Backstage Pass: Nazareth from '71 to '81

Nazareth formed in December 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, from the remaining members of semi-professional local group the Shadettes (formed in 1961) by vocalist Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet - Wikipedia. 

When Manny, and later Dan passed away in 2022, I revisited my old studio albums. Here's what I thought of them.

Nazareth (self-titled debut - November 1971)

Tracks: Witchdoctor Woman / Dear John / Empty Arms, Empty Heart / I Had a Dream / Red Light Lady (Parts 1 & 2) / Fat Man / Country Girl / Morning Dew / King Is Dead

Way back when it seemed maybe a little too diverse, but in hindsight it was a fitting introduction, it has the grinding rock, blues, country, a cover of a folk tune, a lush AOR ballad… it’s like they were setting the table for the career to come, “This is what you’re going to get from us over the decades”, next LP will be folky, following that, a rocker, etc etc.  

While the debut might not rank among their giants, it’s a solid first step, and with standouts like the soaring, King is Dead, with its riveting lyrics, gorgeous strings and harmonies (and Dan's gentle, moving leads), it has moments of brilliance.

Interestingly, Pete Agnew takes over vocals on I Had a Dream, and does well by it, his singing is appropriately smooth and mournful.

Exercises (July 1972)

Tracks: I Will Not Be Led / Cat’s Eye, Apple Pie / In My Time / Woke Up This Morning / Called Her Name / Fool About You / Love, Now You’re Gone / Madelaine / Sad Song / 1692 (Glencoe Massacre)

This one has not been well received mostly because it’s not hard rock, it’s more a bluesy, folky collection. But I've always liked it, maybe because I’m a folky myself and really enjoyed the acoustic and orchestral sounds. I dig this swampy version of "Woke Up This Morning" near as much as the rocking version on Razamanaz, and "Called Her Name" is a groovy, yearning winner. 

I see where "Madeline" has been compared, negatively, to a Badfinger ballad, yeah, so what, it's a pretty number, with a sweet 12-string guitar - it's another ace track to my ears. 

Note: Pre-Queen, Roy Thomas Baker was the producer.

Razamanaz (May 1973)

Tracks: Razamanaz / Alcatraz / Vigilante Man / Woke Up This Morning / Night Woman / Bad, Bad Boy / Sold My Soul / Too Bad, Too Sad / Broken Down Angel

While I’ll always defend Exercises, Razamanaz takes the band to whole other level and establishes their signature sound. It consistently rocks, but with a taste of the country or folk stylings they're drawn too. They cover Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man”, for example, but give it a stomping, bluesy flavor. 

Each musician is at their peak powers - focus on an individual instrument and be gobsmacked. The thumping backbone provided by Sweet and Agnew creates a formidable foundation, Charlton's skill with phrasing and motif... yeah, his licks scream, but he's as brilliant at making that guitar speak, it's a voice as strong as Dan's, both soulful, expressive and pulse pounding. 

Many fans consider it their greatest LP, and at least production wise, it might be my favorite - it has a real muscular, low-end sound, with the kind of heavy bass and drums presence I dig.

 

Loud 'n' Proud (November 1973)

Tracks: Go Down Fighting / Not Faking It / Turn on Your Receiver / Teenage Nervous Breakdown / Freewheeler / This Flight Tonight / Child in the Sun / The Ballad of Hollis Brown

The Scottish rockers 2nd release in 1973 is an outstanding follow up to the previous album, and from the first to the last, you'll not find a weak track in the lot. LnP can really sizzle, though my favorites on it are more melodic and hookier. “Turn on Your Receiver” is a countrified toe tapping rocker, while “Child of the Sun” opens with some pretty harmonies and features some slick guitar work.

And the covers are a delight, Little Feats “Teenage Nervous Breakdown”, and Joni Mitchel’s “This Flight Tonight”, which became a hit for them.  The record closes with a blistering take on Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown” - The band drenches it in feedback and fuzz, which transforms the tune into a 9-minute nightmare. (posted above).

Rampant (April 1974)

Tracks: Silver Dollar Forger (Parts 1 & 2) / Glad When You’re Gone / Loved and Lost / Shanghai’d in Shanghai / Jet Lag / Light My Way / Sunshine / Shapes of Things - Space Safari

The 3rd and final album produced by Deep Purple's Roger Glover, and though it’s not quite up to the level of "Razamanaz" or "Loud ‘n’ Proud" or the God-Tier album that came after, "Hair of the Dog", you still have plenty of head boppin' boogie blues rockers to enjoy - plus there's Dan's raspy howl and Manny's fluid guitar work to hold you, and keyboards are brought into the mix nicely. My favorite tracks? I like the spacy purr of Light My Way, which takes us to the smooth acoustics that open the catchy Sunshine. 

