hard fans but will not prove satisfactory to first tune opens with "madman drummers The last Mickey Newbury gave no those for whom she is merely just another bummers and Indians in the summer," it sets arranging credit: neither does this one. In both voice from the Sixties. H.E. the tone for much of the LP. When a song- cases the background work is expert. both writer employs so many words, some of them thoughtful and appropriate. If the arranger is must connect simply due to the law of aver- the same on both sets. it's time for him to de- MARY TRAVERS: All My Choices. Mary Trav- ages. Indeed, much of "Greetings from As- fend himself. M.A. ers, vocals; Teddy Irwin, guitar; Hugh bury Park. N.J." is quite intriguing. The songs McCracken, guitar;Frank Owens, key- don't have the unity and sense of purpose even of Dylan's more oblique compositions. but the boards; Andy Muson, bass; Allan Schwartz - ELLEN MCILWAINE: We the People.El- berg, drums. Too Many Mornings; South- author does convince us that he has something to say. What that is. who knows. But I'm told len Mcliwaine, vocals, guitar, and pi- bound Train; Doctor My Eyes; Goodbye ano; vocal and instrumental accom- Again; The Half of It; Five Hundred Miles; four that in some young opinions it no longer mat- ters what you say as long as you say it with paniment. Ain't No Two Ways to It; All more. Warner Brothers BS 2677, $5.98. to You; Sliding; seven more. Polydor enough passion. Springsteen does, and for this M.J. PD 5044, $5.98. Tape: *. 8F 5044, This second solo album by Mary Travers after he at least bears watching. $6.98; ell CF 5044, $6.98. the break-up of Peter, Paul & Mary is quite good. In it she tries a variety of material rang- This second album by the only important ing from standard folk to contemporary bal- MICKEY NEWBURY: Heaven Help the blues and rock shouter to come along since lads. In most cases, the folk wins. Her remake Child. Mickey Newbury, songs and Janis Joplin is a most impressive one. Miss of an old PP&M standard. Five Hundred vocals unidentified arranger. Cortelia Mcllwaine's hard, almost brutal guitar style Miles. is excellent and still moving. as is her Clark: San Francisco Mabel Joy; Good comes through especially well on the slide gui- reading of John Denver's Goodbye Again. Ms. Morning Dear:fivemore.Elektra tar. notably Sliding. And while she is best on Travers favors the work of young folksinger 75055. $5.98. this sort of fast material, her ballad work (All David Buskin. including three of his songs on to You) is excellent. It takes a while to get used this LP. The best is The Half of It. a fine bal- Mickey Newbury is the singer who had good to the large amount of scat singing she does in lad. Milt Okun's production seems a bit lighter luck with An American Trilogy about a year order to encourage her fingers to greater on this album than the last-an improvement. ago.Iexperience him first as a singer. His deeds. but when one does, one recognizes El- I think. M.J. voice is compelling on its own-simple and len Mcllwaine's power. M.J. real. Later I get into his songs. which are very much like his voice. : Who Do We Think We A -e! One could call Texas -born Newbury a type: ALUN DAVIES: Daydo. Alun Davies, guitars . Richie Blackmore. . earthbound. uncluttered. somehow Southern. and vocals; strings, keyboards, and rhythm Ian GRIan. and , all vocals and in- accompaniment. Market Place; Old Bourbon; The difference is that. among all those who fall strumental accompaniment. Woman from loosely into that style. Newbury is the one with Portobello Road; seven more. Columbia KC Tokayo; Mary Long; Super Trooper. Warner the voice. He can hold a note. bend its volume 31469, $6.98. Tape: S. CA 31469, $6.98; Bros. BS 2678, $5.98. . CT 31469, $6.98. in and out. make it into a perfect tube through which to send us his honest feelings. Before I ever heard this album. I heard its Newbury could sing anyone's songs. but un- Alun Davies is the wild-eyed, blond -haired chief asset. Woman from Tokayo. blaring from guitarist who stands just outside of the surprisingly he writes his own. Why You Been the radio. This number is an automatic rock So Long is as natural as its title and trucks spotlight that bathes Cat Stevens during Ste- dance. a -long. Its pounding rhythm track can vens' concert performances. Davies has just along easily. some fiddle here and a little bot- certainly get those foot muscles twitching. released this solo LP. It has been produced by tleneck guitar there. Cortelia Clark is a sweet/ "Who Do We Think We Are!" illustrates the sad story of a young boy and an old blind man Stevens' producer Paul Samwell-Smith. and assets and disadvantages of a rock band whose who go to Guthrie to see the Bluebird Special Stevens himself plays keyboards on it. only purpose is to create uncomplicated driv- on its first run to New Orleans. "He was black Davies has a pleasant voice: he could even ing numbers that divert as well as serve as the pass for a minor Cat Stevens. He sings I'm and I was green." San Francisco Mabel Joy en- accompaniment for that particular form of Late. the White Rabbit's song from the Walt counters the same boy from the country. dying rock -and -roll -dancing called "boogying." of loneliness in the big city until he finds Ma- Disney film version of Alice in Wonderland. Each number on this disc satisfies its unde- bel Joy. Things go well and things go badly: He also performs Buddy Holly's I'm Gonna manding potential: The rhythms are exciting: both loss and memory become permanent. Love You Too. Of his own seven compositions the lyrics though uncomplicated are articu- The story is told well and simply. on this disc, the most impressive are the ballad late: the singing may be flat but itis func- The album is well produced by Russ Miller. Market Place and Old Bourbon, a song about a tional.the instrumental work relying too Marlin Greene. and Dennis Linde. It is also dog which drips with sentiment. Vale of Tears. heavily on feedback and distortion does create short. even by today's standards. The record on the other hand, has lyrics that can best be the obligatory wall of sound. Nevertheless. buyer deserves at least one more track. described as dopey. while the disc is entertaining. it is not inter- Alun Davies' fans should be quite pleased esting. Deep Purple has a formula, a workable with this record. It will give them a clue into formula that allows the band to create a num- the talents of this guitarist who stands just out- ber like Woman from Tovako. to which one side Cat Stevens' spotlight. H.E. can periodically return to bask in its stirring rhythms, but a Deep Purple album is just too much of the same thing. "Who Do We Think BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Greetings from As- We Are!" tells us who Deep Purple thinks it is. bury Park, N.J. Bruce Springsteen, vocals, Now one knows. One also knows that it's not guitar, bass, harmonica; vocal and instru- quite enough. H.E. mental accompaniment. Blinded by the Light; Mary Queen of Arkansas; Lost in the Flood; six more. Columbia KC 31903, $5.98. FRIENDS OF DISTINCTION: Love Can Make It Easier. Friends of Distinction, vocals: ar- Springsteen, on this debut LP, hearkens back ranged by Ray Cork, Jr.. David Blumberg. to the grand days of Dylan, in the mid -Sixties David Crawford, others. Easy Evil; Believe in when such famous "Doomsday poems" as Me: Only Give Love: eight more. RCA Victor Jusi Like Tom Thumb's Blues and Desolation LSP 4829, $5.98. Row were produced. Springsteen's voice is Dylanesque. and many of his songs are peril- The Friends of Distinction is not a throw=back ously imitative. Like Dylan, he uses three group. They could have happened in no time words where most lyricists employ one; like but the present. the age of sophisticated Dylan. inner rhymes run rampant. When the Mickey Newbury-earthbound, uncluttered. recording techniques. The Friends' sound is

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