The period in the late 1960s during which Bobby Darin turned to a sort of vague folk-rock style has always been difficult to grasp. In part, that's because some of the recordings (particularly those on his own Direction label) have been difficult to find, whether on the original vinyl or via reissue; in part, that's because his folk-rock material was interspersed with other releases during the same era in which he recorded in much different styles. Songs From Big Sur does collectors and Darin fans a favor by assembling much of his more obscure folk-rock-ish 1965-70 material in one place, largely taken from his 1968-70 Direction releases (both on LP and 45), although there are also a couple of little-known Atlantic singles. Best of all, from the hardcore Darin fanatic's viewpoint, there are also eight previously unreleased tracks, as well as two done for Atlantic that were not released at the time they were cut.
So, does it add up to a major chapter of Darin's discography? Not really, though it was an interesting one. It was a time where Darin was moving to more personal and socially conscious songs, and by including nothing but Darin compositions (no "If I Were a Carpenter" here), this CD represents that facet of his work well. Musically, however, Darin's brand of folk-rock was mild, and this material in particular was rather unimpressive, if heartfelt in its sentiment. At times, too, his more ambitious reflections could be awkward in their bluntness, sounding a little like a man from the older generation who was hitching a ride with the changing times just a little too late. Not that it counts as a strike against what he was doing, but not all of this was conventional folk-rock by any means: "Jingle Jangle Jungle" sounds a little like the Monkees' more serious material (borrowing a little too liberally from the "Last Train to Clarksville" riff, in fact); "Funny What Love Can Do" is close to Jimmy Reed-like blues; the Nick Venet-produced "Long Time Movin'" is good-timey country-pop; "I Am" is orchestrated baroque folk; and the previously unissued "My Baby Needs Me" is close to poppy blue-eyed soul. It's often at its best, a little surprisingly, at its bluesiest, particularly on the (very) small hit single "Long Line Rider." Some of the best of the previously unreleased tracks, incidentally, are the four live songs from a 1969 appearance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, with a gutsy full-band arrangement of "Long Line Rider" and a couple of tunes ("Simple Song of Freedom" and "Questions") that are not represented by studio counterparts elsewhere on the CD. ~ Richie Unterberger
(*) MP3 for this song is from a different CD. Listen to the sound sample to be sure this is the version you're looking for.
Songs From Big Sur Music Review
Customer Songs From Big Sur Reviews
Average Rating: (4.3 out of 5 stars)
Jeans vs. Tuxedo This is a great folkie-music cd. If you´re into protest songs this is a must. I like him best this way.
Outstanding tracks :
Jingle Jangle Jungle, Change, Harvest, Rx Pyro: Prescription Fire,
Distractions Pt. 1, Jive, Me & Mr. Hohner & Simple Song Of Freedom
He was vary cool...........
Submitted by sea (Stockholm/Sweden) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
A Different Darin In his final years, Bobby recorded some of his own compositions, mainly folk, blues and ballads. There are also, some live recordings at the Troubador in L.A. Interesting album. Submitted by andersonwh (Boulder Colorado) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Shedding Light on a Little-Known Period of Darin's Career For the most part, Bobby Darin's recordings of the late '60's remain almost unknown to most listeners. Unless you collect vinyl, most of Darin's work from these years is inaccessible, recorded at a time when Darin was attempting to run his own label (Direction Records). The singles recorded for Direction (and the two albums) made little impact, and most reviewers today dismiss these recordings as an ill-advised foray into the folk-protest music of the day. This release may go some way to setting that record straight. "Songs From Big Sur" is composed of some of Darin's Direction singles, unreleased masters, and some (nowhere near all) album tracks from the two Direction albums ("Bobby Daring Born Walden Robert Cossotto" and "Commitment"). In addition, there are a handful of earlier tracks originally recorded for Atlantic (in 1967), and the CD concludes with live recordings from 1969 at LA's Troubador. While most of this material appears on CD for the first time, there is some duplication of content (3 or 4 tracks) with Varese Sarabande's earlier "Very Best of Bobby Darin," a release which chronicled the years 1966 to 1969. This CD testifies to Darin's astonishing versatility. The material couldn't be further from "Mack the Knife," yet Darin's performances in this genre are as committed and authentic as anyone's. Audiences may not have wanted to accept Darin without the tuxedo, the swing, and the swagger, but "Songs from Big Sur" makes it abundantly clear that there was nothing inferior or second-rate to what Darin was doing at this time. Maybe the late '60's "Bob Darin" (as he was calling himself at the time) will finally get his due. This is an essential CD for any Darin fan. And, hopefully, we may still get the Direction albums complete on CD at some point in the future. Submitted by Joe (Tacoma, WA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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Jeans vs. Tuxedo
Shedding Light on a Little-Known Period of Darin's Career
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