een verzameling demo's van de in 1939 in Nebraska geboren Amerikaanse singer/songwriter Jim Sullivan, die op 4 maart, 1975 op 35-jarige leeftijd van de radar verdween, waarna niks meer van de man is vernomen.
eerder verschenen van hem 2 reguliere albums "U.F.O." (1969) en het gelijknamige "Jim Sullivan" (1972).
in 2010 richtte Matt Sullivan (geen familie) het Light In The Attic Records label op, waarop eerder een re-issue van "U.F.O." verscheen, waarna in 2019 deze verzamelaar met akoestische demo's verscheen.
5 tracks hiervan (1,2,4,7,8) verschenen eerder op "U.F.O." en 5 andere tracks waren niet eerder uitgebracht.
ben verrast door de kwaliteit van zijn songs. nummers als "Sandman", "Walls", "Jerome" en "Grandpa's Trip" blijven direct hangen. jammer dat dit album op het eind wat inzakt met de melodisch minder sterke nummers "What Is My Name" en "Close My Eyes". beide tracks die, althans bij mij, minder beklijven.
al met al 8 fraaie tracks die blijk geven van het feit dat Jim Sullivan een begenadigd songwriter was.
zoals
willemmusic eerder bij 1 van zijn albums opmerkte, doet zijn stem wel denken aan die van Dan Penn.
Recorded in Los Angeles, circa 1969
All tracks previously unreleased
All songs written by Jim Sullivan
Produced for release by Matt Sullivan and Patrick McCarthy
This album is dedicated to the memory of Barbara Sullivan
de liner notes bij dit album:
"On March 4, 1975, Jim Sullivan loaded up his VW Bug and hit the Californian highway. The destination, Nashville. With the stars of Music City in his eyes, the singer/songwriter made it halfway across the country , then vanished without a trace.
What happened in New Mexico remains an unsolved mystery. Authorities found his car, his guitar, and a box of records.
This album contains 10 acoustic solo recordings that have never seen the light of day. This is Jim Sullivan on his own terms, stripped down and soulful as ever. Recorded at a Los Angeles studio circa 1969, the sessions contains acoustic versions of a handful of U.F.O. tracks alongside a half dozen previously unheard songs.
According to his widow, Barbara, this was the album Jim always hoped to record. It serves as an unprecedented glimpse into the mysterious, larger-than-life figure who's become the stuff of legends.
This is Jim Sullivan's true swan song"
de droge humor van de tekst van "So Natural" deed mij denken aan de teksten van wijlen John Prine:
"Standing outside of St. Mark's Church
There's a line
Waiting as they carried Arthur by
I stood there in a daze
I heard the things that they're saying
And the words that they spoke
Gave me an awful fright
"He looked so natural tonight
He had his hair all combed just right"
A more natural pose I couldn't bear to see
I hope that these people never visit me
It's my time to go
I just want the wind to blow
My ashes until they're completely out of sight
And they won't say then
"He looked so natural tonight
He had his hair all combed just right"