Customer Reviews

Daisy Fresh From Hawthorne

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Emitt's earliest music endeavors include playing in the bands the Palace Guard and the Merry-Go-Round. We recorded some amazing tracks in these early days ("You're A Very Lovely Woman" and "Had To Run Around"). These groups broke up and Emitt began a solo career.

His first solo album was more like the second Merry-Go-Round LP. It includes many great tracks, including the Beatle-esque/Nazz-esque "Pardon Me." Sadly, none of the tracks from American Dream appear here on the Dunhill Years CD.

However, what this CD does include are many wonderful tracks from his last three albums. A very young Emitt recorded three wonderful solo albums for Dunhill on which he played guitars, drums, pianos, bass, percussion, saxophone and quite a few other instruments. He managed to record these songs all by himself, carefully overdubbing each part onto the next. The end result would fool anybody who didn't know otherwise that this was the work of a competent early 70's rock and roll group.

Emitt also wrote his own songs and handled the production duties himself. Each album has great songs, and many of those are included on this CD.

1. With My Face on the Floor

Great vocals, incredible pitch and range. This is a piano based song, very cheerful and upbeat. Perhaps reminding the listener of the more creative Monkees recordings. Jingle jangle tambourine to boot!!

2. Somebody Made for Me

Ask and you'll receive. Emitt is desperate here to find the love of his life.

3. She's Such a Beauty

This is a great McCartney-esque rocker. Emitt's melody on this song almost reminds me of the little medley on Paul McCartney's Red Rose Speedway album. Play this song back to back with "Hands of Love" and you'll be amazed. (And yes, Emitt wrote his song before Paul!!).

4. Long Time No See

I don't know if this is the song, but I remember there is one where you hear Emitt's girlfriend say "Emitt?" softly at the very beginning of the song- right before the piano comes in. This might be my favorite Emitt Rhodes song. A pure knock-out that should have had radio play. Although it is a tad melancholy.

5. Lullabye

Kind of a throwaway. Sort of like the little throwaway snipets on the White Album.

6. Fresh as a Daisy

He's back to sounding like the Monkees, or the Byrds here. I think this actually was a single. Whether or not it got any airplay, who knows. The radio must have been strange in 1970. I mean, if Paul McCartney DIDN'T release "Maybe I'm Amazed" there must have been SOMETHING wrong. Terribly wrong.

7. Live Till You Die

Is this just a continuation of the Merry-Go-Round's "Live?" You can get that song on the Nuggets boxed set.

8. Promises I've Made

And then there were more...More great songs that is.

9. You Take the Dark Out of the Night

Fuzzy weird guitar part on this song. We all know someone who takes the dark out of the night.

10. You Should Be Ashamed

"You've left me down too many times, too many times to say, you've let me down." That is probably the most beautiful line ever sung in a song. This song rivals anything on the Beatles' Revolver. I am truly not kidding.

11. Ever Find Yourself Running

Yes, you would find me running to the record store if Emitt came out of hibernation with a new CD.

12. You Must Have

These songs get into Emitt's Mirror album. The original album has pictures in the gatefold of Emitt playing different instruments and standing around his living room. Just a down home kind of guy.

13. Birthday Lady

Sometimes Emitt's songs start to sound alike, but that's probably due more to his voice. It's a great voice, but he's locked into one vocal style pretty much on everything he does.

14. Better Side of Life

You'll find the better side of life with Emitt's music.

15. Mirror

From the Mirror album, of course. They should realease a domestic version of the Mirror album so that everybody can hear all of the tracks. Same with Farewell to Paradise.

16. Really Wanted You

A blistering rock n' roll track. Rocks about as hard as something of the Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks CD.

17. Love Will Stone You

This is another personal favorite of mine. Yup.

18. Golden Child of God

The last Mirror song.

19. Warm Self Sacrifice

Now we get into Farewell to Paradise, Emitt's entirely under-rated last solo album. 1973. Another gatefold album that you should track down just to have the album art. Emitt has a beard. He is seen in pictures with his girlfriend (wife?) staring at air pollution with a look on his face like the one we see Marvin Gaye giving on the back of What's Going On.

20. Blue Horizon

He probably was referring to the Horizon early in the morning before the factories started churning pollution into the skies.

21. Shoot the Moon

Sadly, not enough music is included from Farewell to Paradise.

22. Only Lovers Decide

This is the best song from Farewell to Paradise, so I am glad the compilers did their job and included it on this CD. Nice acoustic ballad. Emitt didn't do enough of these type songs. This is truly beautiful.

23. Tame the Lion

A little bonus, as this was really just a single from long ago.

Go out and get this CD if you're tired of listening to Revolver and Aftermath and Monkees CD's. As great as those CD's are, it's always fun to find something new. I truly think this is a great piece of work, a great collection. True Emitt fans know that this CD is not inclusive of his entire career. We would rather have a 2 CD set that included more from the Merry-Go-Round and American Dream.

Stephanie P.

I stumbled onto Rhodes work by accident and I'm glad that I did. All the rumors are true: the songs on this collection sound spookily like late-period Beatles, Badfinger and Big Star. If you like any of those groups, you'll like this. And it was mostly recorded by a kid playing all the instruments in his parents' garage.