This is one of those records that I've come to enjoy more over the years, I've even come around on their raucous Yardbirds cover that closes the second side.

Hair of the Dog (April 1975)

Tracks: Hair of the Dog / Miss Misery / Love Hurts / Changin’ Times / Beggar’s Day / Rose in the Heather / Whiskey Drinkin’ Woman / Please Don’t Judas Me

Or as it might have been titled Heir of the Dog… as they weren’t allowed to call it “Son of a Bitch”.

Revisiting it, and boy, chills went down my spine, there’s a reason this tops many Nazareth favorite album lists. That first side is sublime, opening with the title track (one of the all-time great driving songs with a killer guitar riff and plenty of cowbell) and following that with the crunchy, bluesy “Miss Misery”.

Mine is the US version with “Love Hurts” rather than “Guilty” (a Randy Newman cover) and I couldn’t imagine this LP without that power ballad - the track has so much heart and soul, I love how Dan’s voice strains and tears through it… which adds such an emotional punch. The A side closes with “Changing Times”, which reviewer Donald A. Guarisco calls “a throbbing hard rock tune driven by a hypnotic, circular-sounding guitar riff.”

Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, the flip side opens with the rocking/spacy twin offering Beggars Day (a cover of the Crazy Horse song) and Rose in the Heather.

For me, it loses a tiny bit of steam with “Whiskey Drinking Woman”, but it rebounds with the synth laced closer, a 9-minute opus titled “Please Don’t Judas Me”, which is a mournful funereal march that sees the band indulging their experimental side.

Guitarist Manny Charlton took on the role of producer from Roger Glover and he starts with a bang. You can’t ask for a better production debut than “Hair of the Dog” - it’s simply one of the greats, Nazareth or otherwise.

Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll (March 1976) 

Tracks: Telegram / Vicki / Homesick Again / Vancouver Shakedown / Born Under the Wrong Sign / Loretta / Carry Out Feelings / Lift the Lid / You’re the Violin

It opens decently, with the ambitious Telegram and the poppy blues ballad, Homesick Again, but after that… 

There's some good play here from the band, and Dan's in fine voice, but it's missing a certain spark - songs that are almost there... but not quite. It has its fans, but I can't number myself among them.  It’s simply not as focused and memorable as the previous masterpiece or those that will come after.  

Play ‘n’ the Game (November 1976)

Tracks: Somebody to Roll / Down Home Girl / Flying / Waiting for the Man / Born to Love / I Want to Do Everything for You / I Don’t Want to Go on Without You / Wild Honey / L.A. Girls

Instrumental hooks a plenty - from Manny's repeated riff on the first track to Agnew's steady strutting bass line in Waiting for the Man (which is accompanied by a slide guitar that adds a creepy, cool vibe). The chugging, constant rhythms and ear catching musicianship are the albums strength; it's weakness?  Frankly, it sinks at the end with lumbering covers of the Drifters and Beach Boys. While L.A. Girl injects a little adrenaline into the LP, it's a minor effort. In total, Play 'n' the Game's a decent offering that fades at the point when it desperately needed a singular knockout track (like Hair of the Dog), or a breathtaking epic (on par with Hollis Brown), the type that would have rocketed it towards the stratosphere. That said, "Somebody to Roll" and "Waiting for the Man" are -al bacio-

So, while 1976 proved to be hit 'n' miss for me, the guys will find the heat the following year.

Expect No Mercy (November 1977)

Tracks: Expect No Mercy / Gone Dead Train / Shot Me Down / Revenge Is Sweet / Gimme What’s Mine / Kentucky Fried Blues / New York Broken Toy / Busted / Place in Your Heart / All the King’s Horses

Expect No Mercy cooks, and it’s the shot in arm I needed from these guys - Charlton’s killer licks, accompanied by frantic rhythms, bass and drums, and Dan using all his snarling vocal powers to great effect gets the album off to a thunderous start. There are catchy rock ballads too, like “Shot Me Down”, which appeals to the hook loving Beatles fan in me. And they haven’t abandoned their love of country, as heard in their bluesy cover of Harlan Howard’s “Busted”. And you get a taste of both in the poppy, western flavored “Place in Your Heart”. (Really, it sounds like the kind of song John and Paul would have written for Ringo, if Ringo had Dan’s range).

