CLEAN LIVING [LP VINYL]

 | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Label: VANGUARD RECORDS
• ASIN: B000WCZ1GY
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,866 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars review, October 17, 2010

By 

Scott Blackerby (Reston, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CLEAN LIVING [LP VINYL] (Vinyl)

Drummer Timothy Griffin and guitarist Robert LaPalm had been founding members of the Springfield, Massachusetts-based band Bold. When that group called it quits in the early 1970s, they continued their musical partnership in Clean Living.

Unlike the earlier Bold, Clean Living found the band (featuring rhythm guitarist Robert "Tex" LaMountain, guitarist Norman Schell, bassist Frank Shaw, and keyboardist Elliot Sherman), opting for a mixture of singer/songwriter material and country-rock. Produced by Maynard Solomon, 1972's "Clean Living" showcased the group's three lead singers in the form of La Mountain, Schell, and Shaw. Each brought a different vibe to the album, giving them a much needed diversity. (In case anyone cared, Schell was the best of the three). Most of the performances were quite good, but like most albums, they lacked anything to distinguish them from the flood of competitors and their musical niche made them too country for rock fans and too rock for country fans. That was a perfect recipe for commercial obscurity.
- Apparently an autobiographical reminiscence of the hard times they encountered as musicians (yeah, not exactly the most original topic), say what you will about the album, there was no denying 'Charles Street (In the Morning)' was a pretty and touching ballad. rating: **** stars
- I was surprised at how much I liked the Band-styled mid-tempo country-rocker 'Jubals' Blues Again'. Guitarist turned in a nice lead vocal with the band displaying a nice knack for backing harmonies. Ah, those hippie chicks will get you every time ... rating: *** stars
- While I'd love to say something nice about their cover of the Chuck Berry chestnut 'Sweet Little Sixteen', it was a pretty plain and pedestrian version. rating: * star
- With Schell and Shaw sharing lead vocals, 'Price I Pay' was another pretty acoustic ballad. In spite of some nice acoustic finger picking, this one suffered from dreaded singer/songwriter hyper-sensitivity. Perfect for some small coffee house packed full of over-caffinated English majors. rating: ** stars
- Penned by Steve Martin (wonder if it was the comedian), the instrumental 'Congress Alley' was unlike anything else on the album. A slinky rocker kicked along by Sheman's jazzy keyboards and some tasty lead guitar, you were left to wonder why they didn't record more stuff in this vein. rating: **** stars
- I have no idea if it was meant to be a serious statement, or a joke, but 'Jesus Is My Thing' was a straight forward county number showcasing Paul Lambert's pedal steel guitar. rating: ** stars
- Tapped as a single, 'Backwoods Girl' was another pretty, country-tinged ballad with some great harmony vocals. Given the lyrics, you were left to wonder why the song hadn't been titled 'Shenandoah'. rating: ** stars
- One of three tracks featuring LaMountain on lead vocals, 'Listen To the Music' was an okay country-rocker. Easy to picture someone like John Denver singing this one which may limit it's appeal. rating: ** stars
- Having heard so many crappy covers of Dylan's 'It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry' I didn't have very high expectations for this one. Perhaps that's the reason I was pleasantly surprised by their laid back, bluesy version. It certainly won't change anyone's life, but stood as one of the album's better performances. rating: ** stars
- Okay, I'll admit it. Nothing to be ashamed of ... 'In Heaven There Is No Bear' was one of the first singles I ever bought and I still own it. Yes, it was almost a polka, but as someone who enjoys a good, cold brew this one's actually got a place of honor on my jukebox. Prost ... rating: **** stars
- Even if you didn't like the genre, the acappella 'Jesus Is My Subway Line' was simply a stunning performance. Nothing more to say about it. rating: **** stars
- The medley 'Waterfall / Killers' found the band taking a stab at social commentary. Admirable, but not particularly enjoyable. rating: ** stars

Vanguard also tapped the album for a pair of singles:


- 1972's 'In Heaven There Is No Bear' b/w 'Backwoods Girl' (Vanguard catalog number 35162)
- 1972's 'Far North Again' b/w 'Me and You' (Vanguard catalog number 35171)

A couple of good tracks and overall mildly entertaining and maybe worth looking for as you can still find copies at a reasonable price.
"Clean Living" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Charles Street (In the Morning) (Norman Schell) - 3:17
2.) Jubals Blues Again (Norman Schell) - 4:07
3.) Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry) - 2:50
4.) Price I Pay (Norman Schell) - 3:36
5.) Congress Alley (instrumental) (Steve Martin) - 3:03
6.) Jesus Is My Thing (Norman Schell Frank Shaw - Anthony Rubino) - 2:51

(side 2)
1.) Backwoods Girl (Norman Schell) - 3:34
2.) Listen To the Music (Robert La Mountain) - 2:50
3.) It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry (Bob Dylan) - 3;23
4.) In Heaven There Is No Bear (Ralph Siegel - Ernest Neubach) - 3:47
5.) Jesus Is My Subway Line (Alan Rotman) - 1:55
6.) Waterfall / Killers (Dan Velike / David Carron) -