Customer Reviews

Unsophisticated Time

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why, why, why isn't this passionate & pure debut album by Marti Jones available on CD? Produced by soon-to-be husband Don Dixon, with an impeccable selection of songs which she immediately made her own, Marti won my heart with the first notes of "Lonely Is (as Lonely Does)," and has kept it through the rest of her career. Sadly, it's a career that's flown very much under the commercial radar to this day. Every album of hers features strong hooks, great songs, and her wonderful voice; every album should easily have had a couple of top 10 hits. But while it's possible to track down her later albums, this one remains a lost & forgotten treasure. I just hope some label eventually realizes what a potential gem they've got waiting for re-release. Until then, if you've still got a working turntable or tape deck, look for the LP or cassette -- recommended without hesitation!

This is an amazing collections of songs. I've worn out my cassette tape and was hoping to buy it on a CD. Marti Jones' vocals are haunting and the lyrics memorable.

Pop singer Marti Jones first emerged as the frontwoman of the group Color Me Gone before issuing her solo debut 'Unsophisticated Time' -- produced by future husband Don Dixon -- in 1985. Though the recepient of widespread critical acclaim, Jones found little commercial success with the LP.

'Unsophisticated Time' firmly establishes the winning formula of all her solo work -- superb singing, excellent song selection (including compositions from The dBs and The Bongos), and tastefully simple musical backing and production (courtesy of Dixon). - Jason Ankeny, AMG

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Jones' solo debut -- brilliantly produced by Don Dixon, who also plays most of the instruments on it -- draws strength from a very astute selection of tunes. She covers songs by The dB's, Bongos, Elvis Costello, and Dixon in a clear voice on this delightfully unprepossessing album. - Ira Robbins, Trouser Press

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Suggesting both Dusty Springfield's breathy yearning and Karen Carpenter's AM plainstyle, Jones is a Bonnie Ronstadt for the local-band era--a nonwriter ready to raid the enormous store of good songs only pop cultists have ever heard. Of course, in the CHR era her audience may never get beyond pop cultists, which would be doubly unjust: it's bad enough when a dB's album leads off with two Peter Holsapple sure shots and stiffs, but this record leads off with two Peter Holsapple sure shots and then goes on to mine Richard Barone, Elvis Costello, even producer-svengali Don Dixon. And topping them all is a loony vow of romantic devotion called "Follow You All Over the World," by one B. Simpson. Wonder how many more B. Simpsons have hidden such stuff away on their demo cassettes. (Please do not mail tapes to The Village Voice; Donald Dixon c/o A&M Records, 595 Madison Avenue, will do fine.) A- Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s.

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Unsophisticated Time has been released twice on compact disc, both times in very small numbers. In 1985, A&M Records released the disc in West Germany (but not the U.S.) as part of their "Audio Masters Plus Series." Don Dixon re-released the CD many years later on his own D.A.R. label.

Marti's best album, You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of songs done this well anywhere on vinyl or CD.

It is simply criminal that this album has never been issued on CD. It's a marvelous collection of catchy tunes with clever production and brilliant singing by Jones. Stands up with today's alternative music quite easily.