1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #62. Fred Neil - Fred Neil (1966)

Fred Neil - Fred Neil (1966)

Label – Capitol
Producer – Nick Venet
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality - USA
Running Time – 37:56

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Dolphins
2. I've Got a Secret (Didn't We Shake Sugaree)
3. That's the Bag I'm In
4. Badi-Da
5. Faretheewell (Fred's Tune)
6. Everybody's Talkin'
7. Everything Happens
8. Sweet Cocaine
9. Green Rocky Road
10. Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga

I must confess that I had never heard of Fred Neil before playing this – his second album. Fred Neil is an almost country album with tinges of electric folk-rock. And he sounds amazingly like Merle Haggard.
I was familiar with several of the tracks "Everybody's Talkin'”, "The Dolphins," and "That's the Bag I'm In" not because I had heard them by Fred Neil before but because of later cover versions of them by other artists. One of these cover versions was so popular that this record was re-released in 1969 under the title “Everybody's Talkin'” to capitalize on the international success of the new title track as performed by Harry Nilsson on the soundtrack to the movie ‘Midnight Cowboy’.
I enjoyed listening to it, but in truth – other than the songs that were later covered there isn’t a lot that makes the album stand out. I do recommend that you give it at least a listen.


You can purchase the CD here.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 12
Ray Manzarek from The Doors is 70; Steve Hackett, formerly with Genesis, is 59; Michael McDonald is 57;

ON THIS DATE
1967 Keith Richard becomes the third member of the Rolling Stones to be arrested for “various substances of suspicious nature.”
1968 Jimi Hendrix receives the key to the city in his hometown of Seattle, Washington
1988 Axel Rose walks off the stage in Phoenix, Arizona at a concert where Guns 'N' Roses were the opening act for David Lee Roth. The rest of the shows with DLR are cancelled.
2005 Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and Jerry Lee Lewis receive the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award the day before the Grammys.
2007 Heaven And Hell announce that Vinny Appice will be their drummer instead of Bill Ward