Search - Johnny Bond :: Home Recordings

Charming, late-period home recordings

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 12/17/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"By the time that Country Hall of Famer Johnny Bond taped these tracks, he was only a few years from his 1978 passing. The first set, from 1972, were recorded at the home of country music historian Ken Griffis, as something of a command-performance for Griffis and country music promo man Jack Spiegel. Bond's voice was still in nice shape, and his guitar playing, augmented by the acoustic picking of Jon Guyot Smith (who also wrote the liner notes), provides wonderfully tasteful backing. By the time the second set was recorded in 1976, Bond's ability to hold notes was starting to waver. bit there was still a great deal of power and charm in his baritone.The fascinating aspect of this set is its peek at a legendary artist making music purely for enjoyment, art without even a whiff of commerce. These tapes weren't planned for commercial release, and the earlier set, in particular, is filled with wonderful impromptu moments. Bond frequently teases Guyot by calling out his solo fills with the names of other well-known guitarist, and the discussions between Bond and his tiny audience provide engaging stories about the songs, their writers and their previous singers.The set list combines many of Bond's favorites, including songs of his idol, Jimmie Rogers ("I'm Lonely and Blue"), numerous country standards, and several of Bond's best known compositions. Oddly, the 1976 session runs first (tracks 1-12), followed by the superior (and chronologically earlier) 1972 session. The track ordering is a minor point that doesn't dim the value of these rare, behind-the-scenes recordings of a country legend.3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings."