John David Souther
was among the first artists signed to
David Geffen
's
Asylum Records
imprint, joining the likes of other SoCal talents
Judee Sill
,
Jackson Browne
David Blue
, and
the Eagles
.
Souther
's on-again/off-again collaborations with fellow Detroit, MI native
Glenn Frey
began when the pair formed a
folk
duo called
the Longbranch Pennywhistle
. Their sole outing is definitely worth finding as it boasted contributions from the likes of
James Burton
(guitar),
Ry Cooder
Doug Kershaw
(fiddle),
Jim Gordon
(drums),
Larry Knechtel
(keyboards), and
Joe Osborn
(bass). For
's 1972 debut, the
singer/songwriter
enlists the aid of not only his one-time partner
Frey
, but also a few other notable names consisting of
Ned Doheny
Gib Guilbeau
(fiddle), former
Things to Come
member
Bryan Garofalo
(bass), and soon-to-be-session musician extraordinaire
Gary Mallaber
(drums).
(1972) bears the same earthy Southwestern textures that are inextricably linked to the roots of the
country
/
rock
subgenre.
"The Fast One"
commences with a midtempo rocker that bears the sonic stamp of
Guilbeau
's unmistakable fiddling.
"Run Like a Thief"
follows with a prime example of
's often underrated lyrical capacity. He draws upon sacred themes during
"Jesus in 3/4 Time"
with a feel that isn't too far removed from the
Gram Parsons
-era
Byrds
"Kite Woman"
is a love song for codependents, reiterating an understated craftsmanship within
's wordplay as he reflects on one whose "got you strung-out somewhere down the line."
"Some People Call It Music"
is marked by some superlative string work from
and
Doheny
, with the former's harmonies practically predicting the compact, rural vocals that
would adopt in fairly short order.
Joel Tepp
(harmonica) -- whose recent resume listed a guest shot on
Crazy Horse
Loose
-- provides a few greasy harp licks to the
blues
-fuelled
"White Wing."
The palpable loneliness of
"It's the Same"
and the concluding
"Lullaby"
are countered by the rocker
"How Long."
Although the latter title was initially issued by
as a single from this album, it resurfaced some 36 years later on
' reunion studio platter
Long Road out of Eden
(2007). It would become a Grammy award winner for them under the "Best
Country
Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" category. The nod reinforced an already prolific collaboration between
and the combo, as he supplied several key LP cuts for them during the '70s, including co-writing
"The Best of My Love,"
"New Kid in Town,"
and "Heartache Tonight." ~ Lindsay Planer