At 36 minutes total, with only 1 track exceeding the 4-minute mark, the album is lean and to the point, in gets in, kicks your butt and leaves you wanting more. Listening to this brought back a lot of happy memories.

No Mean City (January 1979)

Tracks: Just to Get into It / May the Sunshine / Simple Solution (Parts 1 & 2) / Star / Claim to Fame / Whatever You Want Babe / What’s in It for Me / No Mean City (Parts 1 & 2)

Nazareth closes the 70s with a bang. And a new member is added to the core lineup, guitarist Zal Cleminson. So yeah, this is guitar heavy rock that continues what the previous one started, you even get another metal -see what I had painted on the side of my van- style cover. 

Along with the dirty, driving blues (Claim to Fame and What's in It for Me - are two that find a groove and repeat it like a mantra), they also serve up a plate of snappy pop (Whatever You Want Babe) and include a mid-tempo power ballad that shines brightest of all (“Star” - a personal favorite). 

City's popular among critics and fans -one of the perennial Top Fivers- and though I don't rank it as high as Mercy, I agree that it was another jewel in the band's crown. 

Malice in Wonderland (February 1980)

Tracks: Holiday / Showdown at the Border / Talkin’ to One of the Boys / Heart’s Grown Cold / Fast Cars / Big Boy / Talkin’ About Love / Fallen Angel / Ship of Dreams / Turning a New Leaf

Malice is pure AOR, not since Exercises have they strayed this far from their grinding, crunchier sound.

I loved this album when it was released, I listened to it a lot, and the video for Holiday was a welcome mainstay on MTV - Of the music that defined 1980 for me, Nazareth was joined by Queen (The Game), Pat Benatar (Crime of Passion), Devo (Freedom of Choice) and bittersweetly, John Lennon’s LP return after a 5-year break (tragically marked by his murder 3 weeks later).

But how does it hold up? Pretty well, though admittedly after listening to Expect No Mercy and No Mean City it’s jarring to jump from those into this. It can sound overproduced, and plastic in spots (Talkin About Love), but it’s grand ear candy, with nice harmonies, and at least one classic power ballad (Hearts Grown Cold… though Fallen Angel is pretty darned good too). It might not be traditional Nazareth, but in terms of craft, of songwriting, arrangement and instrumentation it’s one of their finest.

It also boasts my favorite Nazareth cover - designed by Amy Nagasawa, the mannequins lend it a strange, otherworldly quality, and it captures a story we’re not privy too, where a blazing fire interrupts an outdoor party… the who, what, and whys swim in my head when I stare at that beaut?

The Fool Circle (February 1981)

Tracks: Dressed to Kill / Another Year / Moonlight Eyes / Pop the Silo / Let Me Be Your Leader / We Are the People / Every Young Man’s Dream / Little Part of You / Cocaine (Live) / Victoria

The Fool Circle was the last Nazareth album I ever bought, and I don’t have any strong memories of it, other than that weird cover. Critic Dave Marsh hated it, and it doesn’t seem to rank high among fans. Revisiting it, there are some good tracks, I like the poppy “Little Part of You”, by Manny Charlton, and some of the reggae sounds thrown in there are cool (it was recorded in George Martin’s studio on the island of Montserrat and bassist Pete Agnew feels that setting might have contributed to that). It’s a political album, and a rather minor effort from the band… but not a train wreck. It wouldn’t make my top 10, 

But for those that do...

#1. Hair of the Dog

#2. Loud ‘n’ Proud

#3. Expect No Mercy

#4. Razamanaz 

#5. Malice in Wonderland

#6. No Mean City 

#7. Rampant

#8. Exercises 

#9. Nazareth 

#10. Play 'n' the Game

Here’s another man’s opinion.

I love how it’s vinyl he’s displaying - not that I have anything against CDs, I have a lot of CDs, but with Nazareth I still only have my original records. I love the packaging of these things, the large size looks so nice what with the art, and with Naz vinyl just feels right, they should be on vinyl (though again, not a hater of other formats, in fact there’s probably some remasters that make them sound all the better).

And that’s the end of my journey - lets close with a last look at the founding four. 

