Customer Reviews

The Many Sides of Fred Neil

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This two-CD reissue of Fred Neil's Capitol recordings is welcome, if overdue. To those who don't know much about the 1960s folk revival, Neil is remembered, if at all, as the composer of "Candy Man" (the Roy Orbison hit, not the traditional song) and "Everybody's Talkin'" (recorded by Harry Nilsson for the film "Midnight Cowboy"). Folk devotees and some graying rockers recall him as one of the most gifted singers and songwriters of the period. Unfortunately, he recorded relatively little, and at least one of his recordings, Sessions (included here on disc one, cuts 11-17), is mostly a testament to druggy self-indulgence, though even it has a couple of achingly lovely, focused pieces ("Felicity" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love"). The folk movement has produced few songs as original or as enduring as "The Dolphins" and the afore-mentioned "Talkin'." His first Capitol album (disc one, 1-10) gorgeously framed these and other songs (including Neil's unforgettable reading of Elizabeth Cotten's "Didn't We Shake Sugaree") in shimmering electric textures nobody has been able to duplicate since. Few revival singers have matched Neil's feeling for blues or his ability to find a song's emotional core and immerse himself inside it. Less happily, few matched his capacity for the sort of self-destructive, talent-diminishing behavior that made his career so sadly short and his recorded output so uneven. The previously unreleased material here includes two embarrassingly ill-conceived singles recorded in Nashville (disc two, 12-13) as well as studio material (notably "December's Dream") which reminds us of how keenly the absence of this flawed genius is still felt.

Fred Neil died over the weekend. Those of us who became members of his cult during the mid-'60s with the Elektra classic "Bleecker and MacDougal," have wished for a return after his disappearance from music in the mid-'70s, but it wasn't to be.

In addition to his compelling vocal style, he wrote a few certifiably classic tunes: "Everybody's Talkin'," "The Dolphins," and "Other Side To This Life." They have been covered successfully by other artists, from Nilsson to Beth Orton, over the decades.

To escape his demons--or maybe just to co-exist with them more easily--Fred retired to Florida and until recently was militant about refusing to connect with the music industry or press. The recordings in this set vary greatly in quality, but even when ragged they carry a tremendous folk-jazz vibe. Possessed of a warm, deep voice and a complex, spontaneous interpretive sensibility, Neil belongs in a rarefied class with Tim Buckley, Nick Drake and Terry Callier as a moody writer-interpreter at the nexus of folk, jazz, blues and soul.

Even if you never heard of him in his lifetime, remember him now.

Before Bob Dylan became the poster boy for the 60's Folk Revival, the undisputed king of the Greenwich Village scene was the late Fred Neil. Its said a worshipful Dylan used to carry his guitar & Neil occasionally let the newcomer from Minnesoata sit in on harmonica.

But Neil proved reluctant to embrace the fame Dylan so wryly made a side-show of. He hated performing live & at the time of Harry Nilsson's hit with, "Everybody's Talkin'" the song's author turned his back on it all & headed South to Florida. where he remained in obscurity till his death in 2002. He reportedly last performed sometime in the 70's.

Along with the classic, BLEECKER & MACDOUGAL, this collection is all you need. The first thing that will strike you is that voice. Johnny Cash laced with Sinatra. A deep, gravelly baritone. Able to plumb the darkest depths or fleetingly rise above it all. His 12-string playing is just as formidable. A sort of Folk, Jazz infused Raga as evidenced on "Cynicrustpetefredjohn".

Though "Everybody's Talkin'" was a major hit, Neil's "Dolphins" remains the most covered. The best known being those by Beth Orton & Jeff Buckley. As for Neil's original, it has a haunting, dream-like quality. As if he were difting in eye of a storm whose chaos is spinning out of control around him.

As for Neil's version of "Everybody's Talkin'". I prefer it to Nilsson's MIDNIGHT COWBOY version. Spare & slowed down the songs' true meaning comes out. It still carries a breeziness, but less busy & forced, allowing the dark undercurrent to hit home. Without out a doubt, one the most understated songs about heroin addiction ever written. Something Neil alledgedly knew 1st hand & which eventually lead to his abdicating New York in an effort to get clean.

