Finally, after 35 years...and you couldn't ask for more!
greyhoundude | Corvallis, OR | 07/14/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rather than writing a straight review, I'm just gonna list the bullet points:
- Tony Stratton-Smith (Founder of the Famous Charisma Label) calls L.A. TURNAROUND "one of the five best albums the label ever released." He's right.
- Bert Jansch had to buy his vinyl copy off of Ebay, since the master tapes appeared to be lost.
- Beautifully re-mastered.
- Terrific liner notes, explaining the myth/legend of L.A. TURNAROUND. Booklet includes original photos from the LP.
- Vocally the best Bert has ever sounded, in my opinion.
- "Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning" should be a folk music standard. And the updated version of "Needle Of Death," feauring Red Rhodes steel guitar, is better than Jansch's original.
- With the exception of two gorgeous instrumentals produced by Danny Thompson at an earlier session in Paris, L.A. TURNAROUND is tastefully produced by Michael Nesmith and features Nesmith's Countryside Band, along with Klaus Voorman and Jesse Ed Davis.
- Four bonus tracks, three of which are markedly different alternate versions, also produced by Nesmith. The fourth bonus track is Bert's Christmas single "In The Bleak Mid-Winter," also from 1974 and produced by Ralph McTell.
- The icing on the cake: An incredibly rare 13-minute video documentary filmed during the recording of the album, featuring recording sessions and brief informal interviews with Jansch, Nesmith and pedal steel player Red Rhodes. The film is like a very cool home movie.
- Kudos to Virgin/EMI for finally finding the master tapes (and the documentary!) for this lost gem!
- Highly, highly recommended to fans of Bert Jansch, Michael Nesmith and anyone interested in UK-based folk/rock.
"
Old Guy.
OLD GUY. | 01/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Embarrassed to say I've only recently discovered this record...have several of his other titles...all excellent...this one is superb...great sideguys as well. I'd put much of his work in the "essential" stack."
Bert is Fantastic
thinkofaname | 10/07/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Excellent album, whether your an old Bert fan or just a beginning listener, this one is good for your collection. Hey, get all of Berts, I do."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1