Customer Reviews

Mason Williams Phonograph Record

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is ironic that the biggest detriment to Mason Williams as a singer-songwriter is Mason Williams himself. I picked up this CD so that I could listen to "Classical Gas" whenever the mood struck me. The only other song I tend to listen to is "Baroque-A-Nova," probably because I remember having both songs on 45s in the olden days. There are a couple of other songs I like on the album, not when they are sung by Mason Williams, but rather when they are sung by the Smothers Brothers, for whom Williams was a major contributor. The Brothers Smothers recorded both "Long Time Blues" and the "Life Song," while Dick Smothers did a wonderful solo of "Wanderlove" on "The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight." There is also one song, "The Prince's Panties," which serves as a reminder that Williams wrote a lot of comic songs, which may well have been his true forte.

I think the rationale for my preference is threefold. First, Mason Williams does not have a distinguishable voice or a singer's feel for his own music, which may well be why his instrumental pieces are his "biggest hits." Second, his songs work better when sung by more than one person, which is why they work so well for the Smothers Brothers (a good example would be a Williams song not on this album that the boys did, "The Three Song"). Third, producer Mike Post served neither the singer nor his songs well on this album. But if this is your one chance to have your own copy of "Classical Gas," then that is reason enough (Remember when the Smothers Brothers came back to TV and Williams played it on a clear guitar that had fishing swimming around inside?).

I've known and enjoyed this album since childhood. Texan Mason Williams combines elements of folk, pop and country with a refined classical air, a measured amount of humor and the backing of a 45-member orchestra, making this album thoroughly enjoyable during its all-too-brief running time of 30 minutes. It starts off with an overture of the album's themes, then jumps to the snappy "All the Time", a "goodbye song" with an attitude. After the admittedly pointless (but forgivable, being only half a minute) "Dylan Thomas" comes "Wanderlove", an eloquent lovesong evoking the giddy and poetic beginnings of marriage. "She's Gone Away" is another snappy "goodbye song", this time from the perspective of the dumpee. Williams' overdubbed harmonies give this one extra power. "Here Am I" was described by Williams as "my way of doing Shakespeare today", and it does indeed bring the Bard in a comtemporary setting to mind. Noteworthy is the complicated job of mixing someone must have had to make this unique song work. The immortal instrumental "Classical Gas" is the reason many have bought this album, and it's certainly worth the purchase price by itself. This original version is far superior to the one Williams did 20 years later with Mannheim Steamroller, as the latter all but obscured the melody with a too-loud backup and only one guitar instead of the original's overdubbed twin guitars. "Long Time Blues" is an appealing country-pop song of heartbreak, "Baroque-a-Nova" is a sixtyish scat-instrumental which has a fun feel, and the looney "The Prince's Panties" is one chapter of a five-part musical Williams wrote but never released all of in one piece (Another appears on his 1968-1971 collection.). "Life Song" is a simple but profound half-minute pause for refreshment, then "Sunflower" (a musical take on a real-life sunflower Williams commissioned to be created by a skywriter) is a somber and beautiful instrumental to close the album. Alas, Mr. Williams, while providing great quality, only gives us half an hour of enjoyment, so I cannot give this album five stars. True, shorter albums were more the norm in the sixties, but you'd have hoped that an "expanded edition", with more of Williams' creations, might have been offered by Warner Brothers in the era of the CD.

I was really surprised to see the negative comments on this album. My father bought this when I was a child in the sixties and I grew up with it so perhaps that is why I remember it so fondly. This is the album that introduced Mason Williams to the world and it is arguably his best work.
Perhaps the people who do not care for this album find it hard to relate to the period from which it came, in that sense it is dated. This is a sixties album no doubt. Mason Williams presents pop music with a full orchestra as backup, something that was just not done until Williams and other acts such as the Beatles decided to break the rules. The Phonograph Record also has some other gems as well; I personally like All The Time more than Classical Gas, although that is a personal preference. Wanderlove is picturesque and one of the most beautiful songs he ever wrote. Baroque-A-Nova is an excellent tune although you might prefer the instrumental version he later released. The Prince's Panties is one of the funniest songs I have ever heard, and Sunflower is the perfect vehicle to end the album.
Of course, the album does have it's low points, She's Gone Away proves once and for all that Williams is not a Rock N Roller, fortunately, he seems to have learned that lesson and avoided that pitfall on later albums.
Here Am I is an interesting experiment in psychedelic imagery, but in the end fails to deliver, and Long Time Blues shows that Williams doesn't even know what the blues is.
Other than that, the album really is joy to listen to, even after all these years, it stands as a testament to a time when pop artists were willing to break the molds and experiment, when anything seem possible.

