Himself [Import, Original recording remastered]

Gilbert O'Sullivan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 4, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Jvc Japan
• ASIN: B00005L9BO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #328,208 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of the 1971 debut album from the British singer/songwriter. Himself features the original album plus eight bonus tracks including singles, B sides and Gilbert's remarkable first two demos (never released on CD before). Digipak presentation recreates the original gatefold sleeve and continues the Victoriana theme throughout the booklet. Features 'Matrimony', 'Nothing Rhymed', 'January Girl' and more. Salvo. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "...Allow Me To Present Myself To You...", November 15, 2011

By 

Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Himself (Audio CD)

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2011 REMASTERED REISSUE ***

Dubliners and Irish people of a certain age (as well as admirers from many other countries) will look at the sleeve of this early Seventies album by Waterford born singer-songwriter Raymond Gilbert O'Sullivan with huge affection - the music and lyrics having wedged themselves into their hearts. And at last - in 2011 - we finally get to see Gilbert's MAM Records catalogue receive a decent reissue campaign - and it's artist-approved too.

Here are the details - UK released Monday 7 November 2011 (15 Nov USA) Salvo SALVOXCD1001 breaks down as follows (63:19 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 14 are his 'UK' debut album "Himself" - released August 1971 on Mam Records MAM-SS 501. The American LP variant "Gilbert O'Sullivan Himself" on Mam/London MAM-4 was released a year later with a different cover and track list on Side 2. "Susan Van Heusen" and "Doing The Best I Can" from the UK LP were replaced with two hits singles - "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "We Will". Famously "Alone Again (Naturally)" went to Number 1 in the USA and stayed there for 6 weeks in July 1972. The "Himself" album itself reached Number 5 and 9 on the UK and US LP charts respectively.

Tracks 15 and 16 are "Disappear" and "What Can I Do" - Previously Unreleased 'Original Demo' versions of his first 2 singles on CBS Records from 1967 and 1968 (credited as GILBERT)
Track 17 is "Mr. Moody's Garden" - the non-album B-side to the UK 7" single "I Wish I Could Cry" - released August 1971 on Columbia Records DB 8779
Track 18 is "Everybody Knows" - the non-album B-side to the UK 7" single "Nothing Rhymed" - released October 1970 on Mam Records MAM 3 (his 1st 45 on the label)
Track 19 is "Underneath The Blanket Go" - a non-album track issued as a UK 7" single A-Side on Mam Records MAM 13 in February 1971 with the "Himself" album track "Doing The Best I Can" as its B-side
Tracks 20 and 21 are "We Will" and "I Didn't Know What To Do" - a non-album UK 7" single released July 1971 on Mam Records MAM 30
Track 22 is "No Matter How I Try" - a non-album UK 7" single released November 1971 on Mam Records MAM 53. Its B-side was the "Himself" album track "If I Don't Get You (Back Again)"

The original UK LP had a laminated gatefold sleeve with an inner lyric bag - both it and the 'car collage' inner gatefold shot are faithfully reproduced in high quality on the card digipak. There's a 'Gilbert O'Sullivan - A Singer And His Songs' logo sticker on the front which will undoubtedly accompany all of these expanded reissues. The 20-page booklet is gorgeous - tastefully laid out lyrics to all the songs (including the bonuses), photos from his own archives, trade adverts and a detailed paragraph on each single with reminiscences from Gilbert on the album's creation. There's glossy photos in here I've never seen. Even the CD is a pictured one. But the really big news for fans is the SOUND...

Remastered from original master tapes - the sound quality is a vast improvement on what went before (compilations and expensive Japanese imports). The album it has to be said is 'hissy' in many places and that's been accentuated a bit - but then so has the clarity of all the instruments. The sound quality for instance on the 2 singles "We Will" and the joyful "No Matter How I Try" is superlative (and without hiss). The "Intro" snippet (lyrics above) leads into the witty "January Git" and the sound improvement is very obvious. The jaunty "Matrimony" and "Houdini Said" are firm fan favourites and the Drum and flute combo in "Too Much Attention" has even been used by Dance DJs for a few years now. I also love the lesser-heard "Independent Air" track with its slinky beginning and big brassy finish.

But the album belongs to the song that made him - and the tune that made the public sit up and take notice. "Nothing Rhymed" is an extraordinary melody. Even now - more than 4 decades after the event - the lyrics are sung back to him word-for-word at concerts by the audience - and unfortunately their poignant message is still relevant too "...will I glance at my screen and see real human beings...starve to death in front of my eyes..."

This is a lovely reissue really - and properly well done. He would of course wisely move on from the terrible 'pudding bowl' image of 1970 and 1971 to the success of his 2nd album "Back To Front" and the wonderful "Along Again (Naturally)" in 1972 (the next reissue in this series). But this is where his songwriting career started and Salvo are to be praised for handling it so well.

Recommended.

PS: Salvo of the UK are reissuing his 2nd LP on Mam Records from November 1972 "Back To Front" in February 2012. Same expanded packaging as above and it's a first-time remaster of the entire album.
It will also feature 3 tracks which were non-album 7" singles in the UK as bonuses - "Along Again (Naturally)" and it's rare B-side "Save It" and "Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day"

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not bad, mr. o's, June 29, 2009

By 

Stephen Constantelos "sbconstant" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Himself (Audio CD)

I used to consider dressing myself like the man on the cover of this cd, Gilbert O'Sullivan. I soon realized that even when he was doing this in the early 70s it looked hopelessly ridiculous and was best left to period movies, which serve the need vicariously.

Listening to this album is a bit of a trip in time too, particularly to heady days when Paul McCartney's solo/Wings work was beginning gain dominance. G O'S's songs have a few of Paul's mannerisms here, and tho' quite in tune with Paul's work, it is distinctive, holding its own.

Highlights include: "Nothing Rhymed", "Matrimony", "Houdini Said", "If I Don't Get You Back Again", and the last song, which bizarrely reminds me of the tv cartoon Arthur: "Doing the Best that I Can" with its nonsense chorus.

A good album for those who like off-kilter singer/songwriter/piano-player songs that are sometimes ridiculous, sometimes incredibly touching.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very interesting and original melody & lyrics, July 18, 2002

By 

"rampaletienne" (Culemborg, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Himself (Audio CD)

According to legend, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney died on Wednesday morning at five o'clock somewhere in the 1960s, and he was replaced by a look-a-like. Gilbert O'Sullivan is a sound-a-like; I could not suppress the thought that the album HIMSELF was a product from Paul McCartney who just took the name Gilbert O'Sullivan to try and see if he could become big again after the Beatles had split. But O'Sullivan's lyrics are cleverer than Sir Paul's, and his melodies vary more from song to song, although this is often the case on a debut album (which is often a selection of many years' work), and I am not familiar with O'Sullivan's later albums.
For lovers of Samba and Jive, O'Sullivan supplies surprisingly catching songs, while his ballads (for example Nothing Rhymed) breathe the atmosphere of the Irish west coast. My favorite song on the album is Matrimony, not only for its samba-feel, but also for its lyrics: what about being late for your own wedding? Although the album is definitely a European product from the beginning of the 70s, it still sounds fresh today and should not be restricted to European ears only.