Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Intro To Change
Company: Abnak
Catalog: ABST-2072
Year: 1969
Country/State: Fort Worth, Texas
Grade (cover/record): NM / NM
Comments: sealed
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5708
Price: $40.00
Cost: $66.00
Without trying to sound snotty about it, John Howard Abdnor probably owes his brief musical career to the auspices and generosity of his well to do father. John Howard Abdnor Sr. was a successful Fort Worth-based business who had made a killing in the insurance business. By the early 1960s Abdnor Sr. had turned his attention to music, where as the founder and owner of Abnak Records, he enjoyed quite a bit of local success with acts such as soulster Bobby Patterson (who attended college with Abdnor Sr.'s son) and The Five Americans.
Like a good dad, Abdnor Sr. also financed son John Howard Abdnor's own musical aspirations, which included a myriad of mid-1960s releases credited to a slew of alias including Jon and Robin (Robin being his wife), Jon Abnor, Jon and the In Crowd, Jon Howard, H. Rabon and The John Howard Abdnor Involvement.
Much to my surprise, 1969's self-produced "Jon Howard Abdnor Involvement" is a fairly interesting affair. Backed by what are apparently sessions players and friends, Abdnor had a decent voice that combined with the album's sporadic horn arrangements, occasionally recalled Blood, Sweat and Tears David Clayton Thomas. If you doubt the comparison, check out the opening song 'How Do You Teach a Turtle To Fly' or 'Maintain'. Musically the set was all over the spectrum, including stabs at R&B ('I'll Come Running To You'), singer/songwriter ('J.D.') and country-rock ('Sandy, I'm Your Man'). Easily the weirdest (and longest) track was the psych-influenced 'Relaxation'. Love the bizarre nuclear explosion ending. Barely clocking in over 20 minutes in length the album sported a likeable low tech sound and feel. Abnak also released a single off of the album - 'I'll Come Running To You' b/w 'Sandy I'm Your Man' (Abnak catalog number AB-147).
"Intro To
Change"
track listing:
(side
1)
1.) How Do You Teach a Turtle To Fly (Stanley Jay Gelber) - 2:48
2.) I'll Come Running To You (J. Harris) - 2:30
3.) Pickin' Up On You (J. Harris - Ed Lively - John Howard Abdnor) - 2:30
4.) J.D. (John Howard Abdnor - Ed Lively) - 3:15
5.) Sandy, I'm Your Man (John Howard Abdnor) - 2:23
(side 2)
1.) Maintain (J. Harris - Ed Lively - John Howard Abdnor) - 5:00
2.) Relaxation (Ed Lively - John Howard Abdnor) - 6:40