Customer Reviews

Jonathan Edwards

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The late 60s / early 70s was ripe with folk and country talent like Steve Goodman, John Prine and James Taylor. Interestingly enough, Jonathan Edwards is not generally mentioned within the same breath or musical genre. His debut album is filled with wonderful, melodic tunes that rival his contemporaries. You'll undoubtedly buy the album for 'Sunshine' and 'Shanty' but will enjoy the 10 "supporting tracks" equally. A soft and gentle voice reminiscent of James Taylor and surrounded by superior musical talent provided by himself and band. As a 'folk junkie', I may be predisposed to this genre of music - I am, needless to say, a huge fan of this album and place it proudly with Goodman, Prine, Ochs, Bromberg, Koloc, Holstein(s), etc. etc. etc.

I was recently at my aunt's house in NY and we stopped over to her boyfriends house to feed all of his animals and I was looking through his collection of CDs and came upon this CD by Jonathan Edwards and curiously, I asked my aunt about it. She told me that is was a very good album that I would enjoy very much. So I put it on and instantly I was amazed. The guitar and the harmonica are great, but his voice is so UNBELIEVABLE! I can't believe what a great CD it is. All folk, blues and classic rock fans so own this CD! It is just simply amazing!

Jonathan Edwards is an unsung hero.His music is so full of flavor and life.A radio station in my area used to have what they call "desert island tapes"--if you were stranded on a desert island and you had three peices of music allowed for an indefinite amount of time--what would you pick?
This would be one pick of mine.Its that good.It is soothing,heartfelt and even funny.I have never met anyone who didnt like this album after being turned on to it.Jonathan has a voice of gold and the music is terrific.The only thing i would say is buy it!---you will not regret it.

Back in the early 70's I (Carl) had three of his albums, which I played constantly. I was deprived of this pleasure by a flood in '81--and have been searching ever since. His music is light, sensitive and sweet. In concert he blazed with energy and dominated the stage. This first of his albums (to my knowledge) of course has the well-known "Sunshine" and Jesse Colin Young's "Shanty"--practically anthems of that era--the other cuts, however, are far from filler. Should would like to have the other two from back then--one was Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy, but I can't remember the other title...

Not a voice anybody else has got anything like. A single made the radio but don't be fooled, the album is a whole piece of genuinely fine cloth. Only a hunch but I'd bet more than a few folks called singer/songwriters today listened to this record over and over growing up. Like Nilsson Schmilsson, which also came out in 1971, it surely don't sound thirty years old.

If you buy this album just because you like the song "Sunshine," it's well worth it. You can't help but feel good when listening to this classic. Any graduates of Ohio University or anyone who's partied at the legendary "party school" of Southeastern Ohio will appreciate Edwards' ode to "Athens County." I judge albums by how many songs I have to skip through while listening. There's no "skip throughs" on this one! A wonderful mix of bluegrass, folk, country, rock and blues, this is a classic that's perfect for your "Sunday Morning collection." Enjoy!

I have an ulterior motive here. This is a fine album, and Jonathan Edwards is on my short list (Brewer & Shipley, Mickey Newberry) of folkie/country singers who never got their due. I'd asked my wife to get me this album for a birthday long ago, and she goofed--bringing home instead a Jonathan Edwards LIVE album, which may or may not have been called "More Orphan Than Not" in honor of his band. I debated returning it unlistened to, because to put the vinyl on the turntable meant it was yours. I resisted. Thank heavens. The album contains all his hits, and is one of the best live albums I've heard--right up there with "Live Rhymin'" The arrangements are tight, the audience into it, but not intrusive, and you can tell that Edwards is no studio creation. There's even a lyrical adjustment to "Sunshine" involving "damn lies" and "Nixon" that gets a laugh. The musicianship is first rate, and there are elements of humor.

Okay, we need this in CD form, as the grooves on the album version were long ago replaced by crackles and hisses. Step up, record company. People will buy it, especially once they've heard a few samples.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I always loved SUNSHINE from the very first time I heard it (the 70's), but I never bought this CD till now. This CD is what 70's music is all about. Great songs with lots of acoustic guitar and banjo. If you like James Taylor, John Denver and Jim Croce you will NOT be disappointed with this!
I promise!

The track SOMETIMES just plain, down-right, flat-out brings tears to my eyes it's so good! (if you ever had a lost love
that you just can't forget - you will relate).

I find Cork in CA a very lucky man. I bought this Jonathan Edwards CD because I was looking for a particular version of "Shanty". A DJ in San Antonio used to play a version of it every Friday as the weekend song. It was great. That song ran for over 7 minutes. The studio version on this album is good and it fills the need to here this song every once in a while. I enjoy the songs on this album. But it wasn't until I read Cork's review that I knew that this LIVE album truly existed. The DJ, when asked, just told me it was a very hard to find Jonathan Edwards album. Please revive this album and bring it out in CD.

OK, so I bought this album when it first came out, and wore out the grooves. When I found it on cd recently, I had to buy it. Ahh, the memories it brings back. Still as sweet as the first time I heard it. "Shanty" (which Edwards wrote) and "Sunshine" are the best known, but having visited Athens County around the early '70's, the song "Athens County" remains my favorite.