Synthesis is an apt name for an album that, like its predecessor, A Scratch in the Sky, proved the Cryan' Shames to be among the most versatile mainstream pop/rock groups of the late '60s. Versatile does not mean great, though, or especially interesting, and can also mean an absence of a solid identity.
This record is more eclectic than it is exciting, though the material is well arranged and the group were accomplished harmony singers in particular. On "Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones" they get heavy; with the cover of Hoagy Carmichael's "Baltimore Oriole," they get jazz/folk-rock progressive; on "It's All Right," it's jaunty country-rock; on "First Train to California," there's an almost-self-conscious straining for an MOR AM radio hit.
The segueing together of tracks and occasional insertion of spacy instrumental and production flourishes indicate that they wanted to leave the impression of making a progressive statement. But it sounds for the most part like 1960s AM radio filler trying to get hipper with a touch of the far-out, the problem being that 1960s AM radio filler intrinsically cannot get too hip or far out.
The 2002 Sundazed CD reissue of this odd mix of sunshine pop and mild pop-psychedelia adds eight bonus tracks. No less than six of them are single versions of tracks from the LP; the other two present both sides of their 1969 single, "Bits and Pieces"/"Rainmaker," which matched a country-rock original with a Harry Nilsson cover. (Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com)
As very often, I disagree with Mr. Unterberger in large parts of his review :-). For this, the ideas on the album are simply too well implemented. The band presented here once again a good album, which was very well produced. Certainly, the Shames were not pioneers in terms of pop music of the time. Nevertheless, they very tastefully picked up trends of the time and combined them into pop music worth listening to, which was certainly better than that of some of their contemporaries. No more and no less. Enjoy!(Frank)
pass: SB1
Thanks so much for posting this! I agree with you with with regards to disagreeing with Mr Unterberger, I think he's often way too harsh. Love his books tho😊
ReplyDeleteHello Steve
DeleteYes, sometimes he is really too harsh, but he is a true expert of 60s music and often he describes the music of many albums very accurately and therefore of course rates them accurately.
For me it is often very funny if I don't agree with him in my opinion. But of course I always accept his different opinion, because music is a matter of taste. And I think that this also flows into the evaluation of music.
Mr. Unterberger is one of the most important music journalists today when it comes to (among other things) the popular music of the 60s (70s). And I appreciate his work (and of course his books) very much. In my opinion, Richie Unterberger is also one of the contemporary journalists who gives a historically socially accurate account of the music of the 60s. (Imho ;-)
But it's often fun, too, when I classify an album differently while listening to it than Mr. Unterberger does.
However, i wish you a happy lazy Sunday
Frank