Customer Reviews

Beau Brummels

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

 

 

Hi!....Tony , from England calling !....Imust say , of all the 6060's/70's harmony groups to reform , and make new recordings, the Beau Brummels, here, with this album, happily now on c.d. ....struck Electric GOLD!!!!..surely the maestro songwriting pen of Mr. Ron Elliot(aka genius) nevershone better!!Also , as is said elsewhere in other reviews here, vocalist Sal Valentino's voice was what made the Brummels so exciting & truly unique!Here, on this batch of Ron Elliot songs , Sal's wonderful, wonderful voice , has methinks never sounded better!!!The songs themselves are just so fresh & magical .."You tellme why" .."Goldrush"(AN ABSOLUTE BLOCKBUSTER OF A SONG!), ...!Cryin' Wolf"...my personal favourite , amongst the motherlode of excellent songs recorded here!Surely, and sadly belatedly , too, the BEAU BRUMMELS finest album, before they quit recording with this exceptionally gifted line-up!!This particular album, upon it's release(vinyl) was tragically (pathetically) ignored for more inocuous music breaking thru', at that time, but here it is ,available , now ,on c.d.(the racording, especially on c.d. , is second to none)....BUY!!!!!!

This is a great album released in the mid 70's on Warner Brothers Records. The Beau Brummels had a number of big hits in the 60's including "Laugh Laugh" and "Just a Little" but basically dropped of the radar screen for a number of years before releasing this little known but tremendous album. My favourite cuts are "Tennessee Walker" and "You Tell Me Why" featuring the smooth as silk vocals of Sal Valentino. Most of these tunes (if not all) were penned by Ron Elliot and are absolutely top notch examples of the writers craft. The recording and mastering are superb and those who liked the earlier work of the Beau Brummels will really enjoy this natural if not logical next step in their musical evolution. Well worth buying and playing on the next grey Sunday afternoon.

This hard to find album is not only the best Beau Brummel album I've heard, but the folk rock album I've heard. Each of the 10 songs on this, their swansong album, is perfectly written, arranged and performed. Ron Elliot's intricate guitar playing and Sal Valentino's vocals were never better. And those lyrics; amazing! Did anyone, including the Beatles, ever come up with a better line about love than this one from "Down To The Bottom":
"Love is never second guessed; love is never second best. Love's bottom line is saying yes; love's bottom line is bottomless."
Buy it; it's worth the price.

Kudos to Taxim for rereleasing this wonderful recording. Perfectly recorded yet poorly marketed, this recording has never received the recognition it deserves. While most associate The Beau Brummels with "Beatle oriented American Rock", the truth is that they were one of the earliest and best purveyors of folk/country music. Sure, we all know and love their big rock hits "Just a Little" and "Laugh, Laugh" but their best music came with the late 60's recordings "Bradley's Barn" and "Triangle' where they explored folk/country roots with amazing prowess. Ron Elliot's songwriting is flawless and showed a depth beyond most of his comtemporaries. Sal Valentino had one of the best voices ever heard in popular music. These virtues reached a pinnacle on THE BEAU BRUMMELS, originaly released in 1975 on Warner Brothers Records. Production values enhanced Elliott's songs and Valentino's incredible voice. The remake of of the mid sixties B-side "Tell Me why' is simply a marvel. Sung and played here as a country oriented tune, we now see where they could have gone. Other highlights like "Down to the Bottom", "Goldrush" and "Singing Cowboy" clearly demonstrate their artistry and their penchant for what has now become "Americana". It is a shame that this record was ignored but we must remember that these were the days of "Jive Talkin'", the Eagles and Glamor rock. I sure would like to hear Sal sing again!!

If you like banjos and piano in your rock music, then this is for you. If it is the music of the early Brummels that you want to hear, this ain't it. It totally lacks the freshness of their earlier music. The sound is studio polished and cleaned. Their parents would have loved it.

I can forget about it for a year or two (I have it on vinyl, and am glad to see there's a replacement vehicle), then put it on and just be amazed at how contemporary, warm and beautiful it always sounds.

My 17 yo daughter was telling me how much she likes country a week or so ago, so I put this one on for her (not strictly in genre). She was groovin' ;-)

A classic.

This album is very solid - vocally, instrumentally, and creatively. Elliots writing has matured from the sixties, and there's very little not to like about this album. The Beau's of 1960's put out some REAL CLASSIC 45's, al la "Laugh Laugh" and "Just a Little", but song for song this is by far their best work - no question about it....GOLDRUSH is my favorite, but DOWN TO THE BOTTOM and THE LONELY SIDE hold up just as well - all are solid, enjoyable tunes. Don't pass this one up.

This album, as it did when it first was released, sounds like everyone involved with it was taking too much Valium. Ron Elliott was a very competent guitarist and writer, but his better writing days were well behind him by the time this album appeared. Sal Valentino's voice became very nasal and lacked inspiration or energy, and that's why the album didn't make it, not because of some injustice by the original issuers, Warner Brothers. It is interesting for fans of the group, and the period, however. It's just not their best work. That happened in 1965....