Darrell Sweet (May 16, 1947 - April 30, 1999) * Manny Charlton (July 25, 1941 - July 5, 1922) 

Dan McCafferty (Oct 14, 1946 - Nov 8, 1922) * Pete Agnew (Sept 14, 1946 - Present)

Backstage Pass: Melanie from '68 to '79

Melanie Safka - February 3, 1947 - January 23, 2024

I was heartbroken by the news of Melanie's passing and have been listening to my old records and sinking into happy memories. I heard her a lot on that old transistor radio I had as a kid in the 70s and while this blog is dedicated to Alice Cooper, I thought I'd post a few words on other artists I like, maybe in the form of a list, maybe a few thoughts on the LPs I own, just to get them out of mind and on paper (so to speak).

Melanie's big break came at 1 AM, on a rainy night at Woodstock when the band who was supposed to play, refused to do so due to the weather. So she went on their stead, the audience raised candles (which inspired one of her greatest hits) and history was made. While I've checked out other releases on Spotify, I'm going to write about the studio albums I own from the late 60s through the 70s.

All songs written by Melanie, except where indicated

Born to Be (November 1968)

Tracks: In The Hour / I'm Back in Town / Bobo's Party / Mr. Tambourine Man (Dylan) / Momma Momma / I Really Loved Harold / Animal Crackers / Cristopher Robin (Is Saying His Prayer) (A.A. Milne w/Safka) / Close to It All / Merry Christmas 

Looking at old reviews, and yeah, I guess in 1968 it would sound as if Melanie was searching for a musical identity, swinging from tunes like Momma, Momma (with heavy lines like, "Sometimes I feel my life has come and gone - I live in this world, but I'm only looking on") to her goofing-around-singing on Animal Crackers - but in 2024, we know that this was her musical personality, the playful and the introspective, the childlike and the thoughtfully sober. It's what made Melanie, Melanie, it's what made her special. I think this is a fantastic debut - the first song impresses right off the bat, and its steady right down the line. Bobo's Party, Momma, Momma and I Really Loved Harold are the musical/lyrical highlights for me. And I find Christopher Robin sweet and charming. Merry Christmas is the closest thing to a skipper but for the most part, "Born to Be" is a winner.

Melanie (October 1969)

Tracks: I'm Back in Town / Tuning My Guitar / Soul Sister Annie (Kaye) / Any Guy / Uptown Down, Again / Beautiful People / Johnny Boy / Baby Guitar / Deep Down Low / For My Father / Take Me Home

As good as the first is, the second is even better, folky but soulful, a near perfect collection, my only complaints, some of the fade outs are too abrupt, and in spots, she’s not as disciplined vocally as she’ll become (for example, she’s just yelling by the end of Tuning my Guitar... which is nevertheless, one the albums best). Favorite track? Baby Guitar, anyone who thinks of her as this frivolous childlike hippy, should listen to this darkly surreal piece with its haunting instrumentation and evocative vocals... according to something I read at Songfacts, she didn't enjoy performing this "freaky" number very often, but she made an exception for an appearance on the Johnny Cash Show.

Candles in the Rain (April 1970)

Tracks: Candles in the Rain / Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) (accompanied by the Edwin Hawkins Singers) / Carolina in My Mind (Taylor) / Citiest People / What Have They Done to My Song Ma / Alexander Beetle (Safka, A.A. Milne) / The Good Guys / Lovin' Baby Girl / Ruby Tuesday (Jagger, Richards) / Leftover Wine

A game changer, a real breakout, her first gold album, with a top 10 hit (Lay Down) and fan favorite and radio mainstay, Look What They’ve Done to my Song, Ma. She's showing a lot of growth and maturity as an artist and singer... and yes, Melanie always had an expressive voice and great range, but it's in full bloom on this, one of my favorite releases from her - I even like Alexander Beetle, which is a sweet counter to the more painful pieces that address the difficult sides of the music industry, or her empathetic look at the damage city living can have on a soul (the lovely ballad, Citiest People). 

With its children's poems, hopeful anthems and looks at human nature (The Good Guys) - from the fantastic guitar picking and energetic strums of Lovin' Baby Girl to the vulnerability in Leftover Wine, "Candles" is a knockout. Last but not least, Lay Down is simply phenomenal, sweeping, inspiring, a singular listening experience. 

