Customer Reviews

David Bromberg

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
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David displayed his songwriting and vocals in addition to his instrumental talents on his 1971 solo debut. Eclectic as always, the tunes range stylistically from jug-band folk to blues and rock. "Suffer to Sing the Blues" is a self-deprecating humorous take on the bluesman's ethos. "The Hold-up", co-written with George Harrison, is also a whimsical tune with a southwestern flavor, the arrangement complete with Mariachi trumpets. "Sammy's Song" is a painfully sensitive and affecting coming-of-age ballad. "Dehlia" is a sparse yet moving rendition of a traditional country-blues. This album still holds up as David's most compelling studio set. Pity it's only available as an expensive import, but at least the Japanese have enough taste to appreciate it.

This review is only for those interested in sound quality. For reviews regarding content, please see other posts in this forum, or go to All Music Guide (dot com). Also, due to Amazon's unfortunate programming policy of cross-pollinating reviews across different versions of the same CD title, this review may appear elsewhere.

As with the Dan Hicks Original Recordings mini-sleeve, Sony Japan has gone out on a limb and DSD-mastered this wonderful recording and packaged it in a minature of the original LP sleeve. There aren't many major labels that extend this type of care to non-Top 40 artists' catalogues. Sony uses the DSD processing primarily for SACD mastering, and it really pulls detail out of the mix for much improved clarity.

The audio on this disc is light-years beyond the inferior LP-EQ'd, near-40-year-old master that Wounded Bird lazily utilized for their version.

Alternately, as the DSD Japan disc is OOP and can be hard to find, the UK BGO-label has released a remastered 2-fer of this album and Demon In Disguise. The BGO is not as good as the Sony, audio-wise, but it is definitely better than the Wounded Bird CD.

If you love this recording, THIS is the version to get.

. . . from one of acoustic music's most influential pickers. First gaining prominence as a sideman to both Jerry Jeff Walker and Bob Dylan, David Bromberg's debut album displayed a talent to be reckoned with. Bromberg's mastery of both country and more modern blues stylings, as well as an adeptness for straight out flat-picking, is impressive. Most surprising is his singing - with what would seem to be a deceptively limited voice, he is able to express a lonesome longing ("Last Song for Shelby Jean", "Deliah") and great humour ("Suffer if You Wanna Sing the Blues", "The Holdup", his wonderful colaboration with George Harrison).

David went on to record a pretty impressive volume of work, but this, along with "Wanted: Dead or Alive", remains my favorite collection from him. He was - and remains - a wonderful talent, and this CD will give you a great introduction to the expanse of his abilities.

Two of my favorite albums from college,I had somehow lost my vinyl copies.Saw this combo and purchased.
I am extremely satisfied.The sound is fantastic, and the classic songs on these albums are not to be forgotton...
Still one of my favorite sayings to confuse the herds of musically uneducated...
"SHE WALKS, SHE TALKS,SHE CRAWLS ON HER BELLY LIKE A REPTILE"....ohhhhh Sharon....
If you remember these albums and have lost them...BUY this combo.
It you are new to Bromberg..This is a great place to start.It was for me.
Also..What a bargain on Amazon.

Been a fan of Davids since the seventies and he has to be one of the greatest singer songwriters around to be sure. His New York blues/folk style of guitar sounds to his songwriting he combines the perfect sounds that are not forgotten and have been with me for years and will be theres years to come. This is one of those records that has to be on every guitarist need to have list and songwriters need to learn list. This record is a 'must have' and to be sure has to be one of the better records he's ever recorded, a seventies stable to be sure.

Every tune a GEM, and "Dehlia" is soooooo hauntingly beautiful - a masterpiece!! George Harrison even appears!!! What more could a guitar-based-groupie ask? One could get the sheet music/ tablature for these tunes... (and I have), and not come close at all to match the soul David pours out of every note. I still get the chills listening to "Sammy's Song", and when I get the blues, immediately put on "Shelby's Song" - takes me right to the place I need to be. One of David's best albums EVER! Right up there with the two album release: "How Late'll Ya Play Til?"

I played on the same bill with David Bromberg at a folk festival when this album was brand new. He was a really nice guy, and even played backup to one of my songs. He gave me an autographed copy of the album, one of my prized possessions.

His playing is excellent on this record. I always used to say that Doc Watson made guitar playing sound easy, but Bromberg makes it sound just as hard as it is. I love both styles. Plus, this album is before he got all self conscience about his singing like he did by Midnight on the Water.

For a digital re-issue, it's pretty good. If you can find the vinyl from the first pressing, buy it too.