Change: World in Changes

 

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My life is going through some major changes, but that's not where this ostensibly expired theme came from. Those life changes, however, are why this post is squeezing in after the expiration date of the theme: as I wrap up what was my initial draft, I see that I set "pen to paper" on this on May 1st. Good intentions.

Having just returned from a second trip to the US in a month and on my way to pick up our dog from the kennel, what to my wondering ears should "appear" from the car entertainment system - but 3 tracks from Dave Mason's <Alone Together>. Now that's a coincidental guilty reminder to finish what I started if I ever "saw" one.

So, here I am in the car listening to the song I was going to post almost 3 weeks back, and I am listening to it with different ears.

The cue list on the car system is ostensibly random. In fact, alphabetical. So, here comes Traffic's Glad. (Dave Mason cues up after the letter T because the recording was downloaded from YouTube using a site that appends "yts" to all file names.) So, the order is Traffic, some Dave Mason, followed by Clapton 461 Ocean. 

Now, by the time Traffic came out with JohnBarleycorn, Mason had moved on to his first solo album. At about the same time that Clapton had also moved on to solo work. The year is 1970.

As I listen to the tracks I have saved - noting the guitar playing in particular, I find myself questioning if  that isn't Clapton's guitar I am hearing on Alone Together. It's not, but there's an awful lot that's similar: tone and riffs. When I check the list of musicians, I remind myself that there is in fact a fair amount of cross-over with Clapton associates of that era: Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Cooldige, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell, Carl Radle .. And of course, there's Clapton's later work with Traffic-man Steve Winwood.

And I note that while Mason's vocals are plenty fair enough on World in Changes - and his guitar work fairly comparable to Clapton's, I see that Alone Together is rock that's just Good Enough rocking.

So, here's a more recent variation on the 1970 original:

When I posted about Alone Together back in 2020, I included 3 songs from the album,, but not this one:

ALONE: ALONE TOGETHER

purchase [Alone Together]

Up until about 30 years ago, I had a 6-foot-long collection of 33 1/3 RPM LPs purchased between 1967 and 1978. I wasn't listening to them and my better half pushed to have them disappear: they were given away to a local radio station. All except for about 1 foot's worth.
If you know your history, 30 years ago is when the SONY Walkman appeared on the market, and the LP collection was duly re-populated with hundreds of cassettes. Slightly less space consumed, but no less unruly.

The 50 or so that I kept included original copies (well used) of classics like Sgt. Peppers, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, Blind Faith and Clapton's first solo ...

And Dave Mason's first solo album <Alone Together>. Even if I don't actually spin them any longer these days, I would never get rid of Dave Mason's Alone Together. For the music, and for the archaeological value of the copy I have: it's the marbled vinyl version with the hang-on-the-wall cover. Not the "anniversary edition", it appears to be worth a "bit" more than I paid for it at Tower Records in downtown Philly in 1970.

Mason had gone off on his own following his on-agin/off-again stint with Traffic, and all songs on the album were written by him. Apparently part of his frictions with Traffic stem from writing material that he wanted the band to perform/conform. Out on his own, he became free to do his thing his way.

There are critics that weren't altogether impressed ("more potential than realization" and "trivial lyrics"). Over his later career, I wouldn't argue with the trivial lyrics argument, but I have always felt that the album's sequence - from start to end - worked well as a "whole". Even today, there aren't any songs that I would skip over/fast forward to the next in line. That makes it a bit tough to pick the one that best suits our "Alone" theme. Let's try these 3 (selected lyrics that seem to me to highlight <alone>):

Cant Stop Worrying:
Who am I talking to it's just myself

Waitin on You:
Well there's no one that I can believe no, no
It's all because I couldn't see
That the best friend that I have is me

Look At You, Look At Me:
But I'm happy just to be a part of all I see

Unusual Collaborations: Michael Jackson and Dave Mason

How in the world did the hottest pop star of the 1980's team up with the founder of Traffic? Michael Jackson was recording Thriller in the same studio where Dave Mason was recording Old Crest On a New Wave. I'd say it was a pretty ballsy move for Mason to ask Jackson if he'd like to sing a song on his album. Jackson practically takes over the track "Save Me". Released as a single, the tune charted at #71 in the Billboard Hot 100. 

 "He'd done a song of mine,'Feelin' Alright', that I wrote when I was 19." Dave Mason told Dick Clark in 1980. " He'd done it when he was 9 years old with Diana Ross so the title ( of the album) Old Crest On A New Wave seemed to tie in at that moment."

Fans may remember that moment on a Diana Ross variety show way back in '69. Especially for the moment ( at 3:00 in) when Diana Ross was thrust in the midst of the dancing Jacksons  to "show them how it's done girl".


 

Dylan Covers: All Along The Watchtower

Dave Mason: All Along The Watchtower

U2: All Along The Watchtower

[purchase]

All Along The Watchtower was written during Dylan's reclusive stay at Woodstock following his motorcycle accident.  Following Blonde On Blonde, and during the Summer of Love while every band on earth was trying to sound as big and important as they possibly could, it must have been a bit of a shock when Dylan released an album with only a bass, drum, and guitar. None of the songs on the album have a chorus, and most of the lyrics had allusions to biblical and religious figures and parables.  Like much of Dylan's work, this is definitely an album out of it's time.

Charlie McCoy, the bass player on the John Wesley Harding album, said, "Kenny and I were amazed at the change from Blonde on Blonde to John Wesley Harding.  The recording was different.  Of course, he sounded different.  He looked different.  We just flew through that stuff."  The three John Wesley Harding sessions totaled nine hours (while it took The Beatles five months to record Sgt. Pepper).

Again from McCoy, "We went in there and knocked 'em out like demos.  It seemed to be the rougher the better.  He would hear a mistake and laugh a little bit to himself as if to say, 'Great, man, that's just great.  Just what I'm looking for.'"

Jimi Hendrix had a huge hit with his cover of All Along The Watchtower only six months after the release of the original, but Jimi has already been featured on this theme, so I'm shying away from him.  Instead, here are covers by one of the founding members of Traffic, Dave Mason, and by U2.  This song has also been covered by at least 10 other artists.