The Good Book (January 1971)

Tracks: Good Book / Babe Rainbow / Sign on the Window (Dylan) / The Saddest Thing / Nickel Song / Isn't It a Pity / My Father (Collins) / Chords of Fame (Ochs) / You Can Go Fishin' / Birthday of the Sun / The Prize / Babe Rainbow (Reprise)

I used to consider this a step below the first 3, but revisiting it, it’s aged amazingly well, this is as good as anything she's done - looking over its wiki page, Cashbox considered it her best recording to that point, praising the maturity, vision and craft of the songwriting, arrangement and production, and they're not wrong, though Candles is still my #1. There are some nice covers (Dylan, Phil Ochs and especially the beautiful rendition of Judy Collins My Father) and some nice guitar work, Hugh McCracken plays the classical, Vinnie Bell on electric, Melanie herself plays a nylon guitar and banjo. The Saddest Thing is my favorite track for the plaintive melody and vocals. Nickle Song gave her a modest hit, ranking 35th on the Billboard Hot 100, 25th on Cashbox, I like the razor-sharp lyrics that once again speak to the business of music and fan expectations.

Gather Me (October 1971)

Tracks: Little Bit of Me / Some Day I'll Be a Farmer / Steppin' / Brand New Key / Ring Around the Moon / Ring the Living Bell / Railroad / Kansas / Some Say (I Got Devil) / Center of the Circle / What Wondrous Love (Arranged and adapted by Melanie) / Baby Day / Tell Me Why (Edwards, Parish, Spaeth)

A new career path, making music for her own label - and right out of the gate she has her biggest selling LP, with her only #1 single, Brand New Key, which was a doubled edge sword as that’s the song everyone knows, but it seems to overshadow every other accomplishment, to the point where she’s sometimes thought of as a 1 hit wonder. It’s a sweet little novelty, I do like the number, bought the single when it was released and played it over and over (it was even used that way in an inspired, dark, Kids in the Hall sketch), but there are other treasures on the record that display some lofty and varied songwriting, with the mournful ones my favorites - Little Bit of Me, Railroad (the section where she sings "Write it down now" in that small, fragile voice, coupled to sad/pretty music/instruments, simply takes my breath way) and Some Say (I Got Devil), is, wow, powerful - that one lingers long after it's over. The hippy folkster is represented in Baby Day, the soulful seeker of truth in the gospel-like, Living Bell - so all facets of Melanie are found in this gem of a record.  

Garden in the City (November 1971)

Tracks: Garden in the City / Love in My Mind / We Don't Know Where We're Going (De Vorzon & Botkin Jr.) / Lay Lady Lay (Dylan) / Jigsaw Puzzle (Jagger & Richards) / Don't You Wait by The Water / Stop! I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore (De Vorzon & Botkin Jr.) / Somebody Loves Me (MacDonald, DeSylva, Gershwin) / People in the Front Row

The infamous scratch and sniff record. See that little yellow oval on the bottom of the cover? It reads… “Rub gently to release the magic of Melanie’s Garden.”, which is hilarious.

Melanie's discography can be rather confusing - LPs were retitled and repackaged (in the 90s and up, there were a lot of re-recordings), and you had her old company (Buddha) releasing compilations and unreleased tracks sold as new, when they weren’t, nor were they approved by the artist. Garden, then, is a mélange of older tunes, with a few songs from a movie soundtrack (R.P.M.) tossed in to fill it out (it only runs 28 min). It’s why it doesn’t have a unified sound - despite this, its listenable material, there’s some good music here, like the pretty, acoustical Love in My Mind, and the groovy People in the Front Row.

Another they released in 1971 was Please Love Me 

This one also includes the 2 songs from the R.P.M. soundtrack, as well as the 7 she did for the 1970 movie “All the Right Noises” - there's a couple dibs and dabs (an early single from 1968, “God’s Only Daughter”, and a different version of “In the Hour” from her debut). While she wasn’t fond of doing movie work, the music is pleasant, especially the pretty, Pebbles in the Sand.

