Frisco Mabel Joy Revisited

by Frisco Mabel Joy Revisited / Va

Overview

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 Halley on "Swiss Cottage Place" capture Newbury's sense of emotional exhaustion well, and the inclusion of Kris Kristofferson singing "San Francisco Mabel Joy" (despite its title a song not included on the original album) is welcome. But like many tribute albums, this one is really a showcase for a group of relatively unknown performers. Still, if it draws attention to the Newbury album, its purpose will have been served. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	10/10/2000
Label:	Appleseed Records
UPC:	0611587104823
Rank:	160261

Tracks

1. Prologue  - Bill Frisell
2. An American Trilogy  -  Midnight Choir  - Mickey Newbury
3. How Many Times (Must the Piper Be Paid for His Song)  - Mickey Newbury  -  Walkabouts
4. Interlude  - Bill Frisell  - Mickey Newbury
5. The Future's Not What It Used to Be  - Gary Heffern  - Mickey Newbury
6. Mobile Blue  - Dave Alvin  - Mickey Newbury  -  Alvin
7. Frisco Depot  - Mickey Newbury  -  Meredith Miller Band
8. You're Not My Same Sweet Baby  - Mickey Newbury  - Chuck Prophet
9. Interlude  - Bill Frisell  - Mickey Newbury
10. Remember the Good  - Michael Fracasso  - Mickey Newbury
11. Swiss Cottage Place  - David Halley  - Mickey Newbury
12. How I Love Them Old Songs  -  Hole Dozen  - Mickey Newbury
13. San Francisco Mabel Joy  - Kris Kristofferson  - Mickey Newbury

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Meredith Miller Band   Primary Artist
Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men   Primary Artist
Midnight Choir   Primary Artist
Dave Alvin   Primary Artist
Bill Frisell   Primary Artist,Guitar
The Hole Dozen   Primary Artist
Chuck Prophet   Primary Artist,Sitar,Vocals,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Michael Fracasso   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Gary Heffern   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kris Kristofferson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Harmonica,Guitar (Acoustic)
David Halley   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
The Walkabouts   Primary Artist
Chris Eckman   Piano,Guitar,Wurlitzer,Piano (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Robin Holcomb   Vocals
Lisa Mednick   Accordion
Mark Olson   Vocals,Dulcimer
Rick Shea   Guitar
Reed Easterwood   Banjo,Kazoo,Guitar (Electric)
Meredith Miller   Vocals
Joe Terry   Piano
David Henry   Cello
Bob Neuwirth   Vocals,Musical Director
Kevin Russell   Vocals,Mandolin
Tim Mooney   Cymbals
Brantley Kearns   Fiddle
Murry Hammond   Bass
Grant Eckman   Drums
Greg Beck   Drums
Dave Monsey   Bass
Marty Jourard   Organ,Piano
Terri Moeller   Vocals (Background)
Stephen Bruton   Mandolin,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Carla Torgerson   Vocals
Greg Leisz   Dobro
Victoria Williams   Banjo
Max Johnston   Fiddle
Brian Young   Drums,Percussion
Bruce Hughes   Bass
Glenn Slater   Organ

Technical Credits

Chris Eckman   Producer,Photography,Wind Chimes
Mark Linett   Mixing,Engineer
Rick Fisher   Mastering
Reed Easterwood   Engineer,Producer
Grant Alden   Design,Photography
Meredith Miller   Producer,Assistant Engineer
David Henry   Engineer
Midnight Choir   Performer
Tim Mooney   Engineer
Bobby Whitfield   Engineer
Todd V. Wolfson   Tray Card,Photography
Peter Blackstock   Producer
Shawn McLean   Engineer
Stephen Bruton   Engineer
Kevin Suggs   Engineer,Producer
Bill Frisell   Composer
The Hole Dozen   Performer
Chet Himes   Engineer
Chuck Prophet   Producer
Tucker Martine   Engineer
Mickey Newbury   Composer