Rating: ** (2 stars)
Title: Sit Down Old Friend
Company: Warner Brothers
Catalog: 1826
Year: 1970
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: minor ring wear
Available: 1
Price: $10.00
S'okay, if James Taylor could take over the world with his MOR singer/songwriter sound, why not someone like Dion? Signed by Warner Brothers (coincidently Taylor's label), 1969's
"Sit Down Old Friend" was an obvious effort to capitalize on the genre. Produced by Phil Gernhard, material such as "Natural Man", "I Don't Believe My Race Is Run" and "If We Only Have Love" found Dion apparently trying to out-Taylor Taylor. Essentially Dion and acoustic guitar, the results were pretty stark. To his credit, Dion's voice remained in fine form and he came off as an accomplished acoustic guitar player (check out the bluesy "Sweet Pea"). Unfortunately, stretched over 11 tracks, the raw acoustic material (complete with a steady supply of tales of personal and societal woe), quickly began to wear on your nerves (try listening to the scat segments of "Jammed Up Blues" or "Little Pink Pony" more than once). While it was certainly a courageous move in an artistic sense (kudos for being willing to shift creative gears), imagine being stuck in a small coffee house on a Saturday night and you'll get a feel for the album. Can anyone spare a fuzz guitar solo ??? Sales were understandably
non-existent.
"Sit Down Old Friend" track listing:
1.) Natural Man (Dick Holler) - 3:34
2.) I Don't Believe My Race Is Run (Dion DiMucci - Fasce)- 2:35
3.) Jammed Up Blues (Dion DiMucci) - 4:21
4.) Little Pink Pony (Dion DiMucci) - 4:36
5.) You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover (Willie Dixon) - 3:39
6.) If We Only Have Love (Shuman - Blau - Jacques Brel) - 4:07
7.) Sweet Pea (Dion DiMucci - T. Fasce - J. Fasce) - 2:40
8.) Just a Little Girl (Dion DiMucci - Renz) - 3:03
9.) Let Go, Let God (Dion DiMucci) - 3:29
10.) King Con Man (Dion DiMucci) - 3:17
11.) Sit Down Old Friend (Dion DiMucci - Fasce) - 3:22