Tracks: Please Love Me (All the Right Noises) / In the Hour (ATRN) / Getting Out (ATRN) / Momma, Momma / Save The Night (ATRN) / Please Love Me (Instrumental) / Ears to The Ground (ATRN) / We Don't Know Where We're Going (R.P.M.) / Pebbles in The Sand (ATRN) / Stop! I Don't Wanna Hear It Anymore (R.P.M.) / God's Only Daughter (1968 single)

Stoneground Words (October 1972)

Tracks: Together Alone / Between the Road Signs / Summer Weaving / My Rainbow Race (Seeger) / Do You Believe? / I Am Not a Poet (Night Song) / Stoneground Words / Song of the South, based on a Theme from Song of the North, adapted from the original / Maybe I Was (A Golf Ball) / Here I Am / Bonus Songs: Bitter Bad / Seeds

This was planned as an ambitious double album, that sadly was cut down to a single, but -silver linings- it's a hell of a single. It, and the following album, were an attempt to pull away from the commercialism of Brand New Key and shoot for a more serious mood and sound, and that's established from the opening track (the terrific Together Alone). That's not to say there aren't radio friendly hooks, the chorus to Do You Believe traveled with me through the day after hearing it just once. You also get a song titled Maybe I Was (A Golf Ball), and that'll put a grin on your face (though the tune itself is more solemn than you'd expect).

I really admire the musical arrangement on the album, the way the keys, strings, acoustic guitars, etc., with backing vocals, move in and out and around one another. So much to delight the ear, so many pieces to focus on and enjoy.

The last 2 numbers are unique to the 2015 CD (Seeds was a non-album single released in 1973), and while the upbeat Bitter Bad is a bit out of synch with what came before, I really dig this funky, twangy thing (and she says "Y'all", ha, took me back to my Nashville days). So yeah, Stoneground is another goodie, and its sister album...?

Madrugada (March 1974)

CD Tracks: Love to Lose Again / Lover's Cross (Croce) / Pretty Boy Floyd (Guthrie) / Wild Horses (Jagger, Richards) / I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Newman) / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Goffin, King) / Maybe Not for a Lifetime / Holding Out / The Actress / Pine and Feather / I Am Being Guided

The U.K. version had 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', instead of 'I Am Being Guided'. The CD includes both.

Melanie decided to take a break to be with her newborn daughter; during this time her husband collected the remaining tunes from the Stoneground sessions and released them under the title, Madrugada (a Portuguese word meaning between midnight and dawn, according to the liner notes)

Considering the circumstances, the similarities with Stoneground aren't surprising. This too has a toned down, earnest vibe. It does leans heavy on the covers, but most of those matches well with the others.

I should point out that I prefer the original US LP order, Pine and Feather works better as a closer, and while she does good work on WYLMT, it doesn't really fit.

This is, yet again, an astonishingly good album, it's a wonder how she's maintained this excellence early on, it's a wonder she's not universally praised for it. Hell of a run, and it's not over yet.

Before she died, Melanie worked on restoring Stoneground to what she envisioned it to be, a double album, with a different track order. The results of these efforts were released in May 2024. I'm so used to the originals that I admit to having struggled with this order, the songs are great of course, but disc 1 just didn't jell (I prefer Together Alone as an album opener, Wild Horses doesn't fit at track 3). The blend is better on the second disc, where Pretty Boy Floyd gets that side off to a rousing start.

Disc 1 - Here I Am / My Rainbow Race / Wild Horses / Summer Weaving / Between the Road Signs / Together Alone / Maybe Not for A Lifetime / I Am Being Guided / I Think It’s Going to Rain Today / Maybe I Was A (Golf Ball) / The Actress  

Disc 2 - Pretty Boy Floyd / Lovers Cross / Song of the South / I Am Not a Poet / Pine and a Feather / Stoneground Words / Do You Believe / Holding Out / Love to Lose Again / Here I Am (solo acoustic)

As I See It Now (December 1974)

Tracks: Yankee Man / You're Not a Bad Ghost, Just an Old Song / Record Machine / Eyes of Man / Stars Up There / Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Dylan) / Sweet Misery / Monongahela River / Yes Sir, That's My Baby (Kahn/Donaldson) / Autumn Lady / Chart Song / As I See it Now

It sets the tone by opening with a country song and then continues along those lines with twangy guitars and twangy singing - a couple of detours are heard on the way - the chorus of the Eyes of Man makes me think of the Caribbean, and Chart Song is one of her moving ballads. The album has its familiar qualities - she returns to Dylan with a slowed down take on Don't Think Twice; and writes about the music industry and the frustrations of the artist (Record Machine and Chart Song).

The contrasts can be interesting, Sweet Misery isn't a misery, and is rather fun, it's the following track, Monongahela River, where you find the lyrical gloom ("Some kill themselves living - Others get killed for trying"), but these two sides of Melanie are ace. 

All told, there are highs (Yankee Man, Chart Song), and lows (Yes Sir...), but when you add it all up, it's another notch on her belt.

