Record basics

Album name: I’m A Lover, Not A Fool
Artist name: Randy Burns
Year: 1972
Number of discs: one
Label: Polydor
Collection: Brenner / Gessner
Who owned it: my father
Buy it on Amazon: $29.76

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never listened to this record before, but it will be the fifth by Randy Burns that I’ve reviewed. The previous four were:

Of Love and War (1966): 3/5
Evening of the Magician (1968): 3/5
Song For An Uncertain Lady (1970): 3/5
Randy Burns and the Sky Dog Band (1971): 3/5

What I expected

Since this record is from 1972, I assume it will be most like his 1971 record Randy Burns and the Sky Dog Band, which was country rock and folk rock.

What it was actually like

This was an interesting mix of rock, folk rock and country rock, and many of the songs were more complex than on his previous records, with a lot more going on musically.

The songs that I liked the least – Seasons, Lisa and Christmas Lights – made heavy use of piano and orchestral backing music, with whiny vocals.

I tended to enjoy his country style songs more, however, such as the title track I’m A Lover, Not A Fool, which had country vocals and steel guitar, and Rocky Road.

I also liked Lady Rain Again, a folk rock song with a country rock chorus, and thought that the best song on the record was probably Country Rain, a kind of Oompa Loompa rock song with a country fiddle chorus and soul backing vocals. Sing Out was kind of similar, a folk rock with soul backing vocals in its chorus.

One very pleasant surprise was She’s No Good, a great cover of Bob Dylan’s You’re No Good (which was not actually a Bob Dylan song), but with a totally different musical interpretation.

Grade

4/5: would listen again

I’m A Lover, Not A Fool by Randy Burns (Vinyl record album review)