- Laurie Kaye Cohen -- vocals

- none known

Genre: pop

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Under the Skunk

Company: Playboy

Catalog: PB-111

Year: 1973

Country/State: U

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: strange 'cap' sleeve; minor ring and edge wear; tear on cover where there must have been a promo sticker; white promo inner label; original Playboy inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: n

Price: $15.00

???  This one's a complete mystery to me.  I found a couple of brief on-line reviews, but naturally they were both in Japanese so they didn't do me much good.  In case anyone cares, one of the sites had a copy for sale at roughly $80.00.   I'll also mention that the inner sleeve art work is a little disturbing - a naked Cohen in a straw covered barn surrounded by largely disrobed female mannequins.  Course part of that may be a result of the name.  Naming a guy 'Laurie Kaye' probably wasn't the best choice a parent could make.  

Produced by Jay Sentar, 1973's "Under the Skunk" was recorded in Hollywood and London.  Whoever Cohen was, given the all-star cast of studio pros providing support (Jim Gordon, Larry Knechtel, Leland Sklar, etc.), he certainly had some connections and impressive financial backers.  In spite of the cover art, most of these twelve original tunes were best described as heavily orchestrated singer/songwriter pop.  Cohen had a decent, if largely anonymous voice that probably would have been better suited in a starker setting since Mike Melvoin's arrangements all but swallowed him up on tracks like 'Don't Cry', 'Whitney' and 'Father'.  About the closest comparison that comes to mind would be a third tier Randy Newman.  Like Newman on material like 'The Big Boy In the Sky' and 'The No. 2 Tub' Cohen seemed to picture himself as having a keen, insightful and clever world vision.  The preponderance of sensitive singer/songwriter songs also quickly gave the album a sound alike quality that was a major turnoff.  Simply because it sported one of the few upbeat tempos, the highlight was 'Weekend Woman'.

"Under the Skunk" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Don't Cry   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

2.) Whitney   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

3.) Father   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

4.) The Big Boy In the Sky   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

5.) Delilah   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

6.) The No. 2 Tub   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

(side 2)
1.) Weekend Woman   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 
2.) Would You Like To Make a New Friend Today   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

2.) The Road To Heaven   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

4.) Boogie   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

5.) Ain't Nobody ever Satisfied with a  Dream   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) - 

6.) Shall Be Saved   (Laurie Kaye Cohen) -