Sunset and Other Beginnings (October 1975)

International Tracks: Perceive It / Almost Like Being in Love (Lerner, Lowe) / Loving My Children / You Can't Hurry Love/Mama Said (Holland, Dozier, Holland / Dixon & Denson) / People Are Just Getting Ready / Ol' Man River (Kern, Hammerstein) / I've Got My Mojo Working (Foster) / Where's the Band / Dream Seller (Meet Me On The Corner) (Clements) / What Do I Keep (Lipsitz, Devorine) / Sandman / The Sun And The Moon / Afraid Of The Dark

US Tracks: Perceive It / I've Got My Mojo Working / Loving My Children / Almost Like Being in Love / What Do I Keep / Afraid of the Dark / Where's The Band / You Can't Hurry Love/Mama Said / Sandman / People Are Just Getting Ready / Dream Seller (Meet Me on The Corner) / The Sun and The Moon

Aside from Perceive It (which reminds me of Cat Stevens) this is the first time I was flat out disappointed in a Melanie record. The songwriting and production, the covers, it all leaves me cold. There are two different versions of the record, the US release eliminates Ol' Man River (no loss) and rearranges the order (a shade better, but still...) Not a lot to say about this record, so I'll just move on to the next.

Photograph (1976)

Tracks: Cyclone / If I Needed You / The Letter (Carson Thompson) / Groundhog Day / Nickel Song - Music! Music! Music!" (Weiss & Baum) / Photograph / I'm So Blue / Secret of the Darkness (I Believe) / Save Me / Raindance / Friends and Company

2005 bonus material from "Double Exposure" reissue: Groundhog Day (10-min version) / Cyclone (alt version) / Secret of the Darkness Pt. 1 / Secret of the Darkness Pt. 2 / Unfinished Business (Selma Version) / Whamp Bhomp Song / Ruby Tuesday (Jagger, Richards) / Love to Live Again / Here We Go Again / Jukebox Magazine / Miranda (Ochs) / Unfinished Business (West Version) / Remember Me Good / Over the Rainbow (Arlen & Harburg)

An album that Atlantic pulled and refused to re-release (Someone pissed off somebody - thankfully, Rhino fought and fought and got the rights to distribute it, nearly 30 years later). The record came highly praised, but I wasn't sure, the first track was so slick, and those synths? But damned if it didn't get under my skin, and I was quickly won over by it and the following power ballad (If I Needed You). Unfortunately, the CD briefly lost momentum - The Letter is a skipper, and I didn't really need this new version of Nickle Song, I even reached a point where I put those two and Groundhog Day to the side and replaced them with the country, blues flavored Remember Me Good and the 10-minute version of Groundhog Day, which is extraordinary - at times gentle, then a real pulse pounder (love the drums). 

Other notables, the pretty guitar work (Save Me), the world-weary, emotion filled vocals (several) and Raindance sees her belting it out impressively. 

Bonus material was mostly fair (aside from the 2 jewels mentioned above), but I'm happy to have 'em.

Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face (March 1978)

Tracks: Knock On Wood (Floyd, Cropper) / Bon Apetite / Spunky / Runnin' After Love / We Can Work It Out (Lennon, McCartney) / I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love (Sager, Allen) / Let It Be Me (Becaud, Curtis) / Yankee Man (Winchester) / Record People / California Dreamin' (Phillips, Phillips)

And it's back to blah. Middle of the road, soft rock blandness, with too many weak covers and Melanie just not sounding like her hearts in it. Record People is about the only thing I can muster any enthusiasm for.

Live Albums From this Period?

Leftover Wine (September 1970) / Melanie at Carnegie Hall (October 1973) / Ballroom Streets (January 1979 - recorded live in the studio, with a small audience) / (Also, In Concert – Live at Montreux, 1973 - a Germany and Yugoslavia-only release)

There were also several compilation albums, the most ambitious was The Four Sides of Melanie (1972), in which each side covered a different aspect of her career at that point. Side A was the formative years, Side B, the commercial (which included a 7 min version of Lay Down), Side C, the cover songs, with Side D emphasizing her imaginative, empathetic qualities. (track list here) 

The colorful covers could be folded into a cube and hung as a mobile. 

The 80s? I've sampled a few and might dig deeper into those and others at a later date. But for now, that's it. 

Rest in peace Melanie, you gifted the world a lot of beautiful music and made my life a little better and brighter.