Ronson's production contributions are minimal but maybe that's best though I feel, this pairing doesn't really have much chemistry, particularly on a song like Rock n Roll Time where Ronson's riffing is fabulous but too meat and potatoes for McGuinn who couldn't quite growl, he was always best at folk, pop and country rather than heavier fare unlike say Elton John who could balance those elements better; incidentally the solo on Rock n Roll Time is excellent. Jolly Roger, a nice colourful pirate tune complete with flute and some Jangly chords combine to create a nice folk tune but not enough to recapture the early Byrds magic or the haunted tunefulness of the latter lineups; McGuinn had found his niche early on and worked best in a band format rather than all alone, which is a shame that with a confident lead guitarist like Ronson more could have come from this effort. Maybe it should have gone for a more stronger pop sound, instead of being too firmly steeped in roots rock and yacht rock. Interestingly McGuinn never really rediscovered the Byrd's mix of roots and rock through a streamlined pop harmony vocal sound, which never fell too deeply into any genre always maintaining an edgy commercial stance too sorely missed here in his later work aside from maybe McGuinn Clark and Hillman and his successful Back From Rio album.
Thursday, 27 July 2017
Roger McGuinn (1976) Partners in Crime - LOST 70s GEMS
Cardiff Rose is the best solo material of the Byrds' captain, here collaborating intriguingly with Mick Ronson, there is a strong nautical theme to the album from it's over and title to the sea shanty styled folk ballads McGuinn had become accustomed to; while it's not the Sailing Christopher Cross type of Yacht Rock it's more a diluted country rock. Partners in Crime is one of the best with a lilting fuzz guitar section interrupted by a rock n roll piano part melody in the middle.
Ronson's production contributions are minimal but maybe that's best though I feel, this pairing doesn't really have much chemistry, particularly on a song like Rock n Roll Time where Ronson's riffing is fabulous but too meat and potatoes for McGuinn who couldn't quite growl, he was always best at folk, pop and country rather than heavier fare unlike say Elton John who could balance those elements better; incidentally the solo on Rock n Roll Time is excellent. Jolly Roger, a nice colourful pirate tune complete with flute and some Jangly chords combine to create a nice folk tune but not enough to recapture the early Byrds magic or the haunted tunefulness of the latter lineups; McGuinn had found his niche early on and worked best in a band format rather than all alone, which is a shame that with a confident lead guitarist like Ronson more could have come from this effort. Maybe it should have gone for a more stronger pop sound, instead of being too firmly steeped in roots rock and yacht rock. Interestingly McGuinn never really rediscovered the Byrd's mix of roots and rock through a streamlined pop harmony vocal sound, which never fell too deeply into any genre always maintaining an edgy commercial stance too sorely missed here in his later work aside from maybe McGuinn Clark and Hillman and his successful Back From Rio album.
Ronson's production contributions are minimal but maybe that's best though I feel, this pairing doesn't really have much chemistry, particularly on a song like Rock n Roll Time where Ronson's riffing is fabulous but too meat and potatoes for McGuinn who couldn't quite growl, he was always best at folk, pop and country rather than heavier fare unlike say Elton John who could balance those elements better; incidentally the solo on Rock n Roll Time is excellent. Jolly Roger, a nice colourful pirate tune complete with flute and some Jangly chords combine to create a nice folk tune but not enough to recapture the early Byrds magic or the haunted tunefulness of the latter lineups; McGuinn had found his niche early on and worked best in a band format rather than all alone, which is a shame that with a confident lead guitarist like Ronson more could have come from this effort. Maybe it should have gone for a more stronger pop sound, instead of being too firmly steeped in roots rock and yacht rock. Interestingly McGuinn never really rediscovered the Byrd's mix of roots and rock through a streamlined pop harmony vocal sound, which never fell too deeply into any genre always maintaining an edgy commercial stance too sorely missed here in his later work aside from maybe McGuinn Clark and Hillman and his successful Back From Rio album.
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