Day 163: Check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords...

Album 531/1031

The Byrds -  Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)

#	Title	Writer	Lead vocals	Guest musicians/band contributions beyond usual instruments[59]	Time
	Side 1
1.	"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"	Bob Dylan	McGuinn	Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Gram Parsons (organ)	2:33
2.	"I Am a Pilgrim"	traditional, arranged Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman	Hillman	John Hartford (fiddle), Roy Husky (double bass), Roger McGuinn (banjo), Chris Hillman (acoustic guitar)	3:39
3.	"The Christian Life"	Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin	McGuinn	JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar), Clarence White (electric guitar)	2:30
4.	"You Don't Miss Your Water"	William Bell	McGuinn	Earl P. Ball (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)	3:48
5.	"You're Still on My Mind"	Luke McDaniel	Parsons	Earl P. Ball (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)	2:25
6.	"Pretty Boy Floyd"	Woody Guthrie	McGuinn	Roy Husky (double bass), John Hartford (acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle), Chris Hillman (mandolin)	2:34
	Side 2
1.	"Hickory Wind"	Gram Parsons, Bob Buchanan	Parsons	John Hartford (fiddle), Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Roger McGuinn (banjo), Gram Parsons (piano)	3:31
2.	"One Hundred Years from Now"	Gram Parsons	McGuinn, Hillman	Barry Goldberg (piano), Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Clarence White (electric guitar)	2:40
3.	"Blue Canadian Rockies"	Cindy Walker	Hillman	Clarence White (electric guitar), Gram Parsons (piano)	2:02
4.	"Life in Prison"	Merle Haggard, Jelly Sanders	Parsons	Earl P. Ball (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)	2:46
5.	"Nothing Was Delivered"	Bob Dylan	McGuinn	Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Gram Parsons (piano, organ)	3:24

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetheart_of_the_Rodeo

Golf's verdict: Strange change of direction for the band that was making 'Eight Miles High' two years previously. This is pretty straight-laced country rock and relatively sedate. Nice to hear Gram Parsons on a few of these, but it fails to set the world alight. 

Maire's verdict: Not what I was expecting and not that interesting either.


Album 532/1031

Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi (1989)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Buffalo Stance"	Jamie J. Morgan, Cameron McVey, Neneh Cherry, Phillip Ramacon	5:42
2.	"Manchild"	Cameron McVey, Neneh Cherry, Robert "3D" Del Naja	3:51
3.	"Kisses on the Wind"		3:57
4.	"Inna City Mamma"	Cameron McVey, Neneh Cherry, Phil Chill	4:50
5.	"The Next Generation"		5:04
6.	"Love Ghetto"		4:27
7.	"Heart"		5:08
8.	"Phoney Ladies"		3:52
9.	"Outré Risqué Locomotive"	Cameron McVey, Neneh Cherry, Will Malone	5:04
10.	"So Here I Come"	Cameron McVey, Neneh Cherry, Phil Chill	4:02
11.	"My Bitch" (Bonus track)		5:26
12.	"Heart (It's a Demo)" (Bonus track)		4:52
13.	"Buffalo Stance (Sukka mix)" (Bonus track)		5:20
14.	"Manchild (The Old School mix)" (Bonus track)		5:30

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_Like_Sushi

Golf's verdict: 'Buffalo Stance' and 'Manchild' are great tracks and stand the test of time. Much of the rest, whilst fun, sounds a little dated and a bit limited by it 80s production sound.

Maire's verdict: Good album with a couple of outstanding tracks.


Album 533/1031

Dion - Born To Be With You (1975)

Side One

1. "Born to Be with You" (Don Robertson) - 6:51
2. "Make the Woman Love Me" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) - 4:33
3. "Your Own Back Yard" (Dion DiMucci, Tony Fasce) - 3:50 (produced by Phil Gernhard^[2])
4. "(He's Got) The Whole World in His Hands" (Traditional; arranged by Phil Spector & Dion DiMucci) - 3:21

Side Two

1. "Only You Know" (Gerry Goffin, Phil Spector) - 4:45
2. "New York City Song" (Dion DiMucci, Bill Tuohy) - 3:45 (produced by Terry Cashman and Tommy West^[2])
3. "In and Out of the Shadows" (Gerry Goffin, Phil Spector) - 4:18
4. "Good Lovin' Man" (Phil Spector, Dion DiMucci, A.J. Bernstein) - 3:47

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_to_Be_with_You_(album)

Golf's verdict: Apparently this was largely ignored upon release and then rediscovered and reassessed by the cogniscenti in the 1990s. Not sure what they saw in it to be honest. Spector's signature production flourishes are occasionally apparent (he definitely has a way with micing up a drum kit) and the songs and singer are pleasant enough, but if you want to listen to Dion then why not 'Runaround Sue' or 'Teenager in Love'?

Maire's verdict: Not sure why it's on the list. Run of the mill and pretty boring.


Album 534/1031

Dire Straits - Dire Straits (1978)

All tracks written by Mark Knopfler.

Side One
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Down to the Waterline"	3:55
2.	"Water of Love"	5:23
3.	"Setting Me Up"	3:18
4.	"Six Blade Knife"	4:10
5.	"Southbound Again"	2:58

Side Two
No.	Title	Length
6.	"Sultans of Swing"	5:47
7.	"In the Gallery"	6:16
8.	"Wild West End"	4:42
9.	"Lions"	5:05
Total length:		41:34

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Straits_(album)


Golf's verdict: A relatively low key debut with the exception of the exceptional 'Sultans of Swing', which I could listen to all day and which I have been trying - unsuccessfully - to master the guitar solo of for about 20 years!

Maire's verdict: I prefer Brothers in Arms. 'Sultans of Swing' is a great song, though.