Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strange album, 3 Mar 2005
I bought this album in a vinyl cut-out bin for 50p nearly 30 years ago, wasn't sure at first, but slowly fell in love with it, and have been waiting for a "holy grail" CD of it since I got my first CD player. There was (briefly) a very expensive Japanese import, but now at last it is widely available - thank you Collectors' Choice! I have to say it's a very strange album - on the surface, the archetypal coked-out-mid-70s-west coast-self-indulgent solo project, replete with the ubiquitous L.A. session mafia - Ry Cooder, various Byrds and Eagles, etc., etc. But it has a starnge bleakness about it that reminds me of albums like Big Star's "Sister Lovers" or even Lou Reed's "Berlin". Even songs such as the traditional bluegrass jolly-up "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" or the re-jigged "Willie And The Hand Jive" are taken at a funereal pace and imbued with a harrowing feeling of melancholy. It makes one wonder how much Melcher had been psychologically damaged by his involvement with the Charles Manson "family" - obliquely referred to here in his song "Halls Of Justice" (which is dovetailed into a medley with Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" and "Like A Rolling Stone"). Despite that (and the fact that it is a ridiculously short album), it's a gorgeously produced (Melcher himself - a former Byrds producer, remember) and features some sublime playing, especially on the string-drenched rendition of McGuinn's "Just A Season". And Doris Day herself duets with him on (a dirge-like, natch) version of Jackson Browne's "These Days". A case of "She ain't heavy, she's my mother", perhaps? :~)
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terry's Legacy, 12 Aug 2005
I heard this album not very long after it was first released. Terry had a tremendous amount of talent and knowledge about the music industry. And although this album is different from most, one should pay close attention to the words and the meaning behind them. There has never been a recording so haunting and so mesmerizing as "These Days." It is a recording that is bound to hit the heart of anyone who has lost in love and lost in life.
I am glad they have released Terry's Legacy to us on DVD.
We miss your sweet soul and your talented mind. Goodnight Sweet Prince, you are very much loved.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOST GEM, 11 May 2005
By A Customer
I bought this album pretty soon after it came out, mainly because I was well into most of the sidemen who played on it and, to be honest, just about anything which came out on reprise at the time was at least very good. I cannot agree with the last reviewer who compares this to the compilation, which eventually came out titled 'Sister Lovers' by Big Star, although coincidentally I have all Big Star's recordings and bought my first round about the time I bought this. Musically the two albums are poles apart. Big Star was apocalyptic, stripped bare rock, whereas this is laid back orchestrated (in parts) country rock; although seen through sardonically humorous and sometimes cynical tinted glasses! 'Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms' is big, bold and wonderful; 'These Days' is my favourite version of a very favourite song. 'Dr Horowitz' and 'These Bars Have Made a Prisoner Out of Me' are brilliant. However all of these are completely eclipsed by one of the greatest AOR tracks of all time 'Beverly Hills'. In terms of ironic cliches in rock history, this scores a massive 10 on the richter scale. it is, simply, sublime. Since I bought this record this track gets played at least five or six times a year; not many you MAY think, but I have approximately 10,000 albums in my collection to put that into context. If you know the record, then I'm probably preaching to the converted; if you don't, hesitate not, just buy it and tell me I'm wrong. A CLASSIC. RIP Terry Melcher and thank you.
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