Customer Reviews

Fred Neil

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

 

 

I'm stunned that after years of listening to Fred Neil's contemporaries (Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, Hoyt Axton, etc.) that I never once heard his name or music mentioned with the other players of the folk era of the mid sixties in Greenwich Village. I guess that stands as a testament to just how obscure Fred Neil is; the term "fringe artist" really doesn't apply. The liner notes to this remastered edition of his third album confirm that Neil made music for himself and didn't care for the business side of music. Like many others, I was introduced to the music of Fred Neil through the Sopranos show which used "Dolphins" to great effect during a scene where Christopher relapsed and used heroin. My ears perked up and I said out loud "Who IS that?" I ran straight to my Hoyt Axton discs and started fumbling around thinking it was him, but not finding the song in question. (I was later to read that Axton was largely influenced by Neil; the two certainly have similar vocal styles.) I tracked this disc down and purchased it primarily for "Dolphins", which is an incredible song. The lyrics and music combine to capture such a wistful sentiment, and it has become one of my favorite songs. I was surprised at the quality of the rest of the music on this CD. Fred Neil had such a great voice, with an obvious appreciation of the blues. I hadn't realized that he was the songwriter who wrote "Everybody's Talkin'", later a huge hit for Harry Nilsson on the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack. The liner notes explain that Neil refused to cut the song for the movie soundtrack, and Nilsson did instead, further proof of Neil's disregard for fame or exposure. Neil's version is plaintive and direct and I think I prefer it to the Nilsson version I've been hearing all these years. I was interested to read in the liner notes of Neil's experience working with The Doors' producer Paul Rothchild and what turned out to be a complete clash of personalities. The producer for this album took the opposite approach of Rothchild, who tried to handle Neil (which backfired), and decided to let him and some friends from Greenwich Village sit in a circle and play their guitars until the songs included on the album took shape into finished takes. The whole disc has an informal feel, but the mood that was captured hits the spot every time I listen to this. I would recommend this disc to any fan of the singer/songwriters of the early seventies. This album has a confessional and personal style similar to the artists that were to follow Neil. I would have to say that Fred Neil is probably one of the most overlooked songwriters of his generation, although I think he intended things to be that way. However, this is an album that needs to be heard, it really is that good.

THIS MAN CAN DO IT, HE CAN MAKE YOU CRY, LAUGH AND AND CRY AND LAUGH AT THE SAME TIME.. WHEN I HEARD TH DOLPHINS PLAY ON THE SOPRAN'S WHEN CHRIS WAS BACK ON DRUGS. MY GOD DID THAT SONG SO FIT.. BREAKS YOUR HEART OUT.. WATCHING HIM FLOATING IN HIS LOST SOUL AND THEN HEARING THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG PLAYING IN THE BACK GROUND.. WOW YES IT REMEMEBERED ME OF MY DAYS BUT NO SONG... 25 YEARS CLEAN THANK GOD

I first heard The Dolphins on the Soprano's, and took notice immediately. The remainder of the CD is also worth it. This guy was extremely talented, and worked with some of the best in the industry. Check out FredNeil.com...very interesting.

I met Fred Neil back in the early 60's. He was singing at a coffee house in Coconut Grove Florida, with Vince Martin. These guys should have made it big but needed a good marketing agent. It is a great visit to the past to listen to Freds amaxing voice just 50 years later.

It's hard for me to be objective when reviewing a recording by Fred. He was my friend. We met many more than 40 years ago in Greenwich Village. Fred was an icon during the folk music period in the 1960's, though he had done a great deal of work in country prior to his coming to New York. Almost every folk musician and many of the folk rock stars of the period played and sang with Fred. His amazing baritone voice blended with people like David Crosby, Lou Gossett, Bob Dylan (who got his first gig playing harmonica for Fred) and so many others. The songs on this album are some of his best, and, thankfully, have not been remixed, rearranged or tampered with to make them "better." Now that his (sadly few) other albums have become available The Many Sides of Fred Neil Bleecker & MacDougalthe scope of his talent and the craftsmanship and beauty of his work can be appreciated by a new generation of music lovers.

Name checked by various musicians(Stills,Crosby,Kantner and numerous Greenwich village luminaries),Fred Neil is the classic "muso's musician",and this album allows listeners to understand why.Neil's album is chockful of classic tunes:"dolphins","everybody's talking","I've got a secret","sweet Cocaine" and many more:any exploration of the magic of Fred Neil should begin here.Embrace Neil's unbelievable baritone and 12 string picking,in conjunction with a set of high quality session players:you won't regret it...