Customer Reviews

Double Time

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Only one review listed on this CD. I couldn't pass up a chance to rave about it. I bought the record when it first came out in the 1970s and promptly wore it out along with several other Redbone albums. The songs are classics, the artist equal to the best who ever performed them. If you want a bite of musical history, a relaxing half an hour of pure entertainment and the nostalgic whimsy of real americana, you MUST have this CD!!

Released in 1977, "Double Time" was Leon Redbone's follow-up to his debut LP titled "On the Track", which had went gold after its 1975 release (see my review of the latter somewhere on this very site).
This album follows the directions already pursued on the aforementioned debut: Leon Redbone's sources of inspiration remain blues, jazz, country and cabaret songs from the pre-WW2 or even pre-WW1 era.

These great old songs regain all their appeal thanks not only to Leon Redbone's intrinsic talent but also to his always fresh, sometimes "tongue-in-cheek", even irreverent approach towards choice material he genuinely loves and understands. Listen to him whistling through Mamie Smith's 1920 "Crazy Blues" before conjuring a swing jazz depiction of country singer Jimmie Rodgers ("Mississippi Delta Blues") before finding his way through pistol shots (!) on the wonderfully double-entendre "Mr. Jelly Roll Baker" (a Jelly Roll Morton composition). He can also be delightfully tender, but never maudlin, on tunes like "My Melancholy Baby" (a 1912 composition made famous by Judy Garland in the aforementioned "A Star Is Born").

The stellar backing of a cast of high calibre musicians further enhances his rich, throaty baritone and seemingly unassuming finger picked guitar playing. Redbone's varied arrangements are always to the point and bring a lot of contrasts and shadings to the proceedings. In this domain, he gets masterful help from jazzman Al Cohn (horn arrangements) and William S. Fischer (strings). All the while, Joel Dorn's production is a predictably classy affair.

This is, personally, my favourite Leon Redbone recording thanks to, among others, its inspired song selection and sequencing. After listening to it once, I often find myself pushing anew the "play" button on the remote. Of course, some affinity with some of the original artists' music might still enhance your listening pleasure. For other people, Leon Redbone might also well open new paths to the appreciation of the original work of now relatively neglected artists. The music is so relaxingly satisfying that the original working title for this album - "Takin' My Time" - would have been a more appropriate choice.

The sound quality is okay, although the original digital 1988 digital mastering cannot help showing its age. Any hopes for some remastering for an artist who is not only still recording but whose catalogue has luckily remained available through all these years? Are you reading this Rhino?

Uniquely Leon is this jazz trumpet style voice. His tunes are light and easy and lift your spirit with their simple lyrics and fun tempos. If you listen to music for fun, you will love this album.

My favorite bands are The Ramones, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and The Misfits. So why do I listen to Leon? Because I appreciate artists who do their own thing their own way. Leon, if nothing else is an original performer. You won't see a guy like this on American Idol, because he is a true artist with integrity. Now on to thr review....

This is my favorite Redbone album. He had me hooked on the first song, Diddy wa Diddie. What does it mean? Who knows? Leon doesn't even know! It's a good little foot tapper. I also like his rendition of Shine on Harvest Moon. The only other version I know of this song is when Laurel and Hardy sang it in 'The Flying Deuces". So I know it is an old old song.

Perhaps the crowning acheivement on this disc is the wonderful "Jelly Roll Man" song. It has a sexy nurse, gunshots, and the healing power of the jelly roll. Mississippi Delta Blues is a great tune too. I love the whole album. I love to sit in the dark with a couple of bottles of Boone's Farm and let the Redbone rip. This is some great stuff. There is no voice in the world like his. It's like a cartoon character with a mouth full of marbles, but he makes it work.

Leon Redbone's CD album "Double Time" features many favorites for the faithful, but two in particular stand out in my memory of this collection. The first is "The Sheik of Araby," which is iconic Redbone in its blustering, humorous take on this classic, one of the most popular songs from the era of the Flapper. The second number that stands out for me is, in my venerable opinion, the best recording I've ever heard of the song "Shine On Harvest Moon." I recall wondering when I saw the "Shine On" title on the album -- why would a Jewish boy from Brooklyn, a boy who'd grow up to give us a fresh, new look at the Blues, why would he choose this shmaltzy old-time sentimental piece for his album? You only have to hear his rendition of it to understand why. When that all-male chorus fades up behind his vocalization, we're totally into the romantic song Redbone has given new wings. The music soars, and we surrender ourselves to the innocence of a time long ago and the euphoria of loving our gal or our guy. This number, "Shine On Harvest Moon," is worth the price of the album, as they say, and it's the main reason for my gifting Redbone's "Double Time" CD album time after time after time.

Don Walters
Kindle eBooks Author

There is a lot going on here. It sounds different every time I hear it. It's the first Leon Redbone album I bought. I bought it in 3 different formats, trying to find one that sounded bright. But it just wasn't mastered that way, and there is a reason for that. It's intentionally dark. It has an opacity that begins to enhance the material after a few listens. This is perhaps his best album. "Sheik Of Araby" is a unique, unaccompanied virtuoso performance and is worth the price of admission all by itself. "Shine On Harvest Moon" is eerie perfection. "Winin' Boy Blues" is the climax of the whole production, a bit of heaven, sent by Leon's vocal and Bob Greene's masterful piano.

I've been listening to these tracks for many years. I had to purchase the CD again recently because the original was worn out from going back and forth into cases and sleeves AND I just saw him perform in Chicago earlier this year. After purchasing the CD this time, I ripped it to my iPod.

For anyone who wants a quick and exciting introduction to Mr. Redbone. This is the CD for you!

This album contains two of my favorite Leon Redbone songs. "Shine on Harvest Moon" is, of course, a classic -- but this album will teach you the wonderful introduction that almost no one knows (except dedicated Leon Redbone fans). And then there is "Diddy Wa Diddy" which is sort of an old-time-blues vehicle that may have inspired Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy." I'll always wonder if it did.

This CD brings back memories of my drinking days. This music is good to keep from being sober. The first time I played the album back in 1980, everyone wanted to know who was this man with such unique voice and his music that made you sing along and enjoy. To me it's a mixture of jazz and Dixieland. I like his style, if you want to be different with class buy his CD's and play them when you have company over. Someone will not resist the temptation to ask, who is this man?

Leon Redbone is kind of like that favorite uncle who knew all of the interesting stuff and you suspected of having all sorts of adventures.
The music is uncommon both in content and quality. Redbone often had a taste for fun music that sounded like it should have been recorded 70 years earlier. Most people could not get away with that. But as far as that goes how many performers would you pay attention to singing about laundry detergent or beer?
Just as much fun as on the track and fun for the whole family.