Frisco Mabel Joy Revisited: For Mickey Newbury CD

A newly-recorded tribute to one of the most important song writers and beloved albums of the 1970's - Mickey Newbury and "Frisco Mabel Joy." Mickey Newbury is easily one of the most important songwriters of the late 20th Century, with songs recorded by hundreds of diverse artists including Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Andy Williams, Joan Baez, John Denver, Carol Channing, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, as well as virtually everyone in the '80s and '90s Nashville Country & Western scene. It was the release of the landmark album, "Frisco Mabel Joy," that established Mickey Newbury's legend. This all-new recording recreates the original album track-by-track (including the famous "An American Trilogy") with interpretive performances by a host of wonderful Newbury admirers. As an added treat, popular guitar legend Bill Frisell plays all of the instrumental interludes that were part of the original recording.

Compilation producers: Peter Blackstock, Chris Eckman.
Includes liner notes by Peter Blackstock, Buddy Miller & Dave Hickey.
Personnel: Chuck Prophet (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, percussion); Kris Kristofferson (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica); David Halley (vocals, acoustic guitar); Michael Fracasso (vocals, electric guitar); Mark Olson (vocals, dulcimer); Kevin Russell (vocals, mandolin); Gary Heffern, Meredith Miller, Robin Holcomb, Bob Neuwirth, Carla Torgerson (vocals); Chris Eckman (guitar, piano, electric piano, Wurlitzer organ, wind chime, background vocals); Rick Shea, Bill Frisell (guitar); Stephen Bruton (acoustic guitar, slide guitar, mandolin); Reed Easterwood (electric guitar, banjo, kazoo); Greg Leisz (dobro); Victoria Williams (banjo); Max Johnston, Brantley Kearns (fiddle); David Henry (cello); Lisa Mednick (accordion); Marty Jourard (piano, organ); Joe Terry (piano); Glenn Slater (organ); Brian Young (drums, percussion); Grant Eckman, Greg Beck (drums); Tim Mooney (cymbals); Terri Moeller (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Mark Linett.
Recording information: Avast!, Seattle, WA (12/1999-06/2000); Bennett House Studios, Brentwood, TN (12/1999-06/2000); Butch's Barracks, Seattle, WA (12/1999-06/2000); Cabin Zero Studio, Seattle, WA (12/1999-06/2000); Florea Ave. Studios, Seattle, WA (12/1999-06/2000); Hit Shack, Austin, TX (12/1999-06/2000); Hole In The Wall, Austin, TX (12/1999-06/2000); Maui, Hawaii (12/1999-06/2000); Pigshead, San Francisco, CA (12/1999-06/2000); Sounds Horizon, Austin, TX (12/1999-06/2000); Studio Metro, Ljubliana, Slovenia (12/1999-06/2000); Your Place Or Mine (12/1999-06/2000).
Photographers: Grant Alden; Todd V. Wolfson; Chris Eckman.
Unknown Contributor Role: Joe Bass.
Peter Blackstock, founder of No Depression magazine, is to be commended for organizing a tribute to Mickey Newbury's landmark early-'70s album Frisco Mabel Joy, a forerunner of the country-folk singer/songwriter movement that is also something of a lost gem despite its relative popularity (that is, relative to the meager sales of Newbury's other recordings) at the time of its release. Blackstock himself, in his liner notes, admits to not having heard the original until the early '90s, when he plucked it out of a bin in a used record store for a dollar. He has made up for lost time with this collection, even if the result doesn't really live up to the spirit of Newbury's recording. That disc was a unique suite of songs and string-filled instrumental interludes that matched the spiritual hangover from the '60s to romantic distress and a drifting ethos for a portrait of a romantic loner. Though broken down into individual songs, it was really a tone poem. But by giving different songs to different performers for their interpretations, Blackstock defeats that unity of mood, especially when the interpretation is very different, as is the Meredith Miller Band's up-tempo treatment of "Frisco Depot." Michael Fracasso on "Remember the Good" and David HalDirty Linen (4-5/01, p.80) - "...This remains faithful to the original album's mood..."