"The Pretender" by JACKSON BROWNE (2004 Asylum CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Out Into The Cool Of The Evening Strolls..."

Some records actually scare you - emotionally that is. Back in 1976 and well into 1977 I was 'too' into "The Pretender". I was lonely I suppose and this album hooked into that lonesome pain like no other. Even now I find certain tracks hard to listen to – a downer LP I'd rather avoid in some ways.

And as it's 40th anniversary has come and gone in 2016 with no Deluxe Edition reissue/fanfare from Asylum or WEA (it shifted over two million copies for God's sake) - we're still left with this rather boring looking 80ts type CD reissue in a standard jewel case complete with a gatefold slip of paper for an inlay. Presentation wise – you get a big fat zip. But then you play the plain-looking CD and the Remaster is absolutely astounding.

The only mastering credit on the inlay for CD is GREG LADANYI who mixed some of the album back in the day and it doesn't advise a date or what was used. Fans will know that revered audio engineer Steve Hoffman remastered the LP for his DCC Compact Classics audiophile label in 1993 (DCC Compact Classics GZS-1047 - Barcode 010963104721) and I can't help but think that that CD variant is what has been used here (without saying so). I'm open to correction on this of course - but what can't be argued away is that you get gorgeous audio on what looks like the most boring of CD reissues ever. Anyway - here are the bright baby blues...

UK released 19 July 2004 - "The Pretender" by JACKSON BROWNE on Asylum 8122-78912-2 (Barcode 081227891220) is a straightforward CD transfer of the 1976 Asylum Records 8-track LP and plays out as follows (35:25 minutes):

1. The Fuse [Side 1]

2. Your Bright Baby Blues

3. LInda Paloma

4. Here Come Those Tears Again

5. The Only Child [Side 2]

6. Daddy's Tune

7. Sleep's Dark And Silent

8. The Pretender

Tracks 1 to 8 are his fourth studio album "The Pretender" - released November 1976 in the Asylum 7E-1079 and in the UK on Asylum K 53048. Produced by JON LANDAU - it peaked at No. 5 in the USA and No. 23 in the UK.

Musicians:

JACKSON BROWNE - Lead Vocals on all plus Acoustic Guitar on Track 2

FRED TACKETT (of Little Feat) - Guitars on Tracks 4, 5, 6 (Left Chanel), 7 and 8

DAVID LINDLEY - Slide Guitar on Tracks 1 and 6 with Violin on Track 5

LOWELL GEORGE (of Little Feat) - Slide Guitar and Harmony Vocals on Track 2

JOHN HALL (of Orleans) - Guitar Solo on Track 4

ALBERT LEE (of Heads, Hands & Feet) - Guitar on Track 5

WADDY WATCHELL - Guitar (Right Chanel) on Track 6

ROBERT GUTIERREZ - Guitaron, Violin and Backing Vocals on Track 2

LUIS F. DAMIAN - Vijuella, Guitar and backing Vocals on Track 2

CRAIG DOERGE - Keyboards on Tracks 1, 6, 7 and 8

BILL PAYNE (of Little Feat) - Keyboards on Tracks 2, 4 and 5

ROY BITTAN (of Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band) - Piano on Track 2

MIKE UTLEY - Organ on Track 4

ARTHUR GERST - Harp and Backing Vocals on Track 2

JIM HORN (Arranger), CHUCK FINLEY, DICK HYDE and QUITMAN DENNIT - Horns on Track 6

LELAND SKLAR - Bass on Tracks 1, 6, 7 and 8

CHUCK RAINEY - Bass on Tracks 2 and 5

BOB GLAUB - Bass on Track 4

RUSS KUNKEL - Drums on Track 1

JIM GORDON - Drums on Tracks 2 and 4

JEFF PORCARO (of Toto) - Drums on Tracks 5, 6, 7 and 8

GARY COLEMAN - Percussion on Track 5

BONNIE RAITT and ROSEMARY BUTLER - Harmony Vocals on Track 4

DON HENLEY (of Eagles) and J.D. SOUTHER - Harmony Vocals on Track 5

DAVID CROSBY and GRAHAM NASH (of The Byrds, The Hollies, CSNY) - Harmony Vocals on Track 8

DAVID CAMPBELL – Arranged Strings on Track 8

Although it doesn't directly mention the event that shaped the music - the album was recorded amidst horrible personal circumstances (his wife Phyllis had taken her own life in March 1976) and you can feel that bleakness seep out through the darkness of the lyrics. The LP's artwork displayed the range of emotions a heart feels. As he crosses a street in his clean white teeshirt - Browne looks like someone planted him there from another world - an outsider striding amidst pedestrians who don't seem to notice what's going on inside him. You flip the cover over and a naked child of three is giggling on a beach - playing in the sand and the sunset light as the tide goes out. It shows that there is also joy amidst the pain - hope - a continuance no matter what.

Musically Jackson Browne's fourth studio album was a very class affair. And as you can see from the extensive list provided above - the session players were the best. You get most of Little Feat, members of Toto, The Eagles, David Crosby and Graham Nash of CSNY, John Hall of Orleans, Albert Lee of Heads, Hands & Feet and Roy Bittan of Springsteen's E-Street Band – as well as his how own core players - David Lindley and Craig Doerge. Harmony Vocalists feature Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Rosemary Butler and J.D. Souther. An embarrassment of riches really.