Other highlights include "Sugaree" and the wry pessimism of "Bag I'm In". This collection also features the SESSIONS album which is more rambling & unfocused but still full of captivating moments like "Rosie" & "Merry-Go-Round" ( featuring a dark segue into Leadbelly's "In The Pines").

Disc 2 contains live material & rarities. "You Don't Miss Your Water" features a duet with none other than a young Gram Parsons & there's another gem in an unreleased cover of "December's Dream".

I have to confess, I've never been a fan of the whole 60's coffee house Folk thing. The Weavers, Kingston Trio, Peter Paul & Mary. It's enough to make me cringe. Same goes for the whole Phil Ochs political/protest singer thing. Unlike his contemporaries, Neil seemed determined to remain far from the maddening crowd of protests & marches. Yet his music seems to reflect the price one pays for running away from it all. A quality which makes him timeless.

this comprises neil's three albums fred neil, sessions, and the final release of his, the other side of this life .ok , some of the 2nd album (sessions) can be repetitive and not all that great and a few things on the 2nd disc arent totally great either-but most of this collection demonstrates just how many truly superb but forgotten performers there were out there in the 60's that deserve to be remembered today. fred neil is one of the best songwriters of the era, and certainly had one of the greatest voices of the period. best of all, there is no b.s. about him, the songs may be relaxed but there is no mistaking the sincerity and honesty each time you hear fred sing. the 1st album is a classic of folk rock , or singer songwriter or whatever this music can be called. it really defies description and labelling, suffice it to say that fred neil's voice , guitar playing, and songwriting is incredible. and don't forget the fine accompaniment by "name sidemen" like cyrus faryar, canned heat's alan wilson,the drummer billy mundi and others ( including a duet with gram parsons on the great country/folk standard long black veil from the 1971 album other side of this lifefor having influenced the likes of dylan and tim buckley alone merits neil "near cooperstown" status. incidentally, buckley covered neil's wonderful the dolphins , and you'll recognize tracks here that were done later on by nilsson, the jefferson airplane, and numerous others. despite a few mediocre and overlong songs here and there, this is the best record i've bought in quite some time.

I was fortunate to count myself a friend of Fred Neil back in the mid 60's. I worked in the business and got to spend a good deal of time with him, watching him work, singing at the Wha in the village, hanging out at the Turf in the Brill Building and basically sharing a bit of history. Many times in a rehearsal studio I got to hear Fred take the bare bones of a new tune and sculpt them into magic formations. Many of those songs are here and, fortunately, many sound just as raw and heart-rending as they did then. They've aged very well. I think it's cuts 11 through 18 that are on my well-worn Capitol "Sessions" LP. They share the shelf with my other prized Neil LPs "Tear Down the Walls" with vince Martin on Electra, "Little Bit of Rain" one of my favorite songs, also on Electra, and "Other Side of This Life"...Capitol. The incredible richness of his baritone voice as it spills lazily out of his heart is not to be denied. I have never really heard another like it in all these years.

Fred never had the heart, in my opinion, for the business end of the business and that is probably the reason he short-circuited his career early on. Too damn much work to sing a damn song. He was better off just picking tunes with a few friends for company and at least one girl staring with rapt attention at this red-haired boy who made magic come out of his mouth. Just for the record, I co-wrote one song with Fred, never published. I lost the demo years ago, moving around, but Fred if you ever check in at this site, have another cup of coffee and another cigarette on me. I never forgot you or your music. Rock on.

