A brilliant singer/songwriter long affiliated with the California Country/rock scene, J.D. Souther was allowed to record and release this album, his first solo project, via Asylum Records and the label's founder, David Geffen. Originally released in 1972, John David Souther was recently reissued via Omnivore Recordings. The company is the music equivalent to film's Criterion. They have added deluxe liner notes to this project and recreated the original vinyl experience in collectible compact disc form. This re-issue is the first of three Omnivore is releasing on J.D. Souther
The music itself on John David Souther is a treat as we get to hear a prime collaborator of The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and more (he worked with the late Glen Frey in Longbranch/Pennywhistle) in the beginnings of his career as a singer/songwriter with ten delightful and insightful tracks like "Kite Woman," "Jesus in 3/4 Time," "Out To Sea," and "How Long," a track recorded 35 years later by The Eagles as their hit single from Long Road Out Of Eden. The project includes seven bonus tracks, with demos of "Jesus in 3/4 Time," "How Long," and two "b sides" from the project, "One In The Middle" and "Silver Blue."
John David Souther is a fantastic album and it holds up today and it's easy to see why JD went on to become a major player on the American music scene throughout the Seventies and Eighties before embarking on a successful acting career as well. If one wants to hear the origins of the country/Rock genre John David Souther is certainly a great place to start.
Editor's Note: Look for our thoughts on two other JD Souther Albums from the past in the coming weeks, 1976's Black Rose and 1984's Home by Dawn are set to hit the streets in a couple of weeks.
0 Comments