So Long Harry Truman

Danny O'Keefe | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 25, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B000FO45U2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,052 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Danny O'Keefe was a singer/songwriter who issued numerous critically acclaimed albums throughout the 1970s, some of which have never been issued on CD anywhere in the world. We now rectify that situation. "So Long Harry Truman" was originally issued in 1975. It features a host of guest stars, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, David Lindley, David Grisman, Andrew Gold, Richard Greene, Jim Felder, Tom Scott. 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece from the Seventies, July 12, 2008

By 

Søren Matzen Andersen "SM Andersen" (Hvidovre, Denmark) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So Long Harry Truman (Audio CD)

Though this 1975 release might seem swamped with big names hired to beef up the recording, the resulting effort is nothing less than brilliant. At a first glance the list of guest appearances does look like a who's-who in Californian country-rock and West Coast music circles, with names like Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner (The Eagles), Bernie Leadon, Andrew Gold, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Gary Mallaber, Larry Knechtel, David Lindley, John Guerin, Tom Scott, Richard Greene & David Grisman! Danny O'Keefe's own guitar-playing is great and another noteworthy musician is Roger Kellaway, who provides eminent piano on several songs. O'Keefe and Kellaway also collaborated on "American Roulette" (1977) and "The Global Blues" (1979) - two other releases you shouldn't miss.
Danny O'Keefe is of course an excellent songwriter, which this - his 4th album - gives ample proof of. The title track sounds great with Ronstadt, Henley and Leadon harmonizing and Ronstadt also sings harmony on O'Keefe's wonderful bittersweet divorce song "Quits." Two of his compositions - "Covered Wagon" & "Steel Guitar" - were originally recorded on his 1971 debut "Danny O'Keefe." But these new versions are much better - at least in terms of arrangements. Other fine examples of his songwriting are "The Kid/The Last Days" with its western theme sounding almost "cinematographic" and the gloomy "Hard Times" closing out this fantastic CD. He covers a lot of different styles as well, rock, country, jazz, rhythm & blues, honky-tonk songs and it all works out fine in the end. To top it off , Danny O'Keefe has got this wonderful slightly nasal voice adding the final touch to each song.
Danny O'Keefe has recorded 10 albums since 1971 including his new 2008 release "In Time," but has never been a huge name on the charts. That is one of the great mysteries of life. He's a better songwriter than let's say Jackson Browne, and in my opinion ranks as high as icons like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. And then he is much more adventurous when setting words to music than his contemporaries, a fact that gives most of his albums longevity.

5.0 out of 5 stars Trak List:, January 28, 2008

By 

Frank Klin (Garnet Mountains, Montana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So Long Harry Truman (Audio CD)

1. So Long Harry Truman 3:18
2. Quits 3:18
3. Rainbow Girl 3:02
4. The Delta Queen 3:26
5. The Kid/The Last Days 4:42
6. Covered Wagon 3:04
7. It's Been A Good Day 3:41
8. Fiddler's Jamboree 2:05
9. Steel Guitar 3:41
10. Hard Times 4:21

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "It's hard to find an honest man"..., January 10, 2007

By 

Jon Holcombe - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: So Long Harry Truman (Audio CD)

One of the great Seventies songwriters. Think Neil Young, Jim Croce, Jesse Colin Young, John Sebastian, Bruce Cockburn...

Great melodies, deeply felt lyrics with pop extending to folk/country/blues sensibility. Steel guitar, violins (or fiddle depending on the song!), piano, acoustic and electric guitar compliment O'keefes smooth and soulful, twangy voice.

O'keefe is a songwriters songwriter, responsible for some Great Songs: "Angel Spread Your Wings", "American Roulette", "You Look Just Like A Girl Again".

This album has it's share of stellar songwriting. I rank this about even with "Runnin' From The Devil", close behind my favorites "American Roulette" and "Breezy Stories".