Song Painter/I Believe In Music [Original recording remastered]

"Song Painter" and "I Believe In Music" were the first two albums Mac Davis ever had released, and are probably his two most personal recordings.
"Song Painter" was released after Davis had had several of his compositions become hits for Elvis Presley, including "In The Ghetto," "Memories," "Don't Cry Daddy" and "A Little Less Conversation." Mac included his own versions of the first two songs on "Song Painter", and while Elvis clearly was the superior vocalist I actually prefer Mac's versions. Mac's "In The Ghetto" sounds more raw and heart-felt than does Elvis's recording, which was almost too pretty for the topic, and Mac also seems to be living "Memories" more than Elvis did.
Other standout songs on "Song Painter" include "Home," a melancholy song about young American soldiers dreaming of loved ones while at war in Viet Nam: "And boys who never learned to pray, look to the heavens every day, and stumble through a simple little prayer, and ask the Lord above, to send them home to the ones they love, Oh God I hope they make it home"---and "Daddy's Little Man," a song about a divorced father spending his weekend visitations with his young son, a song Mac probably wrote after his first divorce, making it a much sadder song about his son Scotty. "Song Painter" also has "Half and Half (Song For Sarah)", one of Mac's first recordings about his then wife, "The Closest I Ever Came," a song about leaving love to "chase the sunset and a song," and "Whoever Finds This I Love You."
"I Believe In Music," Mac's second album, includes Mac's versions of several more compositions which were hits for others, including "Watching Scotty Grow," "Something's Burning," the aforementioned "A Little Less Conversation" and the title tune. Of those songs I really like "Watching Scotty Grow" (Mac has joked that Scotty thought Bobby Goldsboro was his daddy) but I prefer the recordings of the other songs by other artists, such as Elvis's version of "Conversation" and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition's hit version of "Something's Burning," as Mac didn't seem to me to quite nail those songs.
My favorite songs on "I Believe In Music" include "In The Eyes Of My People," where Mac sings about wanting to die knowing his people were proud of him, "Christmas Carol," a sad song about Carol, the loss of her love hurting so bad that she is now a song that "hurts too much to finish writing," and two more songs about his wife Sarah: "Sarah Between The Lines" and "Poem For My Little Lady." In the latter song Mac sings that Sarah is "the only glimpse of God I've ever seen," little knowing that she would leave him in only a few short years from then.
Mac Davis's best recordings, whether happy or sad, tended to be songs about his own life. These two albums do not include all of Mac Davis's greatest hits, so if someone is looking to only buy one Mac Davis CD and wants all the hits there are better choices available, but this CD is both excellent and a terrific value. Along with "All The Love In The World" and "Texas In My Rearview Mirror" (neither of those albums are available on CD) these are the two best albums Mac Davis ever recorded. If you are a Mac Davis fan this is essential and highly recommended.

I owned this album on vinyl when it first came out. My wife & I are huge Mac Davis fans and thoroughly enjoyed this album. I could not believe it was finally available on DVD!!

If you enjoy Mac's music, this is a must to own. It captures his style and humor.

Song Painter by Mac Davis is one that I've held on to since I got it - player over and over and over - and so very sorry I could never find it on CD.

This gives one mellow, tender and sentimental song after the other, and the music and sentiments are simple and absolutely endearing.

Everyone knows "Whoever Finds This", but I think "Half and Half", "Home", and "One You Get Used to It" are as good. "In the Ghetto" was popular in it's time, but I think it's the worst piece on this entire recording!
Song Painter is a jewel for anyone wanting lovely and mellow. One of the best unpopular collections I've ever heard in any genre. I think Davis just captures sad and moody too well and too beautifully to be really popular.

I have not heard the other album included on this CD so I can not speak to it.