^^Well it doesn't matter cause I was wrong anyway, the Producer(s) Johnny Mathis had in the 50s was Mitch Miller & Al Ham, some of those albums were only produced by Mitch Miller which kind of carried into the early 60s. Clearly those guys are different to Albert Grossman which produced many of the folk acts, PP&M, Dylan, The Band & Janis Joplin.
I don't know. My first memory of Ray Stevens was Everything is Beautiful and it was one of the first singles I bought. He may have been a songwriter for other people, but I'm not sure of his background. Johnny Mathis was regarded as easy listening in the UK, despite making interesting records over many years, but had a big hit with When a Child is Born in the seventies. Even Johnny Cash was labelled 'easy listening' in the UK.
Looking at Wikipedia it appears Ray Stevens had funny songs emerging back in his heyday. His first album came out in 1962 "1,837 Seconds of Humor" which opened with "Ahab the Arab". From that early period through to his 1969 album "Gitarzan", the comedic side of Stevens was apparent. "Everything Is Beautiful" came out in 1970 which was a successful attempt to have Stevens sing something a little more serious. But then in 1974 "Boogity Boogity" came out which was more Comedy with "The Streak". Steven's version of "Misty" came out in 1975 which was made all Country.
I haven't heard it yet either, but the reviews have been good. I've fallen a bit behind on Springsteen. Didn't even hear his last album "Wrecking Ball" yet.
Heard a couple of tracks on the radio, including the title track. TBH I haven't been knocked out by them, after several listens, but there again, Brucie has set very high standards for himself.
Re; High Hopes....this 'review' is a bit late, but I haven't been around, so, my view!....
Much as I would put Bruce in my Top 5 artists of all time, and unquestionably hands-down #1 as a live performer, I’m sort of ambivalent about ‘High Hopes’….for me it lacks direction and it sounds exactly like it was advertised pre-release… as a collection of out-takes and re-recordings of songs which at some point ended up on the cutting room floor from earlier recording sessions.
For me there are 3 outstanding tracks which would not look out of place on even his best albums ….’The Wall’, which is a beautiful reflective acoustic track the likes of which I just wish Bruce did more often like he did on the Nebraska and Devils and Dust and Tom Joad albums, it's an incredibly moving song that I can't stop playing, this song is why he's a genius, he can reduce you to tears, well he pretty much did with 'The Wall'....then there's 'American Skin (41 Shots)’ which is just epic and he’s been playing live for years, and is I suppose as close as he ever came to outright controversy in his writing, and also outstanding is ‘Just Like Fire Would’ which is just fantastic old-school Bruce rock ' n roll with a tremendous hook, it's almost a kind of Son of Born to Run.
But then there’s 3 tracks which are total turkeys ….a kind of heavy-rock version of ‘Ghost of Tom Joad’ which I absolutely hate, plus the title track in which again we hear Bruce trying (and failing) to be Mumford and Sons Mk. II ….like he did a couple of times on Wrecking Ball, and finally ‘Dream Baby Dream’ which I find pointless and repetitive and not even a Bruce song, but originally by Suicide (an electro protopunk band)
To my memory this is the only time that he’s ever recorded on his albums any cover versions, and there are 3 of them here.
The other 6 tracks are all fine, if unexceptional. Few people I would think will rate this in their Top 10 or even Top 15 Springsteen albums, and inviting Tom Morello to guest on the album, with his incessant wah-wah pedal guitar, was a mistake and it mainly makes most of the album just sound alien and experimental. I loved ‘Wrecking Ball’ for the most part, but this is worse, but I am still playing it quite a lot which is always a good sign.
Best thing about it (if you got the deluxe CD edition) is the free concert DVD of the entire ‘Born in the USA’ album performed live in London’s Hyde Park last year...which is what you would expect from 70 minutes of the E Street Band...oh and his mum and his sister come on stage to dance, which is sweet.
We are promised an actual new album of all newly recorded material maybe later this year or early next, but for now I’d say I quite like ‘High Hopes’, but I find the whole thing slightly pointless. 6/10
Oh, and Bruce yet again, for about the 20th year running, easily wins the award for worst designed album CD sleeve/cover with the worst artwork, this one is so horrendous that the free concert DVD is in its own cardboard sleeve, so it doesn’t even fit into the main sleeve, so the thing just falls out onto the floor when you take off the wrapping, and then you have no clue what the hell to do with it next.
Anyway, here's my best 3 tracks.....all brilliant....
Got into the gym, showered, shaved, etc. Gotta be pretty.
12 neatly packaged songs, with your basic verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, fade format.
Everything you needed to be a garden variety, cookie cutter MTV & pop radio success, but with one exception...
Born In The U.S.A. is a really good album.
Glory Days, My Hometown and Dancing In The Dark are crap, but the rest is pretty good, with Cover Me, Downbound Train, No Surrender, I'm Going Down and the title track being great Springsteen cuts.
My favorite is Bobbie Jean. The lyric aren't deep, but the song has a poignant, melancholy feel that all comes together with the simple last lines of the song:
And I'm just calling one last time,
Not to change your mind.
But just to say I miss you baby,
Good luck, goodbye, Bobby Jean.
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