It's so great to see that there are others who appreciate the works of this master of many styles. Mason Williams' album is one of those few which reflect real knowledge-- not only of how to write a good song, but of what music is and has been in the past. I consider most of his pieces modern composition, not just songs. Consider "All the Time," which is in ABA form, not the standard rock/blues form of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. It is also vocally demanding, and, despite the catchy rock beat and "leaving my girl" message, it is closer musically to art song than to pop music. Williams' voice is a beautiful, light high baritone, which shows signs of at least some vocal study. And yet, like the best of all music, each track has a vitality which is immediately appealing to anyone willing to give it their full attention. Consider "Here Am I," a simple, strophic song with a gorgeous melody and hyper-romantic lyrics. He uses everything we expect to hear against us by constantly surprising us from measure to measure. Is it recitative? Arioso? Is he just taking his time? And what on earth is that little pizzicato string bit doing in the middle of the song? Who knows? Who cares? It's really cool. Just go with it. That said, there are a few minor weaknesses in the album; Williams can move our souls, he can make us laugh, he can make us think, or he can be a bit bland. The overture is necessary as an introduction, giving us a chance to sit back, relax, and focus on what we're listening to. But it doesn't go anywhere, and it doesn't really stand alone as a song. Williams didn't write it anyway, so it's okay to ignore it. "She's Gone Away," Williams says, "is my Rock Tune. I don't know what I'm saying, but it sounds good." That's very accurate-- the lyrics are obtuse, the melody stupid and forgettable, but it's catchy, and it sounds oddly like a lot of other songs from the late 60's. "Long Time Blues" is "more where I'm at. Which is from Texas." Hopefully, Williams isn't there anymore, because this is basically a bad country song. Other than that, this is a wonderful album. "Life Song" sums it up perfectly in 27 seconds: "Isn't life beautiful? Isn't life gay? Isn't life the perfect thing to pass the time away?"

This album came along (with Classical Gas) when I was at an age of extreme "impressionabily".....it made an impression on me that lasts to this day. Mason Williams was (and is) one of he most creative people I can think of. He (along with Jimmy Webb) defined creativity for me. He is truly a "Renaissance Man" who doesn't make a sham out of the word.

When my dad replaced his 8-track collection with either CD's or LP's, he gave me all of his old 8-tracks, and one of my favorites was "Phonograph Record". All of the songs, particularily the first 4, as well as "Classical Gas" are outstanding, and sound great, even 31 years after it was recorded. Also, Mike Post, who later became a well known TV theme composer, produced this album, and even wrote the first track "Overture" (an effective sampling of each song on the album in 1 and a half minutes). Mason Williams is an excellent composer, as well as singer, and musician. You will definetely like this album!

This is a great album no matter what kind of music you usually listen to as it has classical, jazz, folk, pop, country, rock influences throughout the album. While "Classical Gas" is the hit single that people would buy this album for, other songs on this album that are classics are "She's Gone Away" which is an uptempo goodbye song, "Wanderlove," "Long Time Blues," "Sunflower," "Baroque-a-Nova," and an "Overture" introducing the album. It should be repeated that this album was produced by Mike Post, who would later write many hit TV themes of the 1970's and 1980's. If you like guitar, and have a variety of music tastes, add this album to your collection.

Like some reviewers here, I originally snatched up The Mason Williams Phonograph Record solely for "Classical Gas," which I'd always liked. And, like some others, the rest of the album put me off. It didn't fit what I expected from the creator of such a catchy New Agey instrumental. Songs that were 20 seconds long? Lighter-than-helium elevator music tweaked by banjo chords? What a screwball this guy must have been, and a fluke besides. So I just played "Classical Gas" until I wore a groove through the LP, then chucked it.

Now, 20 years later, I find myself downloading songs like "Baroque a-nova" and--God help me--"The Prince's Panties" precisely BECAUSE they're such a nutty, ill-fitting jumble of pop pretense, slick studiocraft and lisping misanthropic fables. I like that it's a disaster by today's carefully programmed and oh-so-predictable pop standards.

Mason Williams was into ironic send-ups of bland consumerism long before college kids of my generation were laughing at no-brand beer. (He also wrote a generic book, "The Mason Williams Reading Matter.") So if you're expecting an album of "Classical Gas" variations, you'll be happier downloading the song instead of the whole album. But beware: You're the ones Mason Williams is poking fun at. Me? These days I'm jaded enough to enjoy a little unpredictable silliness, from a sonic court jester who picked some damn fine guitar.

I was 15 in 1968 and had been playing guitar for two years....rock n roll stuff, etc. "Classical Gas" was my first real challenge on the instrument, aided by the record, sheet music, and plenty of summer time, I leaned to play it, and still can. Mason Williams is an artist in the true sense of the word, be it music, written word, or visual art, he opened my eyes to the possibilities......

A fine album to own, illustrative of the creativity of that special time, and of a special man. Thanks Mason.

One of the finest singles ever released, Classical Gas, is heard here in digital clarity. It's extraordinary that it is so rarely heard these days and hopefully this CD will find it a new audience. The remaining tracks are mostly songs and are a unique tribute to the style of the day. Both lyrical and whimsical they pay tribute to an age that was both innocent, yet thought it was the height of "trendy", and corny, yet thought itself profound.