Bobby Bare - The Mercury Years 1970-1972 (1987)
Country | Mp3 320 kbps | 3 CD | 431 Mb
As the '60s gave way to the '70s, Bobby Bare left RCA Records for Mercury, beginning a two-year stint that found him with mixed fortunes, as he scored Top Ten hits without making much headway on the album charts. Despite the uneven commercial fortunes, this was an exceedingly rich time for Bare if judged solely in terms of music. He picked up on the rolling blend of country, folk, and rock & roll that marked his best '60s singles from "Detroit City" to "(Margie's At) the Lincoln Park Inn" and followed through on its promise, creating a layered, inventive body of work that stands as one of the peaks of progressive country and points the way toward the outlaw movement of the mid-'70s. Part of the reason that his recordings for Mercury worked so well is that Bare demonstrated exceptional taste in songwriters, covering new writers Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, and Billy Joe Shaver regularly while relying on such Nashville stalwarts as Harlan Howard and Hank Cochran, as well as dipping into the pop charts on occasional crossover pop hits, such as John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane," heard on this, the first of three volumes from Bear Family covering his complete work for Mercury. Bobby Bare always favored stories and character sketches, so these are all sharply written, evocative tunes, sometimes moving, sometimes funny, and they're given layered, slyly adventurous productions that give his warm, nuanced voice support that hints at rolling folk, roadhouse country, the introspectiveness of singer/songwriters, sweet pop, the spirit of rock & roll, and the professionalism of Nashville, without belonging to any particular style. It's a wonderful sound, and, as this extensive Bear Family set proves, it was one that offered plenty of possibilities, almost all of which were explored on Mercury, which resulted in a consistently fascinating and enjoyable body of work. Of the three volumes, the first is the best, not only because it has the most consistent selection of songs -- from the hit "That's How I Got to Memphis," several Kristofferson classics (including "For the Good Times," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends"), plus lesser-known gems like the genial, silly "I'm Her Hoss if I Never Win a Race" and the sweetly melancholy "The Fool" -- but also because it has the excitement of discovery, as Bare finds his groove. All three volumes are necessary, but this first installment is the first among equals.
CD 1, 1. That's How I Got to Memphis (2:33), 2. Come Sundown (2:47), 3. I Took a Memory to Lunch (2:53), 4. I'm Her Hoss If I Never Win a Race (2:40), 5. Woman You've Been a Friend to Me (2:10), 6. It's Freezing in El Paso (2:17), 7. Mrs. Jones Your Daughter Cried All Night (2:59), 8. Don't It Make You Want to Go Home (2:25), 9. Mary Ann Regrets (3:36), 10. Leaving on a Jet Plane (3:13), 11. The Fool (2:25), 12. The Waitress in the Main Street Cafe (3:39), 13. Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends (2:37), 14. How About You (2:28), 15. Help Me Make It Through the Night (2:16), 16. Rosalie (2:49), 17. Dropping Out of Sight (2:26), 18. Where Have All the Seasons Gone (3:27), 19. Traveling Minstrel Man (2:50), 20. For the Good Times (3:23), 21. Hello Darlin' (2:27), 22. Alabama Rose (2:30)
CD 2, 1. The World is Weighing Heavy on My Mind (2:23), 2. Mama Bake a pie (Papa Kill a Chicken) (2:55), 3. Coal River (2:34), 4. Christian Soldier (3:02), 5. Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me (2:24), 6. West Virginia Woman (2:16), 7. New York City Snow (3:14), 8. Jesus is the Only One That Loves Us (2:19), 9. Lovin' Her Was Easier (2:44), 10. I Need Some Good News Bad (2:44), 11. Me and Bobby McGee (3:38), 12. A Million Miles to the City (3:09), 13. Just the Other Side of Nowhere (2:44), 14. City Boy, Country Born (2:49), 15. Short and Sweet (2:30), 16. The Puppet and the Parakeet (2:26), 17. Great Society Talking Blues (2:42), 18. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (2:48), 19. Roses Are Red (My Love) (2:44), 20. Lonely Street (2:28), 21. Crazy Arms (2:22), 22. Jesus Christ, What a Man (2:23)
CD 3, 1. A Fallen Star (2:07), 2. That's All Right (2:06), 3. Pamela Brown (2:32), 4. When I Want To Love A Lady (2:47), 5. Love Forever (2:31), 6. Darby's Castle (3:48), 7. A Lot Of Soul (3:39), 8. Just In Case (A Night Like This Never Comes Again) (2:25), 9. What Am I Gonna Do (2:12), 10. When Love Is Gone (2:47), 11. Lorena (2:19), 12. Don't Ask Me, Ask Marie (2:39), 13. Laying Here Lying In Bed (3:14), 14. Take Some And Give Some (2:17), 15. Sylvia's Mother (3:49), 16. Footprints In The Sand Of Time (2:31), 17. Lord, Let A Lie Come True (2:07), 18. Under It All (2:34), 19. Are You Sincere (2:17), 20. Even The Bad Times Are Good (2:41), 21. High And Dry (2:53), 22. She Gave Her Heart To Jethro (3:32), 23. Music City, U.S.A. (2:33)
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