The Seekers
The Seekers
Marvel MLPS 3060
1965
This is the American version of the Seekers' Australian debut album originally released in 1963 as "Introducing the Seekers" on W & G records. It has different artwork and a different running order than the original album, but is otherwise identical. As I mentioned in my post on "A World of Our Own" I've been a fan of this group since childhood, but if this had been my introduction to the group I might not have become a fan. It is easily their weakest album and probably was only released here to capitalize on the chart success of "I'll Never Find Another You" which is mentioned in the liner notes. Most of the songs on the record will be familiar to anyone who is a fan of the folk revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. The group was obviously influenced by the Weavers and much of the album comes from their repertoire. All but three of the songs are traditional songs with arrangements credited to band members Judith Durham, Athol Guy and Bruce Woodley as well as Ken Ray. Ray had been the original lead singer for the group, but had left the band and been replaced by Durham. I suspect that Ray had little involvement with this album, but rather was being listed in place of the fourth Seeker, Keith Potger whose day job as a radio producer with the Australian Broadcasting Commission forbade him from being involved with outside commercial projects. Most of these traditional songs are of a spiritual or gospel nature which is not a particular favorite of mine nor do I think it really suits the band. I don't like any version of "Kumbaya" and despite a stirring vocal from Durham "All My Trials" bores me. I find the repetition of "Dese Bones G'wine Rise Again" to be tedious and the minstrel-style dialect they employ near the end of the song is embarrassing if not offensive. They fare a little better with "This Train" and "The Light From the Lighthouse" which are more dynamic although the pretty vocals aren't all that convincing. The only religious track that I really like is "When Stars Begin To Fall." The ebullience of Durham's lead vocal and the group's vocal support make this uplifting song work for me. It is one of my favorite cuts on the album. I like the three secular traditional songs for the most part. The Irish drinking song "Wild Rover" is overly familiar and the Seeker's version is competent but not particularly interesting although the vocal interplay in the chorus is engaging. "Run Come See" is a ballad from the Bahamas about a shipwreck in 1929. It is a folk song, but not a traditional one, various artists have claimed authorship of the song, but the album lists it without a songwriting credit. I assume that the Seekers learned it from the Weavers' version of the song. It is a catchy song but the performance though pleasant is a little stiff. "Katy Cline" is an old-timey bluegrass song given a robust banjo-driven performance by the group with country-inflected vocals that are surprisingly credible. It is another one of my favorite cuts on the album. The album also contains three contemporary compositions. Two come from the Weavers. Their performance of Lee Hays "Lonesome Traveler" is similar to the original and has a lot of energy. In contrast their version of Hays and Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer" is the most subdued and dull version I've ever heard. My favorite track is the only number composed by a Seeker, Potger's "Chilly Winds." It is a folk style tune with derivative lyrics, but I still find it very appealing. The vocal harmonies are pleasing and the group sings it with enthusiasm. The Seekers were a pop-folk group but I greatly prefer their pop side to their folk side. I like my folk more gritty and sensual, the Seekers' interpretations of folk songs tend to be too genteel and slick for my taste. Almost all of my favorite Seekers tracks are contemporary pop songs. Nonetheless thanks to Judith Durham's fabulous voice, I find most of their traditional folk tracks to be modestly enjoyable and I'm happy I have this record. Recommended to fans of the Weavers.
It's 2 Easy
The Easybeats
Parlophone APLP.058
1966
The second Australian album by the Easybeats. The Easybeats are by far my favorite Australian group although I'm hardly an expert on the subject. When I first got this record I was surprised to see that almost all of the songs were credited to Stevie Wright and George Young. The later Easybeat records were largely composed by Harry Vanda and George Young and of course the Vanda/Young partnership would continue long after the Easybeats broke up. For most Americans the most well-known song on this album is "Women (Make You Feel Alright)" which also appeared on the United Artists album, "Friday On My Mind," which was their American debut record and it also appears on most Easybeats comps. It is a classic good time rocker. My favorite song on the album is "You Are The Light," a delightful folk-rock song that reminds me of the Beau Brummels. I also really like "Easy As Can Be" which is catchy garage band style rock with a driving beat and a compelling hook. The percussion driven "I Can See" is another great song that builds in power reminiscent of mid-1960s the Who. "Wedding Ring" is a powerful rocker worthy of the Standells. It was a hit down under and should have been here too. "Let Me Be," "Someway, Somewhere," "Sad and Lonely and Blue" "What About Our Love" and "Then I'll Tell You Goodbye" sound very British Invasion, at their best they evoke comparisons to the early Beatles. You could argue that they are imitative, but they are done so well that I don't care. There are a few songs that vary from this style, "Somethin' Wrong" is pure garage, "In My Book" is a 1950s style romantic ballad, "Come and See Her" is rhythm and blues flavored and "I'll Find Somebody To Take Your Place" sounds like jug band music. This album is not quite as good as "Friday On My Mind" which has a punchier sound and more distinguished songwriting, but it is still a very worthwhile purchase for fans of mid-1960s rock. It might be hard to find a vinyl copy in the U.S., but it is easily available on CD. Recommended to fans of the Searchers who wish they rocked a little harder.
A World Of Our Own
The Seekers
Columbia 1722/Capitol T2369
1965
I'm not embarrassed that I'm a fan of the Seekers, but I am a little embarrassed that I'm a big enough Seekers fan that I have both the English and American versions of this album. It was their second album for Capitol Records and I believe their 4th album overall. I bought the Capitol issue first and then I came across the English version many years later. I didn't remember the track listing for the Capitol album and I knew that there were often significant differences between the Capitol and EMI issues of albums so I bought the import but in fact the only difference is that the American album has one less track and the English album has much better liner notes. There might be a little difference in the mix, the American pressing sounds a little clearer to me, but I haven't the patience to compare the two that closely. I probably ought to get rid of the Capitol album, but I like the cover picture so I keep it for now. I became a Seekers fan as a child when I fell for "Georgy Girl." It was one of my favorite songs for many years, I even would watch some of the movie just to hear it although I didn't succeed in sitting all the way through it until I was an adult. This is genteel folk-pop similar to Peter, Paul and Mary. The record was produced by Tom Springfield who had been in the similar sounding Springfields with his sister Dusty Springfield. He also wrote the title song which was a hit single and is the best song on the album. It is extremely catchy and the group's vocal harmonies are sublime. The rest of the album consists mostly of a bunch of well-known folk standards including two Dylan songs, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "The Times They Are A'Changin'." They also do Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds." Those are all great songs but the Seekers bring nothing new to them. They do a pair of traditional songs as well, "The Leaving of Liverpool" and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." The former is my second favorite song on the record and boasts one of Judith Durham's best vocals. The latter has been done a million times and I'm partial to the Patsy Cline version myself. I love Durham's voice but this version seems lackluster to me. "Allentown Jail" benefits from a more passionate vocal from Durham and she single-handedly rescues Bob Gibson's "You Can Tell The World" from folkie tedium. She takes the mike after the first verse and brings the song to life. Group guitarist and banjo player, Bruce Woodley, wrote a pair of songs for the record. I like "Two Summers" which is a lovely and moving song. It is one of the best on the record. I enjoy his "Don't Tell Me My Mind" as well but its familiar babe-I-got-to-ramble lyrics bore me. The biggest dud on this record is the old-timey instrumental "Whistling Rufus" which Capitol left off the American version of this album. The only good thing about it is that it is short. Ultimately how you feel about this album will probably depend on how you feel about Judith Durham. I like her big voice and enthusiasm. Even though I think some of the music is pedestrian, her singing makes it special. Recommended for We Five fans who don't like electric guitars.