It opens with David Lindley providing sweeping slide guitar notes for "The Fuse" as lyrics about 'years in the wilderness' slowly turn into a positive romp towards the end of the song - 'the walls come tumbling down'. And just as it’s fading - Lindley does those brilliant harmonics on his guitar - Craig Doerge providing a gorgeous counter on the piano. But for me "Your Bright Baby Blues" represents the album's first moment of true greatness. A lethal combo of musicians contribute to the "...I can't seem to get away from me..." hurt in the words - Chuck Rainey on Bass, Billy Payne of Little Feat on Organ with Roy Bittan of The E-Street Band and especially Lowell George whose guitar slide solo is the very epitome of brevity and impact combined. I've always hated the cod Mariachi rhythms of "Linda Paloma" though I know others love it. Asylum used it as the B-side to the Side 1 finisher "Here Come Those Tears Again" - an American No. 23 hit single in February 1977 on Asylum E-45379.

Side 2 offers up a stunning run of four. A song to his son of three (who'd just lost his mum) - "The Only Child" is both sad and beautiful and lyrically deep. He warns his boy that the world may make him hard and wild but to let the disappointments pass and remember to be kind. And one day he may meet that Soul that sees into his own (Henley and Souther nail those harmony vocals). "Daddy's Tune" is a 'so hard to talk to you' paternal plea that oddly starts to rock out towards its awkward end. Way better is the beautiful and intensely sad "Sleep's Dark And Silent Gate" - a short homage to missed chances - a song filled with longing for simple love - lying awake at night. Those final string notes will crush you. And it ends with the epic title track - that piano as clear as a bell. Asylum edited the album cut of 5:50 down to 4:47 minutes and with "Daddy's Tune" on the flip-side - Asylum E-45399 was rewarded with a lowly No. 58 placing in May 1977. The guy goes to work - comes home from work - goes out - gets wasted - staggers home - gets up in the morning - only to do it all over again. "...Ah the lovers as they run through the night...while the ships bearing their dreams sail out of sight..." – how many of us felt that in dead-end jobs...

Sure it’s depressing in places and too dark at times to deliberately inflict on yourself - but forty years after its release - Jackson Browne's "The Pretender" still has the power to floor me. And something that powerful and moving will always draw me back. And it sounds great too...

"Silk Degrees" by BOZ SCAGGS featuring Members of Toto and Little Feat (2007 Columbia/Legacy 'Expanded Edition' CD - Vic Anesini Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...The Dirty Lowdown..."

In hindsight it's extraordinary to think how loyal Columbia Records were to Boz Scaggs. His self-titled debut with Atlantic Records in 1969 had effectively tanked on release while his next three Columbia efforts - "Moments" (April 1971), "Boz Scaggs And Band" (December 1971) and "My Time" (September 1972) barely scrapped the Top 200 at No. 124, No. 198 and No.138 (his second LP for only 2 weeks). At least his fourth platter - the March 1974 Johnny Bristol produced "Slow Dancer" pushed on up to a respectable No. 81 - bringing in its wake a reissue of his 1969 Atlantic debut into the charts in July 1974 to No.171 for a few weeks. But man did their patience pay off.

"Silk Degrees" was a phenomenon. Released Stateside in March 1976 (August 1976 in the UK) - the LP began it's certain US ascent to an eventual peak of No. 2 and five million record sales slowly. First out of the blocks came the moderate hit of "It's Over" b/w "Harbor Lights" on Columbia 3-10319. That 45 eventually stalled at No. 38 on the US Pop charts while the follow-up single - the obvious "Lowdown" - was also paired up with "Harbor Lights" on the B-side in June 1976 for Columbia 3-10367. That slick piece of West Coast hip-sway hit the chart in early July and was stalling too when luck and fate stepped in. A DJ on a Cleveland Soul Station saw the crossover Rock-Soul appeal of the insanely hooky "Lowdown" and began spinning the thing incessantly on his night shifts to such a point that it caught on like wildfire. Hundreds of other stations soon followed suit and the album's most famous winner went to No. 2 in the singles charts. With it's cool-as-a-Bay-breeze artwork and super smooth production values - "Silk Degrees" the LP then began shifting album units by the ton – eventually lasting an astonishing 115 weeks on the American LP charts - over two years. It wasn’t as big as "Rumours" in February 1977 – but I can remember at the time – it sure felt like two went hand-in-hand in their LA domination of the world. Which brings us to this fab CD reissue of it. Here are the Lido Shuffles...

