Customer Reviews

Child of Clay/Windmills of Your Mind

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

when i was in college, i bought "child of clay", and i still have this somewhat rare vinyl 33 rpm record.....all the songs are very good, but one stood out 35 years ago: a song called "i'll say goodbye", written by rod mckuen......it's a gorgeous ballad and is still as fresh and beautiful now as it was all those years ago......check out this CD.....in my opinion, it is jimmie rodgers' most exquisite, sophisticated performance...........

CHILD OF CLAY (A&M SP 4130) was released in 1967 and WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND (SP 4187) in 1969, and this is the first time in over 20 years since either has been available. The wait has been agonizingly long but rewarding nonetheless. Both albums demonstrated Mr. Rodgers' growth as an artist from his earlier pop/country late '50s hits, especially the socially conscious "Child of Clay." Many memorable melodic numbers, including "Windmills," "I'll Say Goodbye" and "My Love is a Wanderer" can be found on this set.
A third set on A&M, TROUBLED TIMES (SP 4242) from 1970, did not chart but would be worthy of reissue, because Rodgers wrote most of the songs and the album was ahead of its time (preceding the singer-songwriter era).
After leaving A&M he released a double album, YESTERDAY AND TODAY (one LP of vintage hits and another of new material) in 1978 and had an occasional single on the country charts. It would be great if all of his many fine performances were available again soon.

The 5 stars are for the excellent "Child Of Clay" LP from 1967. If you know Jimmie Rodgers only for tunes like "Honeycomb" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine', "Child Of Clay" shows what the man was capable of when given some great material and matching production. Best cuts: "The Lovers", "Pass Me By", "Today" and "My Love Is A Wanderer". The follow-up LP, "Windmills Of Your Mind", is also included.

First of all, to me Jimmie Rodgers is one of the finest singers of all time. It's no wonder he was one of the first to discover the lyrics and the music of Rod McKuen.
He sings so mellow yet so strong and understand a lyric like no other singer. It's a mistery they haven't released all his DOT recordings...
He's a much better deal than most singers around today.
Compare his recordings of "Cycles" or "Suzanne" with anyone. Even Frankie recording of "Cycles" was left miles behind... Maria of Sweden

I too have the old Child of Clay vinyl album which must be thin in spots from being played continuously in college. I think "Today", "My love is a wanderer" and "I believed it all" are exquisite renditions; beautifully orchestrated. This is such an extremely mellow, good mood inspiring album that I'm thrilled to have on CD!

I have always loved the voice of Jimmie Rodgers. (Rememebr "Honeycomb"?) Searching for the song "If I Were a Man", I discovered this CD. I love it. "I Wanna Be Free" is so much better done by Jimmie Rodgers than by Davy Jones (of the Monkees). "I Believed It All" takes me back to simpler times. "Time to Remember" showcases his smooth, sexy voice. A dreamy listen.

First time I listened to this record when my dad bought it, back in late 1960's and loved to listen to all the songs. I am so glad this amazing album is available on CD now.

This puts two LP's from Jimmie's A&M years together on one disc, but the songs come from a period around ten years after his first happy, uptempo hits on the Roulette label. Those tunes, such as "Honeycomb" and "Waltzing Matilda" are available on the Rhino collection "The Best of Jimmie Rodgers" and are great. These selections were chosen to represent Jimmie as a serious artist doing "adult" material, mostly lengthy, bittersweet numbers. He is in good voice for most of these tracks, and many of them were quite popular songs during that period, but they do not wear as well as his earlier, snappy, and even silly successes. This one is better-suited for diehard fans.

It is hard to believe to modern ears, but the title track to Child Of Clay was played by Scott Muni on WNEW FM when it was a free form radio station in the late 1960s. Sweet strings and what would now be termed easy listening production were part of folk in the late 1960s, and folk was integral to early progressive radio.

Not that these two albums by Jimmie Rodgers sound like Leonerd Cohen or Joni Mitchel. They don't, even though Rodgers covers "Suzanne" and "Both Sides Now" respectively by the two writers. Many covered these songs and used all kinds of treatments. For Rodgers, producer Allen Stanton chose production that had strings and female voices. For some tracks, the two aforementioned, it works well. On other tracks, listen to "I Believed It All," Rodgers is veering dangerously close to Bobby Goldsboro territory.

Rodgers is no funny little clown like Goldsboro. Go back to early rock and listen to "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" or "Honeycone," and Rodger could rock as well as Eddie Cochran or Bill Hailey.

Which makes the production on these albums so bemusing, curious, and at times, frustrating. The song selection is great--does anyone know who first did "Me About You," I think it was Orpheus. And Rodgers had at least as good a voice as A&M label mate Phil Ochs--technically probably a lot better. A&M was also run by Herb Albert, who had the best taste in the biz at the time.

So why were A&M Ochs albums like Tape From California and Pleasures of the Harbor given to A&M producer Larry Marks, and made with a pure baroque grandeur that sounds fresh today, and Rodgers given such middle to right wing of the road treatment by Stanton. Hard to say.

But it's kind of a shame Rodgers was played so safe by A&M. He certainly had the cred and the chops to compete with Marks productions like Ochs or The Flying Burrito Brothers. Put in Marks hands, Rodgers could have made easily made classic folk or even cosmic country albums like the two A&M artists I mentioned.

I am not saying these albums are not good. I am not dismissing that they have to be heard in the context of how such music was produced in 1967 and 1968. But these two albums are very listenable and very gripping as a 60s curiosity.

But given different treatment and some risk taking, Rodgers A&M albums could have been regal, classic albums of the highest order.

I own both the vinyl original albums and this cd. And I only can say that these albums are among the best from the 60s (naturally not speaking of rock music). If you listen to the song "L.A. Breakdown" (which is my favorite) I hope you understand.