Bobby Darin - Songs From Big Sur '2004

Tracks list

       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.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Bobby Darin - Baby May (2:38)
1.02 - Bobby Darin - Jingle Jangle Jungle (2:57)
1.03 - Bobby Darin - Change (2:25)
1.04 - Bobby Darin - The Harvest (3:16)
1.05 - Bobby Darin - Funny What Love Can Do (2:52)
1.06 - Bobby Darin - Rx-Pyro (Prescription Fire) (2:52)
1.07 - Bobby Darin - Distractions, Pt. 1 (3:35)
1.08 - Bobby Darin - Jive (2:09)
1.09 - Bobby Darin - Long Time Movin' (2:54)
1.10 - Bobby Darin - City Life (2:28)
1.11 - Bobby Darin - Long Line Rider (3:00)
1.12 - Bobby Darin - I'm Going To Love You (2:30)
1.13 - Bobby Darin - Me & Mr. Hohner (3:18)
1.14 - Bobby Darin - I Am (1:59)
1.15 - Bobby Darin - My Baby Needs Me (3:00)
1.16 - Bobby Darin - Everywhere I Go (2:58)
1.17 - Bobby Darin - Maybe We Can Get It Together (3:57)
1.18 - Bobby Darin - Route 58 (2:59)
1.19 - Bobby Darin - Distractions, Pt. 1 (Live From The Troubadour) (4:59)
1.20 - Bobby Darin - Lone Line Rider (Live From The Troubadour) (2:50)
1.21 - Bobby Darin - Simple Song Of Freedom (Live From The Troubadour) (4:22)
1.22 - Bobby Darin - Monolog: Questions (Live From The Troubadour) (7:42) 

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