Don Everly 1970 debut album is a real gem!

Just picked this record up and while I admit I'm not an Everly Brothers fan, this record just took me by surprise. The guest players listed on this one made my head spin and I had to give it a chance based on that alone. It's just a really nice surprise and a very fine album with great sonics to boot.

Funny that Allmusic don't even review, let alone rate this or his other solo albums. As I mentioned, even if you're not an Everly Brothers fan but like the idea of, say, a less polished JD Souther with a great band, you should check this out if you ever come across it.

I think his solo stuff went out of print fairly quickly and don't see them in the record bins that often-at least the first one on the Ode label but I kick myself for not picking this up sooner.

 

Fine album, very much in the "cosmic country" vein. Second album, Sunset Towers wasn't bad either.

The overlooked gem in brother Phil's catalogue is the s/t from 1981. Definitely influenced by Dire Straits/Rockpile and had a UK hit with "She Means Nothing To Me", which he sang with Cliff Richard. Seems the success of this one indirectly led to the Everlys reuniting, but none of their reunion albums had a track as great as "She Means.."

 

It's good. But I'd take issue with the statement that none of the reunion material was as good as "She Means". McCartney's "Wings of a Nightingale" was pretty fine.

Incidentally, "She Means Nothing to Me" was written by John David, who helmed the excellent and under-appreciated group Airwaves on A&M, and who played with Dave Edmunds early in Edmunds' career.

 

Always enjoyed "The Eyes of Asia" from that album.

 

Lovely one. Also like SAFARI very much.

Overall a good album, tho the one track that turns me off is Don't Driink the Water. "You can smell the human waste" !

 

BTW Don Everly + Sunset towers is on a Raven 2fer

Phil's STAR SPANGLED SPRINGER was recently issued on cd on Wounded Bird. I'd never heard it as an album before, just some of the tracks. Pretty good album!

 

Interesting comp. Hows the sound on that Raven 2fer? The debut vinyl is just fantastic.

 

I'm not a forum audiophile, and haven't listened for awhile, but it's good value, with a bonus track. I do recall hearing a few vinyl pops on the cd..