Fallout Rec.
Fred Neil : Trav'lin Man : The Early Singles (US,1957-1961,pub.2008)***°
I thought that his first introduction on record was the cooperation with Vince Martin, in 1964, a combination which only worked well for his own solo work and songs, (it reminds me at how also Phil Ochs was introduced, with compromises to another performer), but there seemed to have been earlier singles recordings, which are now, for the first time, well compiled together. With these earliest singles, it becomes even more clear how there has been a whole different lifetime of songs, and another chapter of his personal and musical history, which is also worth checking out. Also in the late 50s and early 60s Fred Neil has been appreciated for his songs and attractive voice. He is known to have sold songs to Roy Orbison ("Candy Man"), Jack Scott ("Grizzly Bear"), and others, while also Buddy Holly covered a song co-written by him (“Come Back Baby”, recorded 5 years earlier but only published in 1964, a short time only before Buddy's sad accident).
Until his father died when he was nine (?) he travelled with him around the South-East border selling jukeboxes. From him he got his first guitar, and through the jukeboxes he learned to play the instrument. One of the earliest musical influences on Fred Neil was in fact the gospel music in churches where only black worshippers gathered, where he went to sing with his grandmother. Since the mid fifties he quickly became involved in the rockabilly scene, and knew several important writers and singers. Personally it seems that he liked very much Hank Williams. Possibly with some recommendations from Buddy Holly, Fred Neil got a contract for his first single around 1957. After a few more singles it seems that he also was a session guitar player like for Bobby Darin ("Dream Lover" demo) and Paul Anka ("Diana").
-My girlfriend's musical and other tastes spans much more the 40s to the 60s, while my own roots of interests started where her roots originally leaves off more or less, at around 1966-1967, but it is still interesting to see how during the years we find the overlaps and bridges between the two different periods, and also, starting points, in music well, while it is as if for me now I feel better the early roots of the sixties with its more free and personal expressions how this lies rooted further back in time. While she also liked very much the later Fred Neil, and each song which I presented there, obviously she didn’t feel less sympathy for his older work, which while it still is clearly a product of his time, it already shows Freddie’s own unique personality of expressions through the use of his voice, and his clever song writing, showing often a certain intelligent distance to the songs.-
On the first listed, rock’n roll, track, “You ain’t treatin’ me right”, you can hear in some phrases how his baritone voice is penetrating with its lower vibrations with a certain fun making in the song. Different to Elvis's strong and slightly “black”-alike voice, in many of Fred’s early songs we hear an almost cynical enjoyment having fun with the style of the times, making the songs different as usual, and thus also highly enjoyable (from the crooner B-side “Don’t put a blame on me” to the calmer beauty “Take me back again”, a song with some sad mouth harmonica, onto the more serious “heartbreak bound”). “Listen Kitten” sounds more like Buddy Holly. Mostly he is accompanied by a background choir singing rhythmic “awoo’s” and such (like on “heartbreak bound”, “Travelin’ band”,..), as well as with the usual rock’n roll band. More of a ballad is “Love’s funny”, lead by acoustic guitar this time. The next, happy romantic song, “Secret-Secret” then is already more comparable to a let’s say pre-Tim Hardin area of singing/style. Equally happy and attractive, with beautiful whistling, is “Slipping Around”. Also “Rainbow and A Rose” continues with a ballad romantic style. “Four Chaplains” is a bit more country-like, and only 'seems' to have a pro-American subject, with Church-like musical associations in the beginning, but also here you can hear a cynical intelligent Fred Neil having his own story to tell.
After these singles, or around this period, he started to sing at ‘The Café Wha?’ where he would be one of the first politically conscious singers, influencing people like Bob Dylan and playing with him occasionally. Then he moved to the scene at ‘At the Gaslight’ where he would turn to a folkier and more blues-folk period of influence, while meeting people like Tim Hardin, Karen Dalton and Peter Stampfe, but that is already a next chapter..
The sound quality of the compiled tracks is very good and it definitely shows very well the talent of the early period of Fred Neil before he was introduced to other influences. A recommended document. The release also made me again curious to Neil's bluesier period to giving it a second opinion and listen soon.
* Sebastian for instance called his voice a "honey-laden baritone with the Southern lilt", and also Odetta once described his voice as "a healing instrument."
