Customer Reviews

It Ain't Easy/Naturally

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These Gott remastered discs sound decent, will probably sate the average person's TDN appetite, and being 2-fers, are a pretty good deal.

However, the TDN audio benchmarks are the 2002, 24-bit Universal Japan remasters of first five albums. If you are looking for THE best TDN audio, those CD's are a step above any and all other domestic and foreign versions available, including the Gott series.

Unfortunately, all five UJ-TDN titles went out-of-print shortly after their issue, and they have not been re-released. Hopefully, that situation will be rectified at some point in the future.

As all of the original TDN LP album covers were very creative & artistic productions, these albums would all also be a major candidate for CD LP-mini-sleeve packaging.

A sharp eye on eBay may turn these up. For reference, and double-checking with any potential seller, the OBI/spine catalog numbers are:

One - UICY-3370 Amazon link: One
Suitable For Framing - UICY-3371 Amazon link: Suitable for Framing
Captured Live At The Forum - UICY-3372
It Ain't Easy - UICY-3373 Amazon link: It Ain't Easy
Naturally - UICY-3374 Amazon link: Naturally

These masters may or may not be on UJ's TDN 2003 "The Collection", which is currently available, but I have not heard. The Japanese remasters are also superior to the domestic remastered 2004 "The Complete Hit Singles".

Again, as most people originally heard these songs coming out of an AM radio, they will probably be more than satisfied with the Gott's. They are certainly better than the horrid-sounding domestic MCA CD's, which are all derived from nearly 40-year-old LP-EQ'd masters.

However, while the spotlight was always cast on the singers, TDN had an amazing band, including an absolute genius in keyboard player Jimmy Greenspoon. The Japanese remasters allow the brilliance of that superb musicianship to be heard in greater detail and clarity than any other editions.

As an aside, while stars like Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman however deservedly had the keyboard-god-limelight in that era, when you think about it, it's probably safe to state that no other keysman was heard by more people in that generation than Jimmy Greenspoon. Yes, the TDN vocals were unique and timeless, and I take nothing from those three talented cats, but JG was the glue that brought everything together.

I own approximately 5000 CD's, and "Out In The Country", with JG's evocative B3 melody, is in my top ten favorite songs of all time. The next time you listen to any TDN album, focus on his playing, and you'll get it.

I've also read his tell-all book. It's quite amazing that TDN was able to function, much less generate the top studio performances that comprised all those monster hits, in the virtually permanent drug-addled state they were in.

It is fortuitous that Jimmy Greenspoon not only conquered and survived his addictions, but that he still performs with TDN to this day, because there is no Three Dog Night without him.

***2009 UPDATE***: European label BGO has released the first four TDN albums as "2-fer's" (2 albums on one CD). On Three Dog Night/Suitable For Framing, I am happy to report that the remastering job by BGO is ever so slightly but noticeably better than the 2002 Japan remaster. However, the subsequent release, It Ain't Easy/Naturally is not as good as the '02 Japan remasters.

Three Dog Night / It Ain't Easy & Naturally (two albums on one CD from BGO Records): Three Dog Night knew how to make a hit record, but not necessarily a cohesive album. Their albums were mainly collections of potential singles. That doesn't mean that the albums weren't entertaining, they were always entertaining (with the exception of the occasional clunker song). However, these two albums also have some of their biggest hits "Joy to the World", "Liar", "Mama told me not to come", "It Ain't Easy, and others. A good greatest hits album will make the band sound much tighter, but there are still a few gems to be found on these albums that never made it to the hit list. Overall, this CD is a solid four-star release.

I hauled hay for a week in 1970 to pay for my first album. "It Ain't Easy" beat out CCR's "Green River". I received "Naturally" for Christmas that year and couldn't have been happier. This version of "Your Song" predates Elton's own and I've always liked this one better. Both of these albums rely on the instrumental aspect of the group more heavily than earlier productions, but the three vocalists are still at the front. They made great music later, but for my money, these are their very best efforts. That they come packaged together made them irresistable! These aren't anywhere near "bubble gum pop", well maybe Hoyt Axton's "Joy to the World".