Customer Reviews

Beyond The Blue Horizon / Hey You Cajun

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4 star:		(2)
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In 1973, classic rock 'n' roll performer Lou Christie took an odd turn into country music.

Country was not an entirely illogical path for folkier artists such as Bob Dylan and the Byrds, but for a singer of such lusty teenage melodramas as "Lightnin' Strikes" and "Rhapsody in the Rain" it seemed completely crazy.

As it turned out, though, Christie had a natural affinity for the form -- not that his album exactly fit in with the country market.

"Lou Christie" is an odd and striking mix of sweet folksy numbers, bluegrass-tinged foot-stompers and pretty covers of classic pop songs (including "Mack the Knife" and "Wheel of Fortune").

Several tracks, including "Saddle the Wind," "Wilma Lee and Stoney," and Christie's sweet revival of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" rate among his best work.

This reissue of "Lou Christie" contains four previously unreleased bonus tracks, including the sweet "Two Little Clouds Passing By."

Christie remains one of the most unusual, lovable and underappreciated singers to emerge from the '60s. And it's a blessing to have "Lou Christie" available again.

Originally issued in 1974 on the Three Brothers label as Lou Christie, this was Lou's detour into country music. Ironically, the single "Beyond The Blue Horizon" ended up becoming an adult contemporary hit (#12 Billboard) and missed the country charts completely. Over the years, it has been effectively re-used in the films RAIN MAN, DUTCH, and A HOME OF OUR OWN.

Throughout the album, Lou proves himself to be extremely adept at country music. He combines the original "Good Mornin'" with the Disney classic "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" and gives it a lazy delivery similar to "Beyond The Blue Horizon." "You Were The One" conjures up memories of smooth 60s countrypolitan, while "Wilma Lee and Stoney" (a tribute to legendary country duo Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper) offers up hard core twangy bluegrass and "Saddle The Wind" finds Lou in a gentle folk setting. Then there's "Hey You Cajun" which has an appropriately zydeco feel to it. It's a hodgepodge of western styles that surprisingly sound great alongside each other.

Prior to this album, Lou wrote most of his material with Twyla Herbert. Here he tackles 8 tunes by the producer/arranger Tony Romeo, best known previously for composing bubblegum tunes like the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" and Lou's hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine." Lou's weary, under-stated version of Romeo's "Morning Rider" (originally released by the Partridge Family on their Up To Date album) is my favorite track on this album, one of Lou's most heartfelt recordings ever.

The last four tracks - all pretty ballads - are bonus tracks that don't really fit the tone of the original album. But don't let that keep you from purchasing what is otherwise a great cd that nicely showcases Lou Christie's diversity.

I did not expect to enjoy this CD so much, namely because I am not much of a Country-Western fan, and the only track I knew here is "Beyond the Blue Horizon". That aside, I was thrilled when I played it for the first time. This album is one of the most pleasing ones I have heard, and one of Lou Christie's best. Opening with the beautiful, "Saddle the Wind", and closing with the equally stunning "Morning Rider", this album is both clevery-produced/arranged and movingly performed. Other highlights (besides the title track) include the amusing "Good Mornin/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", the exhuberant "Hey You Cajun", as well as some nice bonus tracks, which round out the end of the CD. Definately one of my favorite Lou CDs, and one that you are likely to go back to, again and again.

there's a lot of great tracks on here that are terrific but that i already had on lou christie gh vol. 2 (you were the one, zip pe dee doo dah, beyond blue horizon, & hey you cajun) the sound is better on this varese sarabande reissue than the same group of songs as presented on gh vol 2. plus you get the entire original 1973 self titled album. the first three cuts are slower paced but reminiscent instrumentation to the beach boys' smile or their steel guitar-drenched country rock version of leadbelly's 'cottonfields'. there are some nice outtakes and things recorded during that era that werent on the original release.christie's rendition of 'mac the knife' is superb. Saddle the Wind-has some cool synth strings& cool sparse acoustic guitar and the cool "train" sound effects . Wilma Lee and Stoney sounds like something you might hear on the byrds country opus from '68, Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Blue Canadian Rocky Dream is a solid tune as well... Sunbeam is a pleasant enough old timey country tune
& Morning Rider on the Road with the toy piano introduction and a song that's structured not too differently than a song on the beach boys' smile album or van dyke parks' discover america. Also, i cannot conclude this review without giving a shout out to songwriter Tony Romeo for his contribution. Prior to this, i'd never really heard of Tony Romeo, but after hearing this, i officially categorize him as a legendary recording badazz(i understand he also wrote 'indian lake for the cowsills, i think i love you for the partridge family, plus im gonna make you mine for lou christie. Twyla Herbert, they lyricist and Christie's longtime collaborator, is worth her weight in gold with her lyrical prowness. I have no issue categorizing her with any other great lyricists such as Robert Hunter. Just got the cd, so i am still listening intently...

There is some country music here, like "Wilma Lee and Stoney", but there's other styles as well, such as zydeco, folk, western, and Tin Pan Alley. Some of it sounds like music you would have heard in an old Western saloon or it conjures up images of hobos riding on trains. But it is all filtered through Christie's pop sensibility so I would not call this a country album. What it is, it is very mellow for Lou, featuring mostly slow, gentle songs.

The buried gem on this album is "Little Bit of God" which is a bonus song that was recorded a bit earlier than the album, and was not part of the album concept, and so was recorded differently. It is a typically excellent Lou/Twyla Herbert pop concoction, although very gentle. It sounds like Lou is singing softly to his lover in bed, after just having woken up beside her. It is a slight tune, but very catchy and endearing.

"Beyond the Blue Horizon" is an old Thirties tune which Lou refurbished into something unique and special. It starts out very softly, and Lou is singing so softly you can barely hear him. But it picks up steam with every verse, leading to a dramatic climax, and then the song slowly fades away. This song probably highlights Lou's considerable vocal range and strength better than anything else he ever recorded.

I'm not a big fan of Tony Romeo's writing style, other than "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" and the Patridge Family hit, "I Think I Love You". To my ears, his songs are lyrically oversentimental and musically derivative. They lack the edginess and drive that Lou and Twyla often infused into their songs. But this album is an interesting side trip in the highly underrated Christie catalog and one which most people should listen to, if they enjoy Christie or Seventies pop music.

BTW, in "Hey You, Cajun", are those background singers really singing, "Ballin' on the bayou on a Saturday night"? This is the one song where Lou really sounds like his usual self. Perhaps because it was the only tune on the LP which he and Twyla wrote.

beyond blue horizon was not sampled. before purchasing it i would to make sure it's the right rendition.......no notes......no sample.....no sale.