folk-rock / singer-songwriters reissues presents :
Alan Munson

as Cooley / Munson : LP (1972)->CD (2008) ; solo : LP (1974)-> CD (2008), tape (1976)->CD (2008)
Guerssen Rec.       Cooley / Munson : In Debt (US,1972,re.2008)****

This duo from Santa Barbara, California shows creatively all the sunny/beach healing energy of the bay area, in an extremely relaxed way and with a distance to the world and also to their own experiences. “In Debt” deals with their own consequences in relationships, in committing and in leaving, looking for change that was never found. The front cover says “we will no longer be responsible for debts contracted by ourselves on any other person”, while at the same time they also deal with the whole reality of what is left behind. The side path, outside it all, makes above all a very creative meditation. It is even as if the 60s sounds come to a halt now, with new free expressions of honest and calm retrospective songs. The lead vocals are beautifully gentle, and so there is little percussion. The dual guitars work like gentle breezes. The attractive songs are kept relatively simple, and because the melodic-rhythmic ideas of the guitars are well adapted to the song melodies, this gives them a rather timeless feeling. “In The Rain” has a really beautiful melody-driven acoustic guitar tune, taking its place to develop. “Sightly Sue” has a certain surf-effect on the guitar, revealing a California beach feeling, perhaps even something of an island, separated from the land. More often it is acoustic and electric guitar that are combined. The song “In Debt” is also worth a mention for its beautiful vocal harmonies. A recommended, enjoyable album.

Audio : "I need a change", "In debt", "In the rain"
Homepage of Alan Munson : http://www.alanmunson.com
Description on http://www.bompstore.com/... & http://www.systemrecords.co.uk/...
Label info (Spanish) : http://www.guerssen.com/cont_sello.html      solo albums->
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Guerssen Rec.       Alan Munson : Good Morning World (US,1974,re.2008)****'

The beautiful vocal harmonies on this solo album are still there, as if he never quit as a duo, just like the impression on the back cover, where you can see him taking a pose before a landscape (right),.. with himself (left). The liner note introduction mention an important pre-dating experience which changed his life as a musician, which started with a feeling of disappointment after having visited a producer in LA, who said he had to work on more self-experienced songs before coming back. And that’s what he did, literally and drastically, leaving us with a witnessing album of such an experience.

-In what we know about Buddhism and other researches for enlightenment or spiritual relief, we often hear about the idea that we should quit our daily lives to be able to meditate on our direct way of experiences. If we should do that literally any time it could also mean a fleeing of any responsibilities and commitment, while we could also have practiced this by making only a conscious distance with our personality alone, while taking only a distance from daily life in mind, while still consciously participating with attention to all the confronting deepest inner needs which we could gradually fulfil in this context as well.- Just at the emotional highlight with a relationship and meeting point, being afraid that one day this might change to something bad, that’s where the songwriter left, trying to keep to good feeling and memory, that should be able to kept high also without this. (I must say I have experienced a likewise situation, but now I know that such decision also destroyed that special connection, and that it wasn’t able to live on without it. (Later I realised that eventually, in a commitment, you are destined to go to a next level, where we can experience who we as individuals and as caretakers for others really are, so that for those who really care about the other this feeling can not become worse, while only illusions and situation-depending experiences can be destroyed by time and change). Alan Munson went for keeper of the energy of the experience itself, which, captured in a moment on an album, of course was able to bring something of that special moment of this, into words and music. 

Audio : "Fences", "Good morning world", "The turtle (moving on)"
Label info on http://www.guerssen.com/
Guerssen Rec.       Alan Munson : First Light (US,1979,re.2008)**°°

A few years after Alan’s debut I think he still delivered a strong context-bound next chapter to the two previous albums. There is a little less attention to deeper arrangements, but the songs still sound fine, even when several of them are a bit more influenced by country-rock. The overall feeling is light and reveals some contentment and a certain positivism expressed by sunny flavours and a happy and a light feeling which may be somewhat typical for citizens from sunny California. The song “Good morning world”, standing for a hopeful new beginning, is taken also to this second solo album, with a radio friendly happy version. And also that old love isn’t forgotten, which can be noticed in almost every song, but despite my remarks on the previous album, the positiveness and energy of it, is still able to live on and feed his actions further. I also like very much the 12-string driven songs. The bonus track, referring to the funny feeling that at 30 years old he still is playing rock’n roll is a bit lighter in style, but as a song still fits well as an addition to this chapter or period.

Audio : "it's cold outside", "november", "sail away forever"
Label info on http://www.guerssen.com/
Homepage of Alan Munson : http://www.alanmunson.com