Eric Andersen

Anyone into James Taylor or Jackson Browne should give this undiscovered gem a good listen. Andersen's eighth album (recorded in Nashville in 1972) exudes a "peaceful easy feeling" that sounds as if Townes Van Zandt and Dennis Wilson shared a recording studio in Topanga. Joni Mitchell lends vocals on the title track.

Eric Andersen is not one who has been graced with the best of luck. As an itinerant folkie,
he always seemed to hover just under the cutting edge of success, constructing two
obvious standards ("Thirsty Boots" and "Violets of Dawn") while the rest of his delicate, arch
song writing was regrettably put to pasture. When electricity thrust its crackling shadow
over the field, his unfortunate move was to go back and re-do his second album (... More >

I was ready to discard this but because it was so pretty I suffered second thoughts, which is too bad for both of us. In 1967, Andersen sounded like early electric Dylan, so now he sounds like . . . James Taylor. He's honest enough to back himself with a girlie chorus, but that's as far as his honesty goes. If I'm liable to run into noodleheads like Andersen walking down some country road, I'll feel safer in Central Park. (Grade - C)