If you can get over corny album cover, what's inside of the package is actually quite interesting as it points more at young singer's past than his future. At this point, Billy Joe Thomas was strictly speaking, country-soul artist who had idolised black stars and it shows - this kind of slow-burning, soul ballads are just you would expect from someone like Solomon Burke or Percy Sledge and what Thomas took from them was that famous sincerity and total emotional commitment to a song, which is the most poignantly and effectively presented in his cover of the title song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - it is a white, country Texas guy singing with a lovely, lonely wail but the spirit inside has been influenced by black soul singers. It has been recorded some 50 years ago and it still stands as magnificent achievement, one of the best cover versions I have ever heard because its so completely believable and haunting.
Guys at Scepter Records just couldn't get over the enormous success of the hit single - recorded originally with the local Houston band The Triumphs but the rest of the musicians declined offer to join Dick Clark tour, so from than on Thomas continued as a solo act - and you can tell from a gushing liner notes than wonder "will success spoil B.j.Thomas?" and praise 24 years old modest demeanour, that they expect even bigger things from him. It would have been better had they focused more on cohesion of album - as long as young singer has something to sink his teeth into (majority of A side) its obvious that he has a natural, Gods-given talent for tortured, soulful ballads but unfortunately B side brims with generic upbeat 1960s material (courtesy of composer Mark Charron) with titles like "Wendy", "Terri" and "Maria" that sound like countryside relatives of "Needles and Pins" and have absolutely nothing in common with his biggest strength, tender intimacy of melancholy ballads. Have they planned this differently and gave him collection of country-soul material where he could really pour his heart out, the album wouldn't sound so disjointed. Included are faithful covers of "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones, "Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett, another Hank Williams tune and even very pretty Gerry Goffin/Carole King hit "Hey Girl" - than you hear something as brilliant as gentle country ballad "The Titles Tell" (even undercooked "I Wonder" has its moments) and wonder why the whole album was not built around such obvious idea, it could have been great country-soul album. Nothing wrong with Thomas of course, he is perfectly fine singer and just needs understanding producers with a different vision - this is why his future work with Chips Moman will sound so ebullient, energised and inspired.
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