Skip

Skip Battin

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1972
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B0000AQVEH
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,946 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The cult classic 1972 solo album from Clyde "Skip" Battin, who went from scoring hits as early as 1959 as part of the duo Skip & Flip to being a member of the Byrds, New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Flying Burrito Brothers! He also became a chief collaborator with Kim Fowley (who contributes copious quotes to the notes we’ve included here), so he definitely ranks as one of the key, behind-the-scenes contributors to the whole L.A. country-rock scene. Speaking of Fowley, his fingerprints are all over this album as a lyricist and quasi-producer, and Byrds Roger McGuinn and Clarence White play on it, too. But Battin’s love of old-time rock ‘n’ roll and Tom Lehrer-esque satire are what make this record really unusual; throw some Byrds-like country-rock into the recipe and you’ve got one strange, intoxicating concoction. Includes Undercover Man; Ballad of Dick Clark; Captain Video; Central Park; Four Legs Are Better Than Two; Valentino; Human Being Blues; St. Louis Browns; My Secret Life, and Cobras. A Collectors’ Choice Music exclusive!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unsung for Too Long, October 24, 2003

By	markfromphilly "markfromphilly" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This is the cult favorite, long, long out-of-print (30 years!) solo debut from Skip Battin, bassist for the later Byrds. The album is full of catchy melodies, wry lyrics, and an endearing charm that have been virtually unrecognized outside of a small group of Battin afficionados. I have always felt Skip was unfairly maligned during his time with the Byrds. Critics charged that his music - "novelty tunes" is the usual derisive label - was simply out of place on a Byrds album. How ironic that the "progressive" and allegedly open-minded music observers of that era wanted to pigeonhole the Byrds (long known for ingenuity and risk-taking) into a formulaic predictability.

This album features the contributions of Skip's legendary songwriting partner Kim Fowley and two of Skip's former Byrd mates: Roger McGuinn and the late, great, and sadly missed Clarence White, as well as Spanky MacFarlane from Spanky and Our Gang. The songs were a breath of fresh air when they came out in the early 70's and have held up very well indeed over the ensuing decades. St. Louis Browns - which received some FM airplay - is a fond (but wistful) remembrance of a beloved baseball team of youth. In The Ballad of Dick Clark, Skip (a member of 50's duo Skip and Flip) pays homage to many of his old confederates. In a bit of musical legerdemain Captain Video - a song about Roger McGuinn - features the guitarwork of the aforementioned leader of the Byrds, who apparently never knew the tune was about him. Undercover Man is a witty piece about the dangers of government surveillance. Valentino is an upbeat toe-tapper that lauds the legendary actor. Central Park is about an urban oasis that wasn't much of an oasis when Skip wrote the tune. These brief descriptions give some idea of the breadth of material on this very enjoyable record, and there are a number of others every bit as original.

Sadly, Skip died of Alzheimer's in July of 2003 and thus never saw the re-release of this fine, fine album. Let's hope that he is somehow aware of the many pleasures he has brought over the years, both through this album and his inventive recordings with the Byrds. Rest in peace, Skip.

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Skip this one, June 3, 2008

By	Larry Weinberg (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this album. It's funny, after not hearing it for 3 decades I put it on and knew all the lyrics. Fun, catchy music.

4.0 out of 5 stars Skip Battin - Skip, January 12, 2008

By	James E. Rowe (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to agree that the talents of Skip have long been unappreciated and that thjis album contains some lovely gems - St Louis Browns and Captain Video for mine (the latter, written about the tech obsessed Roger McGuinn also includes itys subject matter mischieviously asked to guest on the track - and doing so with style). Interestingly, while Byrds alumni from Skip's time with the group are here - No Gene Parsons (was there an rift)?

I must admit to finding some of the tracks a little weak - as were some of the Battin / Fowley compositions of Byrdmaniax and farther Along (I lo ve his stuff on Untitled). In any case, it's great to see this get a CD re;ease and hopefully a broadening of appreciation for a wonderfulo musician and, by all accounts, a lovely man. A new web site has been set up in tribute by one of his (many) Italian fans and is worth a visit.