miss Lee feel like being? I was won - culture (the two -year ban on instrumen- the dering if she would care to interpret tal recording during World War H): the latest fashion, and if so, how she here Sinatra is accompanied by several would define it. Now we know. girls going dooby- dooby -doo. Dismal. lighter As usual, Miss Lee takes over once After that, some of Axel Stordahl's back- she decides to, singing market hits ings suggest a Tommy Dorsey setting, with more natural instinct than any but the studio strings become stickily other of our classic pop singers. includ- predominant. Powell's records, on the side ing Frank Sinatra. A prime example other hand, are leavened by some bright is Spinning Wheel from the hit album trumpet and saxophone solos and the by reviewed by Blood, Sweat, and Tears (excitingly bands behind him don't seem to be arranged here by Mike Melvoin) or suffering to such an extent from hard- MORGAN AMES Otis Redding's Sittin' on the Dock of the ening of the artistry. Bay. On ballads such as Living Is Dying The contemporary Sinatra on My Way CHRIS (1 RI IS Without You and Billie Holiday's clas- is serviced by Don Costa, who sets up sic, R. I). I)IRRELL Don't Explain, Miss Lee manages entirely different arrangements from by who- knows -what means to be new those offered to Dick Powell or early JOHN (MOUE as well as her traditional, hypnotizing Sinatra. This is no longer a singer trying self. to surface through a GENE LLES dreadful song or an Much of the album's in- the -air flavor awkward tempo. The focus note is on a rests .IOIIN S. wIIs(IN on the knowing arrangements of singer who, knowingly and intelligently, Mike Melvoin and Bobby Bryant, both reads a lyric. But, with the notable ex- studio musician arrangers, who handle ception of Yesterday, Sinatra is plagued these charts with enthusiasm and craft. by voice problems. He and Costa get There are moments in the album in each other's way sometimes -on the when Miss Lee seems to be phoning title song, for instance, because Sinatra it in. Perhaps she is sighing over other can't make the big parts and Costa days and other styles. But over -all, this overwrites them. Sinatra's herky -jerk supremely graced singer does her job. beat does not help rhythmic songs like She always has. M.A. For Once in My Life, although there is symbol denotes always the expectation that he may * carry it off. He doesn't -which is not an exceptional recording DICK POWELL: In Hollywood, 1933- surprising. But he also misses on the 1935. Dick Powell, vocals; orchestra. more relaxed pieces -Watch What Hap- (The Gold Diggers Song; Flirtation Walk; pens, If You Go Away-and that is Lullaby of Broadway; twenty -six more.) surprising. This is basically because a Columbia C2L 44, $9.96 (two discs, cold, shriveled quality coats his voice, a mono only). quality which, at faster tempos, is part FRANK SINATRA: In Hollywood, 1943- of the arrogance that once contributed 1949. Frank Sinatra, vocals; orchestra. to his appeal. Now, however, it seems (I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night; to have dried up and turned to ashes The House I Live In; Time After Time; in his mouth. J.S.W. thirteen more.) Columbia CL 2913, $4.98 (mono only). FRANK SINATRA: My Way. Frank Si- natra, vocals; orchestra, Don Costa, arr. and cond. (Didn't We; Mrs. Robin- son; If You Go Away; seven more.) Re- ( JONI MITCHELL: Clouds. Joni Mitchell, prise 1029, $4.98. Tape: f!® X 1029, vocals and guitar. (Tin Angel; I Don't $5.95. Know Where I Stand; Roses Blue; sev- There is no point in getting involved en more.) Reprise RS 6341, $4.98. with the singing on the Powell- or Sina- Tape: ® X 6341, $5.95. tra-in- Hollywood discs. Powell represents For a self- contained artist such as the relatively vacant manner of those young Canadian Joni Mitchell -that is, Thirties' vocalists who veered between one who carries the full weight of writ- "legitimate" singers and microphone ing, singing, and playing-a second al- stylists. He was good in the sense that bum is particularly crucial. People who he diluted the chilling formalities of the have recognized the promise of the first legit types and had more expression album wait to see what happens the than the early mike -fed crooners. Sina- second time out. In most such cases, tra, at the time of these recordings the second try is disappointing, such as (1943- 1949), was still essentially a band with Leonard Cohen's recent set. singer even though he performed prima- Miss Mitchell's second album is, in 104 HIGH FIDELITY MAGAZINE www.americanradiohistory.com every way, a shining extension the THE of ILLINOIS SPEED PRESS. Vocal like a cheap imitation of Moby Grape first. She made her task even more group with rhythm accompaniment. or the now defunct Buffalo Springfield. treacherous by using the same format: (Be a Woman; Free Ride; Pay the They have the raw energy, but they lack working unaccompanied, so that songs, Price; Beauty; six more.) Columbia CS the musicianship -and also the life and voice, and guitar playing must stand or 9792, $4.98. warmth -of these other groups. Save fall on their own merits, unsupported. In AORTA: Vocal group with rhythm ac- perhaps for one song, the album is mo- all cases, she stands. companiment, (Strange; Heart Attack; notonous and annoying. Miss Mitchell's wide -ranged voice is What's in My Mind's Eye; eleven more.) The Illinois Speed Press is bad, but pure and ethereal, but warm as summer Columbia CS 9785, $4.98. I'm afraid Aorta gets the booby prize. earth. Her unorthodox guitar tunings Somehow. everything wrong with rock It's trivial nonsense of the lowest order. and intricate arrangements complement music today has been carefully repre- The "theme" of the album -"it's your the intensity of her voice. sented on these two albums. The clumsy main vein "-is set forth on four separate While all of this is enough to denote musicianship, the tired chord progres- tracks, Main Vein I, Main Vein II, Main profound talent, for Miss Mitchell it sions, the slipshod and out -of -tune sing- Vein III, and Main Vein IV. Between is only the platform from which she ing, the threadbare vocal harmony, the them, "it's your main vein" is sung thirty - expresses the most fine -grained of her cliché guitar riffs, bad lyrics that usually six times, regardless of the fact that the talents: her songs. As with the first manage to allude self -consciously to aorta is not the main vein but the main album, each is the product of an in- fornication or getting high. the corny use artery. But why should that stop them? quisitive mind, each is filled with jew- of electronic distortion, the boring pre- After all, main artery doesn't even elled lines and thoughts. Miss Mitchell tentiousness -it's all amazingly here, rhyme. C.C. succeeds, where so many of her con- complete with contrived names and gim- temporaries fail, in weaving imageries crack record jackets. It all must have into songs instead of fragments that pre- taken a lot of time, effort, and money, tend to be songs. It is not quite an opti- The Illinois Speed Press is a perfect mistic talent; neither is it completely example of a burgeoning phenomenon dark. called "ego- rock" (the phrase was coined LALO SCHIFRIN: Mannix. Music Miss Mitchell has included from a defini- by folksinger Tim Buckley). The listener the score of the television tive reading of her hit, Both series. Or- Lides Now, can distinguish ego -rock from other types chestra, Lalo Schifrin, with these memorable lines: "I've cond. ABC Para- looked of rock mainly by the lead singer, who mount PAS 5004. $4.98. at love from both sides now /From sings meaningless lyrics in an involved, It is not because Lalo Schifrin is a give and take and still somehow /It's meaningful way, and by the lead guitar- friend that I like his music. He's a love's illusions 1 recall /I really don't ist, who enjoys his own playing so much friend because I like his music. A few know love at all." he wants to hear it at top volume, modi- years ago, I had misgivings about him Joni Mitchell reminds us what the fied by all the stale Clapton /Hendrix as a composer.