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Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Summer Breeze
  • Group name: Seals and Crofts
  • Year: 1972
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Warner Bros. Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “G” written on top left of album, indicating that my father owned it
  • Buy it on Amazon: $11.89

Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

The only time that I’ve ever listened to a Seals and Crofts record was last May, when I reviewed their “greatest hits” compilation, on which I only recognized one song, which is also the title track for this record, Summer Breeze.

What I expected

Soft rock, easy listening.

What it was actually like

I was thinking that I didn’t like the title track Summer Breeze because I could only remember the mind numbing chorus part, but then when it came on, it was ok. I still think it would be better as a punk song, though.

In general, most of the songs on Summer Breeze weren’t bad at all, with the exception of Advance Guards, which sounded like a children’s song.

Seals and Crofts harmonize pretty consistently, but more by singing the exact same note than when Simon and Garfunkel do it at complementary notes. I guess there’s a reason why Simon and Garfunkel are so widely known, while I struggle to name a single Seals and Crofts song besides the one I knew from their “greatest hits” compilation that is also the title track of this record.

Say was a bit more of a harder rock song, and I liked it more than most of the others, and Fiddle in the Sky was a bit more country, and maybe the best on the record.

Mostly, though, these were pretty boring soft rock songs.

Grade

3/5: interesting, but not for me

Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills & Nash (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Daylight Again
  • Group name: Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • Year: 1982
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Collection: Selman
  • Buy it on Amazon: $21.98

Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills & Nash

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never heard of Daylight Again, probably for good reasons, but I’ve previously listened to and reviewed:

What I expected

I don’t want to be excessively cynical or anything, but:

  • This is a Crosby, Stills and Nash record from 1982. Who knew that those three were making studio records in 1982? Why were those three making studio records in 1982?
  • The album cover makes extensive use of neon.
  • Speaking of the album cover, it also features flying saucers.
  • The back cover of the album has pictures of each of the three group members, and in David Crosby’s, he is smirking under his walrus mustache as a cat is perched on his shoulder.

What it was actually like

Daylight Again was abysmal, and no one should listen to it.

Wasted on the Way was the least bad song. Into the Darkness was weirdly kind of metal.

Why does this record exist?

Grade

1/5: horrible enough that I couldn’t make it through

Don’t Cry Now by Linda Ronstadt (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Don’t Cry Now
  • Artist name: Linda Ronstadt
  • Year: 1973
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Asylum Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: hole punched through top right of album
  • Buy it on Amazon: $77.34

Don't Cry Now by Linda Ronstadt

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never listened to Don’t Cry Now, but this will be the sixth Linda Ronstadt record that I’ve reviewed since June. The other five were:

What I expected

Don’t Cry Now was recorded earlier than any of these, so I guess I expect it to be country rock.

What it was actually like

Most of this record was pretty boring and pretty slow.

More country style tracks included I Can Almost See It, Love Has No Pride and Everybody Loves a Winner. Less country tracks included Colorado and the Eagles cover Desperado.

Ronstadt’s cover of Randy Newman’s Sail Away had more of a gospel sound that I didn’t think worked very well, and her cover of Neil Young’s I Believe in You was a fine version, but not better than the original.

The Fast One, Don’t Cry Now and Silver Threads and Golden Needles were all a little livelier than the rest, and the latter especially was somewhat catchy with a faster tempo, but still very country and with a fiddle solo; I guess it was the best song on this otherwise pretty bad record.

Grade

2/5: weak, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

Home Plate by Bonnie Raitt (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Home Plate
  • Artist name: Bonnie Raitt
  • Year: 1975
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Warner Bros.
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics:
    • Sticker on front of album: PROMOTIONAL COPY / NOT FOR SALE
  • Buy it on Amazon: $9.89

Home Plate by Bonnie Raitt

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I don’t know a whole lot about Bonnie Raitt’s work, but I’ve previously listened to her self-titled debut record, which I thought was pretty good, and earlier to Takin My Time, which was so-so.

What I expected

Songs about America’s pastime?

What it was actually like

Ok, I want to be diplomatic about this, but this record was terrible.

While there wasn’t a dominant style, much of it was in what I would call the “easy listening” genre, employing some elements of rock, but also a great deal of backing vocals, jazz flourishes, funk beats and horn sections.

Several songs had prominent saxophone parts, such as Walk Out the Front Door and Pleasin’ Each Other.

Good Enough was pretty weird, a kind of Oompa Loompa lite, almost a ska beat with horns, but some country style vocals.

The overwhelming majority of the record was extremely boring, though the final song, Your Sweet and Shiny Eyes, a country song that didn’t sound much like the others, was the least bad.

Grade

2/5: bad, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

CSN by Crosby, Stills & Nash (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: CSN
  • Group name: Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • Year: 1977
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Buy it on Amazon: $11.60

CSN by Crosby, Stills & Nash

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’m not familiar with this confusingly named record, but I do know Crosby, Stills & Nash well from their heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and have recently listened to several records by different configurations of the group:

What I expected

It’s hard to say! I didn’t recognize the album and don’t think I recognize any of the song names. I really wasn’t aware that these three were together and recording music at all in 1977. I guess I have to assume it will be like their earlier work, except in more of a late 1970s style (and worse).

What it was actually like

CSN was an abomination and everything about it was bad, but some parts were certainly worse than other parts.

Fair Game was uncommonly terrible, like some sort of calypso-influenced soft rock, truly horrific.

Parts of Cathedral sounded like the Bee Gees.

Dark Star, Stephen Stills’ ode to Lucifer, was atrocious and tried to be jazzy at times, and the funky bassline was an extreme distraction.

Various songs on the record could be classified as easy listening, which is hard to swallow. I would not recommend this record.

Grade

2/5: bad, but I was able to listen to the whole thing