Admittedly this is more a sampler of this album than a full review. I didn’t notice until I pulled it out of the sleeve that someone had bit a chunk out of the disc, rendering cuts one, six and seven performus non gratis. The rest of the album, another buck-fifty thrift shop gem, is a crackly, crinkly dip in a pool full of acoustic jazz, folk and blues.
My version of Ice Water opens with Pamela Brown, a sardonic take on Tom T. Hall’s largely unknown tune from the 1960’s. I tend to zoom in on one or two tunes per album and play them over and over. This is the one that catches my fancy hereabouts.
Kottke follows with A Good Egg, seemingly a polite stroll out to the porch for lemonade until he opens up with some heavy strumming in the middle 64. From there, all pretensions of gentlemenliness are set aside as he and his three band members (all named Bill) dive headlong into Tilt Billings and the Student Prince, a raucous fusion of Barbara Ann, Jaco Pastorius and irish bar band. Then suddenly, the wind whispers through the trees as Kottke solos with the beautiful All Through The Night.
With two cuts missing from side two, my version concludes with just three cuts. Of the three cuts, it’s Born To Be With You that stands out. Though not as witty or melodic as Pamela Brown, it shows the romantic side of Kottke.
BUY-O-METER
LP ($1.50 at Sal’s) Even with three cuts missing, Pamela Brown and Born To Be With You are worth the price of admission.
CD ($9.79 to $12 here) If you like what you hear here, it might be worth the investment.
DOWNLOAD doesn’t appear to be available (on Amazon, anyway)
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Played this song minutes before I walked to my wedding. It’s terrific…”Probably driving kids to school and I guess I owe it all to Pamela Brown, all my good times, all my running around.”
I’ve always liked Kottke’s take on “Pamela Brown.” Leo Kottke singing Tom T. Hall is a winning combination.