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Harlan County
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Harlan County
Current price: $14.99
Barnes and Noble
Harlan County
Current price: $14.99
Size: OS
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At his best,
was a clever songwriter, capable of reworking
,
, and
cliches into fresh, funny
. At his worst,
was cutesy and unfocused, pulling good songs into awkward detours.
, the only album he ever completed, captures
at both extremes. The laid-back, rootsy sound of
-- equal parts
-- provided a touchstone for British
, especially for
, which covered
's
and
(
's chief songwriter,
, later recorded
). Those songs aren't on 1969's
; they're from an aborted 1971 record that was to feature
as
's backing band. Instead,
is filled with unassuming, midtempo rockers and
, which are either songs about love or driving.
has a pleasant, unremarkable white
voice that, when combined with the mannered production, tends to undersell the songs, which would have benefited from grittier, committed performances. Then again, these songs aren't as good as
which deservedly became
staples. Many of these songs are well-written, particularly the off-kilter title track and
but they lack the sharp humor and hooks of the previously mentioned songs. They are of interest as a curiosity, especially for
fanatics, but
illustrates why
never became a cult artist in his own right. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine