Yours truly, from The Magazine Formerly Known as Stereo Review, September of that year. (Click to enlarge, obviously).
I stand by every word of the above (although in the second graf I meant to say "idiosyncratic" rather than "interesting") and especially the bit about "Let's Dance." The first time I heard that, in fact, I almost fell out of my plush office chair at TMFKASR.
A Zydeco party song? Sounding dark, haunted and desperate, as if its creator had a hellhound on his trail?
To quote Richard Dean Anderson in Stargate SG-1 -- "Well, THIS is new."
In any event, if you don't know the album you need to acquaint yourself with it toot sweet. Especially since i just learned that the 2007 reissue has a half dozen very interesting bonus tracks.
Act now; you can thank me later.
[h/t Allan Weissman]
7 comments:
A fine, fine album. My faves are Callin' Out My Name, Lost In a Memory and Are You Lovin' Me Too. But it’s consistently great, more so than 1981’s Drop Down and Get Me, which I also enjoyed. The bonus tracks are "bonus tracks", if you know what I mean. Can't say I listened to them that much but nothing really stuck out. The Heartbreakers, with good old Phil Jones, sound pretty good in that configuration.
Here's the full album albeit in the wrong song order and with duplicates- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WCZVgf8nZ8&list=PLDC354EC5E2F3615C
I saw Shannon come out for an encore as a guest of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in Santa Monica circa 1978.
Saw my first full show of Shannon in 1981 around the time Drop Down and Get Me was released. He did encores with Petty as his guest. He had a crack band that Steve Hufsteter put together. (Hufsteter had been in the Quick and would later be a key guy in the Cruzados. Here he is with the Quick (turn it up loud, real loud and drink yer fuckin’ coffee):)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JogfNnMK1_k
Shannon did a killer version of "Black Is Black." I remember hearing Runaway-Hats Off-Searchin-Stranger-From me to you-Go to Pieces-Sea of Love-handy man-cheap love-drop down- never stop trying, help me (Tom Petty on the encores last of which was do you wanna dance)
I bumped into Tom Petty three times when shopping at Tower Records on Sunset. He always had his wife with him and she would just tag along without perusing the music. Like a wart on his tail. Oh, sweet Jane. Every time I saw him he was in the oldies section. There’s more to this but I gotta suspend consciousness.
VR
Hard to comment after anons post but...
Track listing Said other musicians...who ?
rob
PS - This would be a great Dwight Yokum / Marty Stuart cover.
Steve if you have any influence.... ;-)
rob
rob: regarding other musicians
The highly regarded Richard Greene - fiddle on Let's Dance
Williams Brothers - backing vox When I Had You
That's it.
Here's a live "Black Is Black" with his 1989 band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9LdPf-dJUI
and the Rock On! album in correct order no bonus trax
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPkrGg9fqYB0S4Wt4Fwf3Yw2GQDTkh3CT
VR
Anon - Google "Black is Black" an outstandingly great version.
Steve hit your keyboard and find !!!
rob
Glad you liked it enthusiastically. When I saw him in 1981 it was the best song in the set. Remarkable and unexpected.
VR
Wow. I guess not so many liefhebbers of Del.
That Black is Black live cover is fabulous. Will check out the album since it's not familiar to me.
I also found this Los Bravos clip of the original Black is Black that is great, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkgyV_tTQfQ
- Paul in DK
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