Customer Reviews

A Life and Time

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I cannot imagine how I first learned of this two-sided vinyl LP back in the early 80s, but living in Boise, Idaho, I had to order it via paper letter delivered by the US mail to a real-live brick and mortar record store in far-off Kansas City. Wow, lots of fading technolgies in that one acquisition! I loved it upon its first trip around my turntable, and have never lost my affection, despite the demise of all the things that brought it to me or the B&O beauty it played it on.

Mary is a unique talent, an amazing instrumentalist and memorable vocalist with a knack for uncovering the unseen in pop music. She has recorded several Beatles' tunes over the years, with incredible results. On this LP, she plays a number of covers, making each one distinctly hers, including the startling "You Keep Me Hanging On." I have heard Diana zip through this several times since and I've always felt bizarre. Why does she sound so happy? Because Mary takes the lyric and turns it into a poignant and painful demand, which is what the words actually say. A sad song, sadly performed. This is the supreme interpretation.

There are no weak cuts, the musicians are all delightful, and all I can say is that I wish the re-released version (at this price!) included a bit more than the contents of the LP. But a treasure restored. Sounds great; way better than my homemade CD complete with innumerable scratches and a skip in Shelley's Blues that I am now finally learning to not anticipate. The most satisfying of her recordings that I own.

The CD, A Life and Time, by the wonderful Mary McCaslin, provides yet another beautiful example of what the combination of a lovely, lilting voice and innovative, engaging lyrics can do. McCaslin wrote three of the songs, including Northfield, my favorite. My goal: to own and enjoy every album she made1

I love this album. Was introduced to it nearly 30 years ago by an old friend from high school when we reconnected 10 years after graduation. This collection is a real gem; as another reviewer mentioned, there isn't a weak cut in the lot. And my original Lp was lost quite a few years ago, so I'm thrilled to get this on MP3.

My favorites here are "Northfield", "Santana Song" and especially "Farewell Lone Ranger" since Clayton Moore was special to me and lots of kids in my generation; the way he was treated by the owners of the trademark and the movie was terrible. Poetic justice that the movie failed.

Not on this album but also worth having is Mary's version of Paul McCartney's "Things We Said Today" from 1964's Lp "Something New". Not too many people beat the Beatles at their own game, but she comes really close.

I'm so glad to get this on MP3. "Hi ho Silver! Away!"

I owned alot of Mary McCaslin recordings years ago. Somewhere along the line, tapes wore out, records got misplaced, and for the last 8 years or so I didn't have any of her work in my collection. This one restores some of Mary's much missed best track, including "Santana Song" which had been unavailable on CD for many years. Its great to see her albums being re-released!