Customer Reviews

Beau Brummels

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this 1975 recording gem is a must buy for all beau brummel fans. i personally own 2 copies of the original lp and 2 copies of the 45 rpm single release, "Tell me why", from the Warner Bros.1975 album. this is the opening track on the c.d. and is a remake of the 1965 recording from a "B"side of one their original vinyl 45's. this version blows away the original recording and is worth the purchase price alone to own it! Ron Elliott, lead guitarist and author of the song, adds some string arrangements to this version along with his acoustic guitar chords. Sal Valentino ,in fine singing form, performs masterfully with that unique voice of his. this simply is one the underated songs in the history of pop music. all original five members of the beau brummels were in the studio for this recording in 1974, even bass guitarist, Declan Mulligan. however, he could not tour with the group to promote this album and returned to the his home in the U.K. later in 1975. i can't tell you how exciting it was to finally have this album released as a c.d. other gems on this classic disc you're going to love are the tracks: "Goldrush", "Singing Cowboy" and "Down to the bottom". great stuff from one of the truly magnificent west coast bands of that musical era.

the 'beau brummels' were considered by critics to be the american 'beatles'. however, most of the public didn't seem to share their view. they worked hard and put out good music (not counting the snafu in the record company forcing them to do only cover songs for one lp, altho sal's voice is still worth it), but they just couldn't really chart. very sad for a tight group with a great sound.
this lp was their 'second chance' shot a few years later. again, melodical and smooth, it was still ignored by the public.
i was a fan from the beginning and found all their work good listening to my ears. my favourite tracks are 'tennessee walker' and 'first in line'. 'tw' is a song i have sung to myself for years, never forgetting the words.
no one would be amiss to buy this lp, now out on cd. just put it on and relax. it will chase your daily cares away.
we miss you, john petersen...

After helping usher folk-rock onto the pop charts during their 1960s run on San Francisco's Autumn records, and branching out more experimentally on albums for Warner Brothers, the Beau Brummels finally came apart in the wake of 1968's Bradley's Barn. This reunion session, recorded in 1974 and released the following year, is a surprisingly fine album, avoiding the temptation to wallow in nostalgia and also the inclination to fully contemporize the band's sound. Which isn't to say that the group didn't update their music; the engineering is very clean, the arrangements lightly softened, and some of the guitars adopt a then-contemporary tone, but the core of the band's ethos is still heard: Ron Elliot wrote a strong album, Sal Valentino's vocals retained their emotional quiver and the group's complex harmonies, missing on their last few albums, were as fetching as ever. This isn't the raw invention of their earlier work, but the group's artistic spark was still very much alive. The 1970s touches are light enough to keep this an earnest progression of the band's original ideas, but different enough to signal something more than a rehash for cash. The country influences with which the group ended the first part of their career (recording for Owen Bradley in Nashville) can be heard in several songs, but the album also succeeds with ballads and mid-tempo rock. It's a shame the reunion lasted for only one LP, as it's clear the group transitioned the magic of their mid-60s roots to music relevant in the mid-70s. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

what a pleasant surprise looking through beau brummel cds. i never knew this release existed, obviously missing it when it first came out. this 10 song cd is basically country accoustic rock. very nicely done. one song is from their earlier material, "you tell me why". this is a excellent cd. the informative liner notes mention that it got mixed reviews along with mixed reviews of their live shows they did in '75. what i like about this cd besides the great singing and songwriting, is that it does not sound dated at all. i enjoy the brummels early works, but some of it does not stand the test of time. the beau brummels cd does stand the test of time and sounds probably better now than back during the rock era. i highly recommend this cd if you are into country rock and of course, being a beau brummels fan.

There are some real gems here, including the re-recorded You Tell Me Why. This album should have been a lot bigger than it was. I think back in the mid-70's, fans expected more of a rock/60's vibe, but this album really picks up where Triangle & Bradley's Barn left off. Worth picking up a copy!

If you appreciate the Beau Brummels talent and collective sound, there is no reason you will not love this album. Once you adjust to the mid-70s production sensibilities, there is much to admire here. While the last two Beau Brummels projects, Triangle and Bradley's Barn were notable in the strength of Eliot's songs, Valentino's singing and then-hip country bent, they really lacked some prime elements of the Brummels style, most notably group harmony. Neither of those albums feature anything but the solo voice of Valentino; I thought it odd then, and I still find it so today.

That is not true of this album. Group harmony abounds, and it's that trademark B.B. harmony, sounding better than ever. The songs are very strong, as is the band's playing. If you are Beau Brummels fan, this CD is an absolute must. It's really great that all five orignal members are featured on this release...the only time that has happened since Dec's acrimonious departure in early '66.