Customer Reviews

Libby Titus

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

 

 

I grew up loving this album, and dearly wish Amazon had it in stock..."Miss Otis regrets, she's unable to purchase today!"

I miss Libby and wish she would record again. She is married to Donald Fagen of Steely Dan notoriety. She is probably under a 'Yellow Beach Umbrella' in Florida somewhere...

I finally got this f-er on Ebay for more than you want to know. But not as much as most people are paying for it. I have seen it go for up to $200. The reason I bought this CD without ever having heard a song on it was because of the Carly Simon connection. I'm a huge Carly fan, and Carly produced and wrote a few songs on this CD. Carly also named a song after Miss Titus on her ANOTHER PASSENGER Cd. Finally, Libby covered "Darkness Til Dawn" from that Carly CD. So what do I think? I love it. It has that very 1976 production...with the electric pianos and the thumpy bass. Titus' voice is unique and pretty awesome. The more I listen to this CD, the more it grows on me. It has that 1970s wit to it. Some of my favorite lyrics:
"I thought I was a big wheel
All I got was three big meals, big deal"

and
"Some are good, but you're so fine
some are bad--you're a swine"

I'm really glad to have this CD as part of my music archive. If you are a fan of 70s songwriter pop, this is a must have. (Bonnie Raitt covered one of Libby's songs on her second album...) Oh, and Libby's version of "Darkness 'Til Down" makes me a bit more emotional than Carly's version... (you can hear Carly on the harmony part!)

Some clarification seems warranted. The 1977 album (featuring production by Phil Ramone with Robbie Robertson, Carly Simon & Paul Simon) is/was actually Ms Titus' second (debut) album. While both albums were titled "Libby Titus," they were each on distinctly different labels. The first, produced by Gary Klein, on a subsidiary of Capitol (Hot Biscuit and/or Tiger Lily), was released prior to the Columbia's. The first didn't feature any songwriting credits of Ms Titus', but many covers of Joni Mitchell (Michael from Mountains), Lennon/McCartney (Strawberry Fields Forever), Tim Hardin (It'll Never Happen Again), Paul Simon (Cloudy), John Sebastian (You Didn't Have to Be So Nice) among them. Cover photos & some credits of this album can be found on the internet. Good luck finding the actual record.

According to her own web site, Carly used the name Libby as a title because it is a name she is particularly fond of; her own friendship with Ms Titus has run hot/cold, but they are occasionally in touch with each other. Still, nothing can detract from the power of that song & performance.

While Ms Titus does have a distinctive voice & style, it really is no surprise that she didn't get too far as a solo recording artist. Like so many before & since, she is far better suited for harmony or background vocals. Bette Midler did a far more inviting, seductive "Yellow Beach Umbrella" as well as a much livelier "Miss Otis Regrets." "Love has No Pride" does feature powerful lyrics & melody, but so many have done the song brilliant justice (starting with Bonnie Raitt in 1972 all the way up to Jane Monheit in 2002) that it is futile to site the best. Paul Simon's harmony on "Fool That I Am" is lost behind the brilliance of Libby's performance, but all is lost on her version of "Kansas City." I truly wish Carly would've recorded "Can This Be My Love Affair" and/or "Wish I Could," but these versions are sublime nonetheless.

I have not been called from her for so long. Does anybody seen her. I miss her .