UK released 26 February 2007 - "Silk Degrees" by BOZ SCAGGS on Columbia/Legacy 82876 86715 2 (Barcode 828768671528) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue and Remaster with Three Live Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased) that plays out as follows (53:42 minutes):

1. What Can I Say [Side 1]

2. Georgia

3. Jump Street

4. What Do You Want The Girl To Do

5. Harbor Lights

6. Lowdown [Side 2]

7. It's Over

8. Love Me Tomorrow

9. Lido Shuffle

10. We're All Alone

Tracks 1 to 10 are his fifth studio album "Silk Degrees" - released March 1976 in the USA on Columbia Records PC 33920 and August 1976 in the UK on CBS Records S 81193. Produced by JOE WISSERT - it peaked at No. 2 in the USA and No. 20 in the UK.

BONUS TRACKS:

11. What Can I Say (Live)

12. Jump Street (Live)

13. It's Over (Live)

Tracks 11 to 13 were recorded at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, 15 August 1976 and are Previously Unreleased

Musicians:

BOZ SCAGGS - Lead Vocals and Guitar

LOUIE SHELTON - Guitars

FRED TACKETT (of Little Feat) - Guitars

DAVID PAICH (of Toto) - Keyboards

DAVID HUNGATE - Bass

JEFF PORCARO (of Toto) - Drums and Percussion

Guests:

PLAS JOHNSON - Saxophone on "What Can I Say"

PLAS JOHNSON and BUD SHANK - Saxophones on "Love Me Tomorrow"

LES DUDEK - Slide Guitar on "Jump Street"

CHUCK FINDLEY - Flugelhorn Solo on "Harbor Lights"

JIM HORN - Tenor Saxophone on "What Do You Want The Girl To Do"

AUGIE JOHNSON and JIM GILSTRAP (of Side Effect) - Backing Vocals on "What Can I Say" and "Lowdown"

CAROLYN WILLIS (of Honey Cone) - Backing Vocals on "What Can I Say" and "Lowdown"

MARTY McCALL (of Tuxedo Junction) - Backing Vocals on "What Can I Say" and "Lowdown"

MAXINE GREEN - Backing Vocals on "It's Over" and "Love Me Tomorrow"

MAXINE GREEN and PEPPER SWENSON - Backing Vocals on "What Do You Want The Girl To Do"

The 12-page booklet is a surprisingly detailed and informative affair. The text pages are peppered with those Moshe Brakha photos of Boz and A Hidden Girl by a bench looking all hipster and California - sunglasses and tanned legs at the ready - just as the sun goes down and the night festivities are about to begin. After writer and musician credits – Boz then provides an overview to his approach on the 1975 and 1976 recordings - his core band that included members of Toto and Little Feat - following that with track-by-track reminiscences on the lyrics and the songs. Noted writer and music buff BUD SCOPPA then provides superb liner notes on the ex Steve Miller Guitarist's career and the album's tangled history and the major contributions of its musicians and Producer. But the big news is a stunning Remaster from ADAM AYAN done at Gateway Mastering. Always a Rock Audiophile wet dream - "Silk Degrees" the Remaster doesn't disappoint - each track feels amazing - clear and full of power - with all that amazing musicianship on display.

After the success of "Lowdown" as a single (No. 2 in the USA) - Columbia reached for the next obvious winner - the Side 1 opener "What Can I Say". They paired it with the Side 2 smoocher "We're All Alone" in November 1976 and given the strength of the song were only rewarded with a surprisingly modest No. 42 placing for Columbia 3-10440. But in Blighty the album had been picking up steam and "What Can I Say" on CBS Records 4869 managed a No.10 hit on the English single charts in January 1977. Fred Tackett of Little Feat provides the guitar on the poppy "Georgia" while Les Dudek raises "Jump Street" up with some great slide guitar. Boz joins two of the ladies for backing vocals on "What Do You Want The Girl To Do" - Maxine Green and Pepper Swenson - an Allen Toussaint song I admire more than I actually like. The side ends with Chuck Findley playing a sweet Flugelhorn solo on the cuddle-up-my-love "Harbor Lights".

"Lowdown" sounds amazing and brings home one of the albums great secrets to success - the pairing of Boz as a Soulful Rock songwriter with Toto's David Paich. Paich had toured with Steely Dan and played alongside Jeff Porcaro on Becker and Fagan's demanding albums too - but here he stumps up a co-credit on five of the ten songs including "What Can I Say", "Jump Street", "Lowdown", "It's Over" and "Lido Shuffle" with a further solo songwriting credit on "Love Me Tomorrow". You'd have to say that the combo of Scaggs, his Toto/Little Feat core band and all those superb session players and singers proved a lethal mix. As you listen you pick up on Scoppa's liner notes observations – the album featured an array of cool and hip tunes tailor-made for radio. "It's Over", "Love Me Tomorrow" and "Lido Shuffle" were all potential hits – in fact it often feels like SD is a whole album full of them. The three live cuts capture a moment of Yacht Rock emerging from its 1974/1975 gestation-period and now out in the open for all to enjoy. The audio is also good.

The 1978 follow-up LP "Down Two Then Left" came as something of a disappointment I remember even though tracks like the fab "A Clue", "We're Waiting" and the funky "Gimme The Goods" still displayed that same sound and magic.

To sum up - "Silk Degrees" is the kind of mid-Seventies slick-dick that still swings and this wicked-sounding 2007 CD Remaster has done that beach babe a proper solid. Hand me those sunglasses please...