Genre: country-rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Down that Country Road
Company: Shamley
Catalog: SS-703
Year: 1969
Country/State: Santa Monica, California
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve; small cut out hole top left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4782
Price: $18.00
Cost: $13.50
This one originally caught my attention for the label (Shamley) which recorded a couple of cool psych acts and the fact I'd never heard of this trio, nor could I find any real information on them.
Jim Bunnell, Jim Burdine and Jim Odom ... The liner notes say "They all grew up in Santa Monica, California, went to the same schools, romanced the same girls, and have been singing and playing together for almost ten years. They are all only sons, all twenty-two years old, and are as close brothers."
Produced by Norman Gregg H. Ratner, 1969's "Down a Country Road" may disappoint some in that it isn't a psych effort. That said, the set has its own particular charm. Backed by an all star collection of studio players including Jim Burton, Jim Gordon, Mac Rebennack, and Red Rhodes most of the set has an early country-rock vibe. Largely penned by Bunnell and trumpet player Wally Holmes, material like 'Raggedy Jack', 'Bittersweet' and the title track will readily appeal to Gram Parsons-era Byrds or Flying Burrito Brothers fans. The three Jims are all pretty good singers and they're harmony vocal work is nothing less than excellent. In the interests of full disclosure there are actually a couple of more rock oriented numbers that are okay ('Grabbers and Takers' and ''Girls Around the World). There are also two odd psych moments - 'Silver Chalice' starts and ends with a weird trumpet propelled vibe that's punctuated by a Gospel-ish chorus ... yeah, too weird to accurate describe. Equally bizarre, 'And Have Not Charity' sounds like a Gregorian chant that's been heavily dosed. Not ground breaking by any stretch of the imagination, but surprisingly attractive in spite of its genre limitations. There was also at least one single from the album: 'Raggedy Jack' b/w 'Love All You've Got' b/w '' (Shamley catalog number 44011).
"Down that Country Road" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Raggedy Jack (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 2:53
2.) Love Is All You've Got (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 2:49
3.) Bittersweet (Wally Holmes) - 2:18
4.) Grabbers and Takers (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 3:45
5.) Silver Chalice (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 4:57
(side
2)
1.) Down That Country Road (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 2:45
2.) Girls Around the World (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 21:45
3.) Away with Women (Wally Holmes - Jim Bunnell) - 3:01
4.) Thank You Father, Thank You Mother (Wally Holmes) - 3:20
5.) And Have Not Charity (Wally Holmes) - 2:18