The Beau Brummels
Warner Bros. Records W1644
1966
This is a mono pressing of the disastrous third album by the Beau Brummels. The band had previously recorded two very fine albums for the independent San Francisco record label Autumn Records, "Introducing the Beau Brummels" and "The Beau Brummels, Volume 2," which had established them as one of the best new bands in America. They were in the process of recording a third album for Autumn (which has appeared on archival releases by Sundazed) when Warner Bros. Records acquired the Autumn roster. Based on those archival releases I think the third album might have been the Brummels' best and certainly would have solidified the band's artistic standing. Warner Bros., exhibiting the typical taste and insight of corporate record companies, chose to shelve that album (supposedly over publishing conflicts.) Instead they forced the Brummels to record this album of covers apparently attempting to turn them into Dino, Desi and Billy. This might have destroyed a lesser band, but they were too talented to be denied and recovered to produce the excellent "Triangle" and "Bradley's Barn." For a long time I resisted buying this product of record company greed, but I love the Brummels so much that eventually I succumbed to curiosity and a desire to hear Sal Valentino sing a song I had not heard before. I was pleasantly surprised to find the album enjoyable for the most part although I still bitterly resent that it was ever recorded. Given that the band's original sound was a mixture of British Invasion and folk-rock, it is no surprise that 8 of the 12 tracks fit into those two categories. They do extremely well with the two Beatles covers. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is right in their wheel house and they knock it out of the park. Valentino's vocal is fabulous and I find the song exhilarating, almost as good as the original. Valentino also provides a wonderful vocal for "Yesterday" which the band performs with an appealing mixture of folk-rock and chamber pop. Paul McCartney's song for Peter and Gordon, "Woman," is given a subdued performance but Valentino's resonant vocal makes me prefer it to the sappiness of the original version. The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire" seems like a great fit and it sounds wonderful aside from Ron Meagher's vocal which is too weak and mannered. I wish Valentino had sung it. I assume that Valentino had too much dignity to go anywhere near Herman's Hermits' "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter" which Meagher sings with a fake British accent. The band lethargically copies the original arrangement. It is easily the worst track on the record. The best folk-rock song is their version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" which of course was a hit for the Byrds. It is jangly like the Byrds version but a little less rocked up although it picks up energy as it rolls along. It features a strong Valentino vocal and includes the verses the Byrds omitted from the song so it has value to me even though it does not approach the kinetic thrills and beauty of the Byrds' hit version. The Brummels deliver a quiet and introspective version of the Mamas and the Papas' "Monday, Monday." Valentino's vocal is very sincere and engaging. I expected more from their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound" but it is largely uninspired. The four commercial pop tracks that make up the rest of album are a mixed bag. Their version of Sonny and Cher's vapid "Bang Bang" is the biggest surprise and one of the best tracks on the record. The song is given a dramatic chamber pop arrangement and Valentino sings the song with genuine feeling. I love it. The album is worth picking up for this song alone. The Brummels' cover of the McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" is also solid with a robust vocal from Valentino, a compelling bass riff and a frenzied guitar solo. Meagher sings lead on "Louie Louie" which suits his vocal limitations and the band delivers a perfunctory performance that reveals their lack of interest in the song. I prefer the version they cut for Autumn which appeared on the Vault Records compilation "Vol. 44." Meagher provides an amateurish vocal for Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking" which is unfortunate because I dig the band's rollicking backing track although it is a lot less distinctive than the arrangement on the hit version. Even though I despise the crass record company motivations that led to this album's existence, I have to admit that with more sympathetic handling this could have been a pretty good album. As a former bar band, these guys could play just about anything and Sal Valentino is one of my favorite singers, I'd listen to him sing anything he wants to sing. The problem is that I doubt he wanted to sing most of these songs. If this was a cover album of songs that he and the band liked, it would have more value. As it is I enjoy about half of it and the remainder is mostly painless. It was a mistake, but the Brummels were talented enough to still make it work. Recommended to Beau Brummels completists and fans of mid-1960s top 40 radio looking for fresh takes on songs they've heard too many times.
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