By 1969,
the 5th Dimension
were peaking in popularity and artistic success. Fresh on the heels of
The Age of Aquarius
,
The July 5th Album
is a compilation of B-sides and album cuts from their previous albums, no doubt intended to eke out some mileage from the back catalog while the gettings were good. And while the album does have a "warmed over" leftovers air to it, there are some standouts. As funny as it first seems to hear
's light-as-air California
pop-soul
sound applied to the
Cream
classic
"Sunshine of Your Love,"
it's really a vibrant, richly sung cover. The best tunes on the album are those where the
R&B
grit level is turned up a few notches, whether it's the Wall of Sound arrangement of
"It'll Never Be the Same Again"
or the more groovy
Memphis soul-ish
"Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya."
If anything, their soulfulness is more apparent on this compilation than their popular A-side hits might suggest. By its nature,
is a scattered, inconsistent affair. Yet, with arrangers like
Jimmy Webb
Bones Howe
Bob Alcivar
, and
Johnny Rivers
at the helm, plus notable studio pros like
Hal Blaine
on the backing tracks, the level of professionalism keeps the low points (such as the cloying
"Those Were the Days"
) from being too shallow. And it's nice to hear
's multi-layered harmonies applied to classics like
"Let It Be Me"
and Johnny Rivers'
"Poor Side of Town."
Still, it's hard to justify this album for anyone but completists. None of the best-known hits are here, and even hardcore fans are likely to scoop up the other tracks on the original albums. ~ Jim Esch