Search - Jimmie Spheeris :: Isle of View/Orginial Tap Dancing Kid

A nice memory

R. Foley | New Orleans | 12/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I remember this album from my youth. What I remember, was that it was the only record I purchased that did not have a paper liner. That was before the realities of production were made plain to me or any talk of QA/QC.



But the music was soooo nice. I have been looking for a while, but the prices were insane. then I found this set. Excellent quality sound, and the music stands. Smiles all around. hey man, pass that. .Oh right ,i don't do that no more.



"

Two for the price of one

A. Butterfield | UK | 09/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, the track listing on this page is incomplete (or it was when I wrote this). It only lists the tracks from the 'Isle of View' album.

The nice thing about this CD is that you get both that album and the later 'The Original Tap Dancing Kid' album on the same disc (i.e. just the one CD). Don't be expecting two discs in the jewel case.

Jimmie Spheeris never really got famous enough to become a real legend when he was killed, though his fans may disagree. Even so, I sense a resurgence of interest in his work, and he's certainly somebody you should check out if you're a fan of the early seventies California sound.

His first album, 'Isle of View' sounds like a 'transition' album - it sounds a bit late sixties 'hippie' and a bit early seventies smooth. It's very much a 'first' album and has its rough edges, but it is very charming. The sound is largely soft and dreamy (Spheeris was never really a rocker), poetic, idealistic, a bit experimental. It's a bit like a musical time machine, if you fancy being transported back to 1971. Just light an incense stick and put on a cheesecloth shirt.

Move on to 1973 and 'The Original Tap Dancing Kid' is clearly a more polished and commercial album. The title track is a fun track that begins with a happy sounding bunch of people chattering before the music starts. It's a lively, catchy song. There are a few uptempo tracks that are mostly pretty good, though I'm not sure 'Village Vapors' entirely succeeds, and 'Sweet Wahini Mama' seems dated now. 'Shirtful of Apples' slows things down and recalls an innocent time (a not uncommon theme for Spheeris). 'Keeper of the Canyon' an 'Moon on the Water' are good examples of Jimmie's poetic, dreamy side - soft melodies that wash pleasantly over you. He was good at this sort of thing.

So this is a good value CD that's a great introduction to an obscure but unique and thankfully not yet forgotten artist."

Stuck in my head for 20 years...

sleep doc | United States | 04/23/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"eerie, unusual melodic 70's rock. I couldn't forget this album "Isle of View"

Finally found it on-line after years of blank looks at stores."