But if you buy this compilation, be prepared to get [pulled] into a CD that, literally, won't let you go for quite some time. I bought it two months ago and haven't taken it out of my stereo since. My friends are so sick of hearing Emitt Rhodes it's not even funny... and yet I can't stop playing it. I won't! They can't make me!

This collection has all of the songs from his first album (Emitt Rhodes), about half of the songs from the second album (Mirror), about 1/3 of the songs from the 3rd album (Farewell to Paradise) plus a great single (Tame the Lion). He plays all of the instruments, wrote all of the songs, and recorded the music himself. His songwriting is much like Paul McCartney's.

I have two complaints with this CD. First, it really needs to be remastered. Second, his entire first album (generally considered to be his best) is on this CD, but it is available seperately. I'd like to have more songs from the other two albums. I like his second album as much as his first, and neither it or his thir album are available on CD.

I first bought Emitt Rhodes albums in 1970. I was blown away by the catchy melodies, and the fact that he wrote all the songs, played the instruments and sang all the vocals. At first, he sounds like Paul McCartney, and his instrumentation and melodies are very McCartneyesque, but the songs on this collection blow away anything McCartney did in his first three or four solo albums. I found this CD in a Chicago record store 3 years ago and I still play it frequently. The majority of songs on the CD come from his first album, "Emitt Rhodes," and his second album "Mirror." If you like Beatlesque music, you will enjoy this and you'll find the melodies running through your head for years to come. I can't believe someone with this gift isn't still making music.

Emitt Rhodes was the second album that I ever owned. I remember purchasing it from a Department store about 20+ years ago. I fell in love with his voice. I lost the album somehow through the years and have spent years trying to find it again. And then BOOM!! I found it on Amazon.com. I have told friends about this for years and I am sure they thought I was making this stuff up, but now I will be able to share this wonderful music.

Yes, I know it is a bit unfair, but Emitt captures the great 1970-71 vibe of Paul McCartney. I know that this comparison dogged him, but one cannot help but make it when you hear Emitt's GREAT songs.

Why in the world Emitt was lost into obscurity is hard to figure out. Emit wrote strong songs that would make any fan of Badfinger, The Beatles or Big Star smile.

Discovering Emitt long after he faded into a footnote made me a bit angry. Emitt should have been as big as any pop star on this planet, but it was not to be.

Speaking of the compasion I am not supposed to speak about: even ole Emitt must ahve embraced it as he has recorded Macca's "Woman Oh Why" on a recent (2001) McCartney tribute album.

C'mon Emitt, it is NEVER too late - get back wehre you started and give the world more gleaming pop gems!!!!!!!!!!!

HAVING PLAYED OUT two VINYL COPIES OF FIRST SOLO ALBUM, WAS PLEASED THAT THIS C.D. WAS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE SAME... PERFECT CHOICE FOR THOSE LONGING FOR SERENITY OF FIRST MCCARTNEY SOLO ALBUM DAYS...HE EVEN USES A HOFNER BASS !!!! WORTH CONSIDERATION FROM ANYONE RUNNING A 4 OR 8 TRACK HOME STUDIO - THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT , FOLKS............

Daisy-Fresh from Hawthorne is one of the best compilations I've heard in years. Every song (and there's 23 songs on here) is incredible. Aside from the obvious McCartney/Beatles roots, Emmit also cites Big Star, Todd Rundgren and even James Taylor as influential contemporaries who helped define his musical prowess. To sum these tracks up though, catchy is a gigantic understatement. The songs on here are dazzling, enamoring, gorgeous, captivating, heartfelt and very uplifting. I recommend this lengthy chronicle of a sadly forgotten genius to all fans of music. I also recommend all of Emmit's individual records as well, though they are tough to find. This compilation will serve as a copacetic introduction to an amazing pop purveyor though, offering the whole "Emmit Rhodes" 1970 release (Tracks 1-12), the best songs from "Mirror" (Tracks 13-18), a few gems from "Farewell to Paradise" (Tracks 19-22), and an exclusive single, Tame the Lion.

What I want to say about Emitt Rhodes is that he needs no comparision to anyone. His music is ALL HIS MUSIC. He plays every instrument, and sings every vocal. Every song could be a single every song is timeless. I grew up listening to Emitt and still do. His talent is limitless. I hope everyone reading this review will give him a listen to. You will be hooked. I would LOVE to hear some new stuff from him. Talent like his should be heard...

This guy was damned good. His career is everything that is so horribly wrong about the music industry. He was an incredibly young talent who was used and spat out when they felt he didn't have anything more to give and his life has been kinda tragic. But there is the music he left from all those years ago and they are magic. This collection contains the first two albums -- EMITT RHODES and MIRROR -- as well as a few tracks from RETURN TO PARADISE (which, frankly, I never knew existed). "I have to say the things I feel, I have to feel the things I say." That such incredible honesty from a guy who was -- like myself way back then -- very young at the time. My favorites will always be "Somebody Made for Me" ( a very wonderful song for anyone who wonders if they will ever find that one special love in their lives) and "Birthday Lady". A trip into the past with warm and fond memories. And for those who are way too young, it is really good music and it is warm speaks to the heart. A pity Dunhill screwed this guy and he never really became what he truely could have been. Yet, we are left with what he did do, what he did accomplish. It is no small thing. You're just going to have of kind of trust me on this one.