lördag 20 februari 2016

John Buck Wilkin - In Search of Food, Clothin, Shelter and Sex (Psychedelic Folk US 1970)


270:- (24-Bit Limited Remaster Edition. Ny utgåva från "Big Pink Records". Bra US Folkrock/Psychedelia.)

John "Bucky" Wilkin, the son of Marijohn Wilkin (author of the country classic "Long Black Veil"), is most noted as a session guitarist on numerous country and rock records of the 1970s, particularly outlaw country releases by Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Kinky Friedman, and Jessi Colter. He was also a songwriter and put out a little-known solo LP, In Search of Food, Clothing, Shelter & Sex, on Liberty.


The record was easygoing, though sometimes moodily eccentric, country-folk-rock with frequent orchestration. Prior to his solo album, Wilkin had been in Ronny & the Daytonas, famous for their 1964 hot rod hit "Little GTO." Wilkin was also in the American Eagles (not to be confused with the much more famous Eagles), who also included keyboardist Chuck Leavell, and put out a single in 1969.


Wilkin's obscure solo album is a rather strange, and not always comfortable, interface of singer/songwriter, MOR pop, folk-rock, and country influences. At times he sounds like early James Taylor with Glen Campbell-ish orchestration; "My God and I" doesn't sound far from early Elton John. Although his songs are a little odder and moodier than those of the young Taylor, they're not as good or memorable either. 
Sometimes there are suite-like structures reflecting the ambitions of much late-'60s music, as in "Mary Jackson," "Nashville Sun," and "Apocalypse 1969." "Boy of the Country," for its dark edginess, is a standout, though even so the orchestration somewhat dilutes the overall effect. 

Kris Kristofferson fans might find this an interesting collector's item due to the presence of an early, pre-Janis Joplin version of "Me and Bobby McGee" as well as "Apocalypse 1969" (one of the better and harder-rocking cuts, though not as interesting as its title indicates), which is co-written by Wilkin and Kristofferson.

01. Apartment Twenty-One
02. Faces And Places
03. My God And I
04. Boy Of The Country
05. Apocalypse 1969
06. Me And Bobby McGee
07. The Daydream
08 Mary Jackson
Medley
09.1 Long Black Veil
09.2 The Nashville Sun
Medley
10.1 About Time
10.2 Nashville Sun Reprise