New England Music Scrapbook
Ian and Sylvia's
Great Speckled Bird

The one concert I most wanted to attend--ever--was the Beatles show at Suffolk Downs in the summer of 1966. But it sold out weeks in advance. So I entered a contest. Didn't win a ticket, either; but I scored a decent consolation prize--the one and only Beatles album I didn't already own. Anyway, I never heard the Beatles on this, the band's last tour. N. D. Smart was then a member of Barry and the Remains, the act that opened these shows up to and including the San Francisco appearance--the Beatles' last concert anywhere. Later, Smart was part of a very popular group, Mountain. And he was the drummer on a truly legendary album--and one of my all-time favorites--Great Speckled Bird. This was Ian and Sylvia's country-rock venture. In 1968-1969, our own super banjo player, Bill Keith, was the steel guitarist in the group. (He's versatile.)

The lineup of the Great Speckled Bird that recorded this album was made up largely of musicians you may know primarily from studio sessions. Amos Garrett played lead guitar and Buddy Cage was on steel. Ken Kalmusky played bass. And N. D. Smart was excellent on drums. David Briggs sat in on piano.

Recorded in 1970 and produced by Todd Rundgren, Great Speckled Bird is a remarkable album. Not only is it quite early in the development of country-rock, but one track, "Crazy Arms," could safely be called country-punk.--In 1970!--N.D. was back with the Great Speckled Bird a couple years later when, again, they gave us a taste of country-punk--this time on a remake of Sylvia's "You Were On My Mind"--along with the best version of "Lonesome Valley" that I ever heard.

The Great Speckled Bird album was originally released by the same company, I believe, that invented the video tape recorder. Marketing LPs was a sideline for them; and they went out of the record business shortly after this album was released--making it, so it is said, one of the rarest albums of all times. (But I have a copy.)

By this time, Ian and Sylvia's music had already gone through many changes. But even seasoned fans must have been puzzled when listening to the first track, "Love What You're Doing Child." It sounds a bit like Ian and Sylvia are fronting the Jefferson Airplane. (I had already heard the Great Speckled Bird live -- opening, believe it or not, for the Guess Who.) "Truckers Cafe" went on to become one of Sylvia's most popular solos. It appears here in its original form; and an even better live version is included as a bonus track. Canadians heard N.D.'s great drumming at the beginning of "Long, Long Time To Get Old," about a zillion times, when it was used as the intro on Ian's "Nashville North" television series. The medley of "Long, Long Time To Get Old" and "Flies in the Bottle" is among the best material on this wonderful album.

Ian Tyson is in fine voice here; and Great Speckled Bird includes some of his best singing ever, such as on the beautiful ballad, "This Dream." The LP ends with Sylvia's "Disappearing Woman," a personal favorite, and "We Sail," which has to be heard to be believed.

If there are flaws in this recording, I, for one, don't care. Great Speckled Bird is an extraordinary record. Highly recommended. -- Alan Lewis

This notice was originally published in the June 15, 2000, issue of the newsletter, Crumbs (From the Land of Cake).

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