Asylum Choir II [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Marc Benno, Leon Russell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 3, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: The Right Stuff
• ASIN: B000002TYN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,990 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Time capsule containing bright moments and odd lapses, May 21, 2002

By 

loce_the_wizard "loce_the_wizard" (Lilburn, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Asylum Choir II (Audio CD)

Initially kept in the can until Leon Russell started hitting his stride in the early '70s, Asylum Choir II is an artifact from 1967-1969. This was a fertile time for music. All the popular themes of the times show up here: protests of the Vietnam war in Down on the Base and Ballad for a Soldier; notes on the political scene and corporate profit-making in the face of the war in Sweet Home Chicago, Tryin' to Stay Alive, Lady in Waiting, and Straight Brother; and, of course, love in Hello Little Friend (which would later prove a hit for Joe Cocker when Leon was running that show). The tracks sound fairly dated in part because many songs were so topical.

Although Leon Russell is credited as contributing bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals, and being the producer while Marc Benno is credited as a performer and producer, the music does not suffer from the "Winwood" syndrome, which occurs when one musician tries to do everything and the resulting product sounds flat and uninspired. Quite the opposite, the music, for the most part, is jaunty and full-bodied.

For example, on Straight Brother, the sound is a rich pastiche of fiddle, wah-wah, percussion, bass, and some great vocals from, I would guess, Rita Coolidge (set up in the Intro to Rita). Which also begs the question: who else is making some uncredited guest appearances? I find it hard to believe the late Carl Radle only served as a photographer and never plugged in his bass here. Could one of the drummer Jims (Gordon or Kneltner) be sitting in, too? No doubt, there are quite a few uncredited performers lurking on this recording, perhaps uncredited because of contract issues.

Russell, who was just gaining his musical footing about the time this album was orginially recorded, wrote some great lyrics and sings with great verve. His vocals, veering from ragged to howling, still can conjure chills on Straight Brother. And his keyboard playing is articulate and quirky, a harbinger of what was yet to come.

The bonus tracks are curiosities at best, likely the product of some acid-tinged sessions that extended way past any sane hour of the night. Still, Henri the Clown is catchy litte ditty that can get stuck in your head.

This CD is a great time capsule: you may not like everything you find, but you will dig through the whole thing.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, May 15, 2000

By 

Patrick Crain (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asylum Choir II (Audio CD)

If you ever wanted to know what Leon Russell was up to before he became a huge star, here is the disc. Containing the entire second Asylum recordings with five recordings from the "Look Inside the Asylum Choir" album (not on CD now or probably ever), "Asylum Choir II" shows Leon at his eclectic best. "Lady in Waiting," "Hello Little Friend," "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Straight Brother" (actually a guilty pleasure are just great tracks. "Welcome to Hollywood" (from the "Look Inside..." album) is another excellent track which shows Leon and co-hort Marc Benno attempting to be studio wizards. And while they never really made it to Lennon-McCartney status, it's a fun ride all the same. By the way, dig the "Intro to Rita..." banter with Leon and Rita Coolidge. Heavy!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asylum choir II, January 16, 2000

By 

lyn win (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asylum Choir II (Audio CD)

This is a most excellent collection of bluesy funky tunes. We enjoyed this as children with our folks in the early 70's and it is still timeless today. We want to share these great funky tunes and lyical themes with our kids! It is a world view that should not be forgotten! A heartfelt snapshot in time! A classic to be passed on to yet another generation!