Album Reviews

This lovely set of intimately arranged and meticulously recorded covers, originally issued in 2000, is precisely the kind of semi-obscure album in need of a quality all-analog reissue.

Ricki Lee shot to stardom with her self-titled 1979 Warner Brothers debut and since then, the pop-jazz-beat-hipster-singer/songwriter has had her ups and downs but she's kept a steady grip on her art. So if you didn’t like her cat-like nasal vocal style back in 1979, you’re not likely to appreciate it now—unless you’ve had a change of heart.

Count me in that category. I came to appreciate Jones only within the last few years, once I got past her clogged-nose vocalizing and concentrated on her relaxed, yet impeccably timed delivery. I also think the style better suits an older gal.

A previous album of mostly covers, the 10 inch Girl At Her Volcano (Warner Brothers 23805-1B) was an audiophile fave, despite being recorded and mastered digitally (using the 50kHz sampling and notoriously unreliable 3M system). I just played that in preparation for this review and man, is the sound annoying. The bass is deep and tight but it’s got that mechanical “on/off” quality that never translates into a real instrument, it has that repellant “ringing” quality when it gets loud and there’s no context behind the instruments, even on the live tracks. In other words it sounds just like Ry Cooder’s Bop ‘til You Drop recorded on the same machine.

This supple, intimate-sounding set surely must have been an AAA production. Jones covers Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids,” Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man,” Lennon-McCartney’s “For No One,” Charlie Chaplin’s enduring “Smile,” Winwood-Capaldi’s Traffic hit “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys,” Lerner-Lowe’s “On the Street Where You Live,” Ira Gershwin’s ‘I Can’t Get Started,” Hoagy Carmichael’s “Up a Lazy River,” George and Ira’s “Someone to Watch Over Me,” J.G. Caldwell’s “Cycles” (written for Frank Sinatra) and Bernstein-Sondheim’s powerful “One Hand, One Heart” from “West Side Story.”

The Dan opener will pull you right in, with the crystalline triangle, tightly drawn stand-up bass, bongos, piano and especially the transparent and natural-sounding vocal recording. If you were concerned about getting your sonic money’s worth from this expensive double 45rpm set, a few bars into the opener your concern will evaporate. The highlights of the set for me are Jones’ “For No One” and “Low Spark of High Heeled Boy.”

The superbly natural sound produced by this record is what spending big bucks on an audio system is all about. Set the volume appropriately and Ms. Jones’ll draw you into the studio for a personal song recital backed by a group of musician friends who sound as if they’re gathered around her supportively, even if in reality they’re placed in isolation booths.

That’s the magic of a great and intimately drawn recording. They are so few and far between these days. This is one to savor.

While some have questioned the need for this 38 minute (approximately) set to be issued as a double 45, doing so results in far cleaner vocal sibilants (among other advantages) and since the star of the outing is Jones’ voice, it’s well worth the get up every ten minute effort. As for whether it’s worth $50, only you can answer that, but I promise you won’t be disappointed by the sound. I just think for fifty big ones you deserve an insert with some credits. I have no idea who’s playing, or who engineered or where it was recorded.

As for the time I rode around L.A. with Chuck E. Weiss, stay tuned for the details!

Note: after this was written, a reader kindly alerted me to the musicians not credited on the album jacket. They include, among others: Richard Davis on bass, John Pizarelli (guitar), Peter Erskine (drums) and backup singers "Taj Mahal, Dan Hicks and Ben Folds. For $50 an insert with these credits should have been included.