To have a 2 CD collection of Fred Neil is a delight after 30 plus years of playing albums now well worn and punctuated with skips and scratches. As a kid, I listened to Fred play and sing in the Village at the Nite Owl and later at the Cafe Au Go Go night after night. Every set was a unique experience. No song was ever the same. You never knew who would drop in to sing and play with Fred: Lisa Kindred, Felix Pappalardi, John Sebastian, Odetta, Felicity Johnson, Graham Parsons, Pete Childs and more. Sometimes Richie Havens shared the bill or on other nights it might be Tim Harden. The music went on into the early morning hours .Many nights Joe Mara would lock the doors and we would stay until dawn. My only regret is that Vince Martin isn't more of a presence on this CD set. No other singer provides such compliment and contrast to Fred's silken tones than Vinnie with his skillful phrasing, creative harmonies, and bell-like almost angelic tenor. This CD set was a long time coming and will be a delight to any Fred Neil fan or friend.

Was it really 36 years ago that I chanced upon Fred at a friend's place on an Elektra sampling of folkies inc. Tim Buckley,& Hamilton Camp? I remember thinking then (as I've thought subsequently of Buckley, Aster Aweke, Aaron Neville & a handful of others - if I could sing with this power, I'd never talk). There's an undeniable careworn quality to Neil's delivery, an appealing, relaxed warmth, that few listeners could pass by. Yes, we regret his reluctance to tangle with the industry side of music, and yes, this has left us the poorer. So savour these rich baritone minutes. But to heed Fred's unforgettable anthem,'Dolphins',savour without nostalgia. Buckley did it proud. So too did Jesse Colin Young. It's really unjust to compare Fred's voice & attitude, but some listeners might find, as I have, Chris Smither's,'Train Home', as a recent echo of Neil. Not that all-embracing, mellifluous resonance, but similarly sweet & resigned (with a stunning re-visit to the 60s political turmoils in Dylan's, 'Desolation Row').

The history of Fred Neil is well known by those familiar with the NYC folk scene of the 60's. Read what Steven Stills, John Sebastian, David Crosby & others have said about his impact to the transition from folk to rock. His importance should never be overlooked. The Many Sides CD is a bit uneven, but that only makes it more representive of Neil's music. To hear a duet with Gram Parsons made my chest pound. There are songs missing, but can be found on the Bleecker/McDougal album. For me, an incredible night is to take the time to roam through Fred Neil & Gram Parsons's music. They had similar impact on today's music, country, folk or rock. It's too bad that Parsons music is a bit more familiar than Neil's. The ultimate pleasure would be to run into Fred Neil, somewhere, in Florida playing in an out of the way coffee shop. All you would need to hear is the rumble of his rich voice as it makes its way in to your heart and brain. VIVA FRED NEIL, COME BACK AND PLAY FOR US!!

The first time I heard Fred Neil's voice was over ten years ago when my friend Richard dug out his this obscure record album, tipped his huge speakers over on their sides onto the wood floor ("better sound this way", said Richard) and put the needle down. Out of those speakers came the sound of the most beautiful, heartfelt and deep tones of a voice that was at first hard to describe.
When the first song was over, Dolphins, I said how much he reminded me of Hoyt Axton! My friend replied that Hoyt used to hang-out, smoke pot and sing with Fred Neil, and now Fred had melted into obscurity, thought to be living somewhere in Oregon. (...) But to me, at that moment and as I listened to the rest of the album, Fred Neil was re-born all over again. What a voice!
I hope that the rumor is untrue that Fred Neil has died. I know that Hoyt Axton died in '99, but I read a review here that said Fred was gone too. I always had a wish that I would see him play somewhere in some little cafe and would get to hear that wonderful sound live. I wore-out the casette that my friend Richard made for me and was so happy that the record companies had the insite to re-release these Sam Neil treasures!

Fred Neil just puts me in that state. You know the one where you think of that old guy in town that would come into the office and ask for "Ayndy". That's what Neil's recording does. He brings back memories of all "questionable activity" that goes on down by the park near the edge of town. Man that old dude could sure write a ton of letters as well. I miss him. Neil's exquisite compositions remind me of that 100-year old freak. I have no idea what he's doin' now. Probably pullin' up weeds in his garden or listening to the 80s station in town or just hanging out at the grocery store sucking down coffee with some other old guys. I hope he still has his health and can walk. Every time i hear fred neil, i miss him.