Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters [Import]

Mojo Men | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 15, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Big Beat UK
• ASIN: B0019JHEZU
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,412 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Not Too Old To Start Cryin' (Second Version)

2. 'Til I Find You

3. Is Our Love Gone (Second Version)

4. Sure Of Your Love

5. Don't Leave Me Crying Like Before

6. You Didn't Even Say Goodbye

7. What Kind Of Man

8. Happiness Is You

9. Look Into My Eyes

10. What's The Answer

11. Free Ride

12. Times Like These

13. Another World

14. Give Me One More Chance

15. Don't Let It Happen To Me

16. Remember Me

17. Oh Lonesome Me

18. Not For Me

19. They May Be Right

20. She Cried

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

San Francisco's pre-eminent popmeisters the Mojo Men are well known to mid-60s aficionados, thanks to both some garage-rocking sides for Autumn and the dulcet baroque experiments of their Reprise years. The 24 previously unreleased titles featured on Not Too Old To Start Cryin' fall stylistically between these two schools, yet they may well be amongst the best studio recordings of their entire career.

These sessions were held in the year preceding the Mojo Men's chart breakthrough in early 1967 with Sit Down I Think I Love You, and consist principally of original material. The Mojos were known for their quality songwriting and tight, self-contained arrangements, not to mention a powerhouse vocal team in bass player Jim Alaimo and the drumming Mojo Woman, Jan Errico.

Garage and folk-rock sounds abound on here, from the snotty punk of Til I Find You to the sombre Marianne Faithfull-isms of Don't Leave Me Crying Like Before. There's a sprinkling of proto-psych too on cuts such as Free Ride and What Kind Of Man. It's rare that a cache of this standard comes to light nowadays, which makes Not Too Old To Start Cryin' a must for any fan of mid-60s garage and pop.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb cache of mid-career garage/pop/folk/psych demos, December 7, 2008

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters (Audio CD)

The San Francisco-based Mojo Men are best remembered for their top-40 hit cover of Stephen Stills' "Sit Down, I Think I Love You." By the time that ornate 1967 single was released, the original group had recorded several bravado-filled sides for Tom Donahue's Autumn label, fallen out with their drummer, picked up former Vejtables drummer/vocalist/songwriter Jan Errico, and recorded these demos before recording for Reprise. To be fair, "demos" is a coarse description given the recordings' sparkling studio quality and the care lavished on the vocals and overdubs. But even though many of these tracks rival their output on Autumn and Reprise, the sessions were used to work out new material, showcase the band's songwriting to their new producers, and to suggest outside material that might be suitable. The only aural artifact that really suggests "demo" are hotly mixed vocals that don't always lay firmly in the instrumental backings.

The addition of Jan Errico had a noticeable impact on the band's sound, pulling them in more melodic directions and adding a folk-rock vibe to numerous tracks. The macho sentiments of the group's earlier "She Goes With Me" may not have fit the new lineup (though they did essentially reprise their earlier "Dance With me" on "There Goes My Mind"), but Errico could sing with full-throated force. The vocal attack of "What Kind of Man," for example, sounds like a midway point between the sharp verbal punctuation of Mary Travers and the snotty garage attitude of Paula Pierce. Errico and bassist/vocalist Jim Alaimo made a solid rhythm section, and their voices blended into winning harmonies. The group could equally well rock a primitive Bo Diddley beat for "'Til I Find You" as they could take it down tempo for the ballad "Don't Leave Me Crying Like Before."

The influence of former Autumn labelmates The Beau Brummels is heard on "Is Our Love Gone," and a cover of Jay and the Americans' "She Cried" adds fine group harmonies. Several of Alaimo and Errico's originals were re-recorded for later albums, but many more are only heard here. These mid-career recordings fit perfectly between the garage rock of the Mojo Men's Autumn sides and their more polished Reprise recordings, and are sure to enthrall fans of either. Big Beat's "West Coast Promotion Man" Alec Palao offers up top-quality liners and photos from his personal archives to round out a stellar package. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, September 17, 2008

By 

burritobrother (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters (Audio CD)

This is a fantastic release, some of the finest pop that the San Fransisco scene had to offer. It appears that, finally, the Mojo Men are receiving some credit after 40 years of neglect. They deserve it.
Now we're waiting for a reissue of the only 'real' album they actually released during their time together, 1968's gem "Mojo Magic" (simply credited to Mojo).
Big Beat, how about it?
Recommended.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rest of the Story, August 11, 2008

By 

Joe B. (Nashua, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters (Audio CD)

In the early spring of 1966, the Mojo Men saw their label Autumn Records go bust and their contract sold to Warner Bros. Records; then had a falling out with their original drummer, resulting in the addition of Jan Errico (formerly of the Vejtables) on drums. She quickly integrated into the band also as a songwriter and vocalist, both solo and harmony with original lead singer/bassist Jim Alaimo.

These recordings span a one-year period beginning in June 1966, all recorded in the band's home base of San Francisco. Primarily intended as demos for Reprise (WB's sister label), the home office in Burbank rejected most of these songs; a few were rerecorded in Los Angeles, where almost all of the released Reprise recordings took place. The 24 songs are a mixture of the Mojo Men's original British Invasion/garage sound (much improved over their early 1965 recordings), San Francisco folk-rock and psychedelia/fuzz, some nods to the Mamas & Papas and Sonny & Cher, and a preview of the baroque-style pop that came to mark their Reprise years, all performed and (aside from three covers) written entirely by the band.

The CD booklet's excellent liner notes by compilation producer Alec Palao covers the group's history well and is illustrated with vintage photos, concert posters, etc. The recent discovery of the 4-track master tapes is the source of the stellar sound quality.

The group deserved better than one-hit (plus two lower Top 100 entries) wonder status. With the lack of a Reprise LP release in the 1960's, the band wasn't really given the opportunity to showcase their full musical talents and escape being pigeonholed as a singles band. However belated, this CD provides that showcase and stands equally alongside their better-known singles as the best work of the Mojo Men