Following
Raven's exemplary 2002 reissue of
Rhinestone Cowboy/Bloodlines by a year, the label's 2003 two-fer of 1977's
Southern Nights and 1978's
Basic isn't as thematically linked as its predecessor, which were both written and produced in large part by
Dennis Lambert and
Brian Potter. These two records share a similar sound -- the high-gloss, professional production common to most
soft rock and
country-pop crossovers of the late '70s -- but they're different in approach.
Southern Nights contains the work of a number of frequently incompatible songwriters, so it's an album of moments. Granted, those moments -- including the singles
"Southern Nights" and
"Sunflower," a cover of
"God Only Knows," and two songs from
Jimmy Webb -- are very good, but the inconsistency of the album is put into sharp relief by its pairing with
Basic, an album devoted to the songs of
Michael Smotherman, a mellow singer/songwriter (and former
Captain Beefheart sideman) who has been forgotten but was a good, sturdy writer within the conventions of '70s
soft rock.
Basic may not have had hits outside of
"Can You Fool" (which wasn't all that big anyway), but it stands as the more satisfying of the two records on this two-fer -- and it likely wouldn't have gotten a reissue if it wasn't paired with the bigger hit
Southern Nights. In addition to good notes from
Keith Glass,
Raven expanded this release with three bonus tracks:
"Another Fine Mess" (a small gem from the soundtrack to the
Burt Reynolds film
The End, written by
Paul Williams, and originally released as the B-side to
"Can You Fool"), and two rarities from the 1975 compilation album
Arkansas -- a 1967 cover of Leon Payne's
"You've Still Got a Place in my Heart" and the 1969
"Arkansas," a good, if slightly dated,
country-pop song that would have fit well onto any of
Glen Campbell's late-'60s albums. These help elevate an already fine package into something that is necessary for any serious
Campbell fan. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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