Customer Reviews

John David Souther

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Souther's first solo album, which coincided with the release of the first Eagles album, but offers a much more mature and poetic take on the early 70's Southern California scene, a kind of inward-looking alternative to the Eagles' evolving wide-screen lyricism. Souther is more sharp-edged and less compromising, even though the escapism theme is just as present here as it is in the work of his more privileged Troubadour peers. He re-records Kite Woman, a track which he first recorded with Glenn Frey on their Longbranch Pennywhistle album three years earlier (the album has not been re-released on CD, but the vinyl original runs at about US$100 at well-stocked Greenwich Village Record stores and is otherwise almost impossible to find), and it is here that it becomes most apparent what Souther is doing: he tunes things down, takes some of the country-rock elements and tempo out and thus creates a somewhat deeper texture which is so close to modern singer-/songwriter standards that it almost seems as if Souther was a victim of his own talent since his offerings would remain underestimated throughout his career. Other outstanding tracks include Out To Sea, Some People Call It Music (a song which delivers an elbaborate shift throughout his entire range of muscial expression), and the closing track Lullaby. This is a quality effort altogether which illustrates how far ahead of most of his contemporaries and how close to perfection Souther was even then.

I like all of Souther's CD's, but this is my favorite - after 20-odd years I still love to listen to it. He wrote all the songs, about the same sweet and painful emotions he conveys so well, but with an innocence. This is a young Souther stopping by your local coffee shop to sing with a few friends, like Glenn Frey on guitar.

For the record, I'd love to see his 4th album, Home by Dawn, out on CD. How about it?

Let me say I picked this up after reading a book on the Laurel Canyon music scene in the late 60s and early 70s (see my reviews page for more). I'm not much of an Eagles fan but I found their founding and history pretty fascinating, and of course JDS is part of it all.

So, in the flush of cash surrounding the first Eagles record, J.D. got his own opportunity to hit the ball out of the park. But instead of dumbing it down the way the Eagles did to achieve pop stardom, JDS went the other direction -- crafting careful, beautiful, winners, filled with harmonies and great hooks, but in a deeper, more meaningful way.

The record really holds up, but requires a few listens before it unfolds. Several of these songs should have been big hits, such as "White Wing," "How Long," or "Some Call It Music."

Soaring harmones provided by Frey, Henley, and of course JDS, precisely engineered and produced, this one had everything....and went nowhere.

Luckily, it's now available on CD and I urge everyone who likes early Eagles, the Laurel Canyon scene, or just great music to pick this one up.

Better than Jackson Browne, better than the Eagles, a must have for fans of the '70s California sound. Black Rose is my favorite Souther work, but this one is a close second.

J.D. Souther's voice is about as inviting as when you first lay your head down on your pillow to go to sleep.Somewhere between the perfectionism of James Taylor and the natural songcraftsmanship of Jackson Browne is one way I would describe his style.It is definatley completley distinct though and to think that music this good is thought to be inferior to other bands of the 70's(Or any other time)is pretty sad.I love every song on this album and would be glad to listen to someone try to argue that music today has progressed to something more meaningful than this.I read somewhere that there was a time when both J.D. Souther and Jackson Browne lived in the same apartment building.Tell me the scene hasn't changed!

This isn't really his best album (see "Black Rose") but I give it 5 stars because you need his debut album to complete your collection, don't you?

If that didn't convince you, buy it to hear his original version of "Run Like A Thief" which Bonnie Raitt later covered.

FROM THE FIRST NOTE ONE OF THE BEST EVER. SIMPLY UNDER RATED. WHENS THE NEXT ALBUM? A FAN SINCE THE 70'S, HOW ABOUT A CONCERT? LET US KNOW. THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT TUNES. CHAMPAIGN TO YOU!!

An unspectacular debut, this album suffers from a lack of memorable material. The playing is competent, middle-of-the-road, 70's country rock. Souther's best songs ("Best of My Love," "White Rhythm and Blues," etc. ) appear on other albums. The best track, "Run Like a Thief," is overshadowed by Bonnie Rait's better cover. Listeners searching for an overlooked gem should move on.