Golly I love this record. It’s all so darn good: The cover, the guitar,
the vocals. This is easily Tony’s masterpiece,
and I have a lot of Tony. Wanna know who
else loves this record? My boy. He is just about to turn one next week, and
when he was a newborn, this was the one we played
constantly to put him to sleep. It instantly
mellowed him out, and as a result, mellowed me and my wife. I've been trying to play him 200 records by
his first birthday, and it looks like we’re going to make it. This is one of them.
There has to be
something to the whole wordless singing thing that makes it so awesome. To this day I have a terrible time
remembering words to songs. This is
coming from a guy who has played and sang in bands for close to 20 years. Melodies and sounds have always impressed me
far more than words. So let’s talk about
that.
A little band
called The Free Design is all over this record.
They are best remembered for almost nothing. That, and the fact that they are
amazing. Almost every song and album these guys made is
on par with the best of the 60’s harmony groups. The only problem with them is that they are easily
the cheesiest of all of them…and that’s saying something. I have played these guys to all my music
friends and most of them look at me like I’m playing a joke on them. How can something so hokey be so good though?
First, these guys
are so sincere and perform without even a trace of irony. Say what you will about the end result, but
any lover of art, music, or performance can tell when something is coming from
the heart. Whether these guys were
singing about kites, or Canada, or hit songs, they did so in all seriousness,
and were not trying to be cute about it.
They were also
complex as hell and not afraid to go dissonant in even the loveliest of
songs. Take a listen to The Beach Boys
or The Association, and I am sure you will never hear harmonies so
delightfully, and momentarily unnerving.
I've listened to “Smile.” I've listened to “Stop Your Motor.” The Free Design was way different than its
contemporaries, and all the more cool for it. An example of this is “”With a Little Help.” I find myself missing the weird harmonies on
the Beatles version after hearing this. Wow.
What about Tony
you say? So mellow and understated, Tony
makes you forget just how talented he is.
Not only is the stuff he plays
difficult, but it is inventive. The
guitar lick in “This Guy’s In Love with You” before the modulation is outta
sight. It’s unexpected, dissonant (fitting
in with the Free Design nicely) and perfect for the song. This is primarily an easy listening record,
so it’s nice to have some surprises thrown in here and there. I always think that when these jazz guys got
to throw something weird into the song they must have enjoyed it. If the producer didn't make them take it out,
they must have been giggling about it with their other weirdo, bebop, modal,
jazz cat, friends.
His guitar tone is also
mighty fine. It’s a fairly standard big hollow
body jazz guitar sound, but you know it’s him when he plays. He also picks an electric sitar on “Love in
Every Room.” It was 1968 after all. Tremolo and delay are used sparingly on a few
numbers, but effects are not the focus.
I wonder how he got his delay.
What were guitarists using in 1968?
Probably a studio effect if I had to guess.
Play this record
for your kids. They're gonna love it. Mine does.
To me and my wife, “Warm, Wild and Wonderful" will always remind us of
the winter of 2013. Take that 1968!
Cover Note: Hilary Night drew it,
and it’s one of the best of the 60’s, and one of the best ever. The afro, the dress, and the eye makeup all
just pop so hard. The girl has a freakin’ cheetah tail too! There is also a nipple. Maybe that is why my nursing son loves this record
so much. I've also read that there is a
companion cover to another record that Night drew. I’m keeping a lookout for it.
Price paid: I actually own two
copies of this and bought them from the same local record guy on separate occasions. Both times it was only $1.00. This guy knows his records too, so I’m not
sure how I pulled one over on him twice.
I’m gonna mail the second copy to my Command Record loving buddy, that I love, Vic.
Bottom Line: Worth it for the
cover alone, but the music is stellar as well.
Get it if you like 60’s pop, jazz guitar or audiophile recordings. This is an Enoch Light record by the way.
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