Sneaky sings on a few tracks like California and You, a sweet ballad which has more synth and exposes his vocal shortcomings. Beat the Heat starts with the most spritely multi tracked pedal steel lick, its a few seconds long but instantly grabs your attention with it's careering little run. The Oklahoma Stomp exhibits quite mellifluous jazz lines in a late night country session vibe, his clean lines combined with reverb sound stratospheric on this track like they are taking flight; extraordinary. Still the real star of the show are the two songs sung inch perfect by Connie Williams ironically, sneakily stealing the show away from Sneaky on his own album.
Monday, 23 July 2018
Sneaky Pete Kleinow (1979) Leaning On Your Love - LOST 70s GEMS
Former Hollywood SFX man and Country Rock's go-to-Pedal Steel player in the 70s, Sneaky Pete decided to follow his Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman and Gene Parsons into solo territory with this s 1979 better-late-than-never follow up simply titled Sneaky Pete. Full of his familiar skills at runs and melodies that animated the most lifeless ballads and country rock amalgams; particularly fine is his instrumental cover of the Gosdin Brothers' Love Of The Common People, taking it's beautiful central melodies and elongating it into drawling lines of pedal steel magic, this is frequently accompanied with fiddle work by Gib Guilbeau. Guest vocalist Connie Williams delivers Leaning on Your Love with an enraptured vocal, she really should have sung on the whole album; the tune also features some hints of it's era with a synth and pedal steel harmonised solo. Connie's next song on the album is Trains in the Station, another great dose of easygoing pop; sought of makes you wish it was released under her name it may of had success outside of the esoteric county rock market. It certainly fits in with the Urban Cowboy era of Country Pop heading into the 80s though Sneaky Pete's funky wah wah effected playing is distracting.
Sneaky sings on a few tracks like California and You, a sweet ballad which has more synth and exposes his vocal shortcomings. Beat the Heat starts with the most spritely multi tracked pedal steel lick, its a few seconds long but instantly grabs your attention with it's careering little run. The Oklahoma Stomp exhibits quite mellifluous jazz lines in a late night country session vibe, his clean lines combined with reverb sound stratospheric on this track like they are taking flight; extraordinary. Still the real star of the show are the two songs sung inch perfect by Connie Williams ironically, sneakily stealing the show away from Sneaky on his own album.
Sneaky sings on a few tracks like California and You, a sweet ballad which has more synth and exposes his vocal shortcomings. Beat the Heat starts with the most spritely multi tracked pedal steel lick, its a few seconds long but instantly grabs your attention with it's careering little run. The Oklahoma Stomp exhibits quite mellifluous jazz lines in a late night country session vibe, his clean lines combined with reverb sound stratospheric on this track like they are taking flight; extraordinary. Still the real star of the show are the two songs sung inch perfect by Connie Williams ironically, sneakily stealing the show away from Sneaky on his own album.
Monday, 9 July 2018
Splinter (1977) Silver - LOST 70s GEMS
Splinter were an immaculate singer songwriter duo from Sheffield signed to George Harrison's Dark Horse label, an apt name as they had serene harmonies and smooth melodies no better displayed than on Silver. Silver is the name of a dog and wasn't immediately clear to me until I found a radio broadcast performance with them noting the canine influence before embarking on a note perfect reproduction of the pristine song. The line that gives it away in hindsight is "You walked all that way back home, (yes you did!)", which sounds quite patronising if spoken about a lover.
This is a gentle finger picked tune is accentuated by a gurgly, multi-tracked synthesizer rumbles, rippling through the placid track. But the hook for me is the lilting, singular backing 'ooh' which meanders and undulates; floating around behind the lead vocal like a guitar riff; truly extraordinary arrangement these guys could've written some big hits if they stuck around longer.
This is a gentle finger picked tune is accentuated by a gurgly, multi-tracked synthesizer rumbles, rippling through the placid track. But the hook for me is the lilting, singular backing 'ooh' which meanders and undulates; floating around behind the lead vocal like a guitar riff; truly extraordinary arrangement these guys could've written some big hits if they stuck around longer.
Friday, 6 July 2018
Aerosmith (1975) You See Me Crying - LOST 70s GEMS
A power ballad marked by Steven Tyler croaky but raw vocals almost scatting in passion alongside the stabbing string and horn section from a James Bond soundtrack before returning periodically to Tylers question 'Baby what you done to your hair? ' a question posed to a former lover or fellow rocker? Who knows all I know even in the quiet piano coda this song reeks of direct inspiration from Wings' James Bond theme song Live and Let Die right down to the little piano roll.
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