Jessie Colin Young/Youngbloods recommendations

I realized/discovered last night that not only did I discard the Jessie Colin Young and Youngbloods vinyl I had when I did a semi-purge several years ago, but I also have nothing on CD except "Get Together" on a compilation. I'd love to hear some recommendations for collecting both. I'm interested in a comprehensive Youngbloods comp, or maybe that 3 album, 2 disc set, and probably JCY's Songbird and maybe Lightshine to start. Are there decent CD versions out there, or is vintage vinyl the way to go? Are the Sundazed Youngbloods mono vinyl versions good? Thanks in advance for your opinions.

 

The Sundazed "Elephant Mountain" CD is good.

 

We have a thread going on JCY somewhere, I can add that it appears the Edsel and Ridgetop CD's seem to be identical. They do sound good but are pricey as they are long OOP.

 

Just love Darkness Darkness.

 

Jesse Colin Young's On the Road is an excellent live album,especially the 12:35 version of "Ridgetop."

 

Light Shine has always been my favorite album by him. Side 1 with California Suite.....it just doesn't get any better.

 

As a solo artist i recommend his first "Together"...after that too much sugar IMHO.
With the Youngbloods you can't go wrong,but the last two are weaker(Ridge Top and Dusty)

 

(BTW, it's Jesse, not Jessie. Oops.)

 

Song For Juli, Lightshine.

 

Soul Of A City Boy on Capitol should not be missed. It is more acoustic blues in sound with only acoustic guitar so there isn't anything like Ridgetop (the song) or Song For Juli but it is one of my favorites. I bought a reissue in the mid 70s but I've never seen an original. Not sure if it ever made cd if that is your preference.

 

For Elephant Mountain you can't beat the MFSL aluminum CD. You can usually pick one up on eBay for $25-30

 

Agree with this recommendation for Soul of a City Boy, his first release in 1964 when he was in his early 20s. Just simple direct musical communication via voice and solo guitar. For my tastes, it's the record from his discography that I most enjoy.

 

Might have to check that out. Thanks, guys.

 

jesse colin young is a very difficult artist to collect.

lots of albums on lots of different labels that ccan be very hard to find.

also, i think much of it is OOP.

 

The live Ride The Wind album is one of my favourite albums. I just love how Banana switches from guitar to keyboards mid~song!

 

My recommendation for the first 3 Youngbloods albums, if still available:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-30554
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-30555
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-30556

The sound on these is better than on any other I have heard.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Youngblood-Je...1423501088&sr=1-13&keywords=jesse+colin+young
It's pricey, try to find it cheaper some where. Hey Babe is fantastic!
and
http://www.amazon.com/Youngbloods-E...F8&qid=1423500830&sr=1-3&keywords=youngbloods
This worked for me, better than the Edsel releases I had prior.

 

I have two older reissues. 1999 BMG reissue of Get Together and Elephant Mountain on one CD. And a 2007 BGO UK reissue of Get Together, Earth Music and Elephant Mountain on 2 CDs. The 1999 CD sounds pretty good but a bit shrill on the high end. The 2007 set is marked as AAD and sounds much warmer to me on my system but less detail. I too wonder what are the best sounding CDS of the Youngbloods core albums.

 

Listening to the UK 2007 CD right now. Sounds really good.

 

And there's Young's website:

http://www.jessecolinyoung.com/store.php

 

Yep Wounded Bird CD for that one.

 

I like the Edsel discs the best for the first two, the new Japan Mono/Stereo would be my second choice. For Elephant Mountain the Mofi is untouchable IMO.

 

RELATED ARTIST ALERT: Some of the better work of Michael Hurley, a Greenwich Village coffee house smartass who recorded mainly with Rounder Records, is now available on Future Days recordings. One of the titles, "HiFi Snock Uptown" was released on the Youngbloods own Raccoon Records and produced by Banana and Joe Bauer. Also consider "Have Moicy" (with the Unholy Modal Rounders, Jeffrey Fredericks and the Clamtones sitting in) and "Snockgrass" as well. "Have Moicy" may be the best place for the uninitiated to test the waters of this particular parallel universe. Christgau rated that one "the greatest folk album of the rock era", FWIW. The foregoing is provided as a public service as I was unable to find a Michael Hurley thread on this forum. BTW he was a boyhood friend of Jesse Colin Young.

 

Any chance they did Beer Sh*ts?

 

Frederick and the Clamtones did, but I don't think Hurley did. It certainly sounds like it COULD be one of his, though...