40 Year Itch : Her Blue Velvet Perfume

Arlo Guthrie : Darkest Hour

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In August of 1976 Arlo Guthrie released his most critically acclaimed album, Amigo. This incredibly diverse collection earned a rare five star "masterpiece" rating from the Rolling Stone Record Guide and finished ahead of Bob Dylan's Desire in the Village Voice's Pazz and Jop Critics Poll. It is also Guthrie's personal favorite album. Naturally it didn't sell, peaking at 133 on the Billboard album charts.

It is impossible to sum up Amigo with one song. The album opens with a Zulu children's song ("Guabi Guabi") and closes with a Rolling Stones cover ("Connection").  "Walking Song" sounds like a Fleetwood Mac outtake while Robert Christgau, in his A- album review called "Victor Jara" the most painful protest song in recent memory (including Dylan's "Hurricane"). There's a song about his home state ( "Massachusetts") and another about the protesters of the 60's losing their zeal ("Patriot's Dream"). 

My deep cut pick  is "Darkest Hour", which has a nice bounce and feels like a successful Dylan love song. Had Guthrie recorded an entire album of love songs, and not one of such variety, it might have sold better. That;'s something Guthrie has heard more than once . His response to the Christian Science Monitor:

Two people can see the same thing (differently). One can call it versatility and the other lack of continuity. We only have so much we can do. I'm not filled with thousands of songs bursting and then being able to choose the ten best. I don't write that much.

40 Year Itch: Six April 1973 Releases We Missed

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Although it lacks a hit single, Arlo Guthrie's Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys is an artistic success highlighted by some horn solos, fiddle solos and guitar work by Ry Cooder.

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Ah! The lean years for Fleetwood Mac. At least the band could always count on Christine McVie for some catchy pop. Bob Welch also adds some intrigue but far too much of this album is filler. Especially dreadful is the "Road Runner" cover sung by one album wonder Dave Walker.

 Seals And Crofts set the standard for what "good" contemporary Christian music is supposed to sound like : Cheery, banal and proselytizing. The duo had it written in their contract that they be allowed to hang out after their concerts to discuss their Baha'i faith with fans. Diamond Girl peaked at #4 on the album charts.

The most interesting thing about the Eagles concept album Desperado ( US #41) is that the title cut was never released as a single. And that's not really very interesting.

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The best of the ex Turtles albums, Flo and Eddie has comedy, cover versions of both The Kinks ( "Days"),  and The Small Faces ("Afterglow") and one absolute take down diss of the friend who made them rock and roll's most sought after backing up vocalists. It took years for Marc Bolan to forgive them for "Another Pop Star's Life" and it's one of the things Howard Kaylan ("Eddie") truly regrets after all these years.

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The Strawbs most successful and best album, Bursting At The Seams,  features the pub favorite "Part of the Union" ( A UK#2 hit in February of 1973) and the hit "Lay Down".  "Bursting At The Seams" might have been an apt name for the US tour that followed as Richard Hudson , John Ford and Blue Weaver all left the band in the months that followed.

40 Year Itch: Henry, The Hobo and 3 Friends

These are three albums released in April I failed to mention for one reason or another.

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Ex-Fairport Convention  Richard Thompson's first solo album has the distinction of being the poorest selling album in the Warner Brothers catalog. But if you judged album quality on sales you wouldn't be reading 1001Songs. Henry the Human Fly reveals all the witty playfulness and intelligence that would be the cornerstone of the 40 year career that followed.

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Best known for the the Top 40 hit "City of New Orleans", Hobo's Lullaby also offers an entertaining mix of originals ("Days Are Short" features some fine Ry Cooder lines) and covers from Dylan ("When The Ship Comes In") Arlo's Dad ("1913 Massacre") and a playful sing-along version of the 1925 standard "Ukelele Lady". A grower.

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Gentle Giant's third release is a concept album about three friends who go off on separate ways after school.  Gentle Giant isn't for everyone. They are keen musicians who plow into odd arrangements and odd meters  with odd lyrics. But if you're ready for a challenge, give these prog rock legends a try.