Bob Lind – The Elusive Bob Lind

The Elusive Bob Lind was a collection of demos recorded prior to the singer/songwriter finding fame with the hit single Elusive Butterfly.

The tapes were acquired by Verve records and were overdubbed with drums, bass, guitar – and most importantly – strings, arranged by Patrick Williams.  In places the strings and overdubs work exceptionally well; elsewhere they are something of a car crash.

The title of the album was more than a little opportunistic as it suggested that the hit single might appear on the record (it did not).  The artwork might have been prepared during someone’s lunch break.  Otherwise, the record seems to have been marketed as a sub-Dylan protest outing. Indeed, Lind’s cover of The Times They Are A-Changin’ appears as track three.  Elsewhere, Bob gets super-angry in a sub Masters Of War-type way with the well-meaning but frankly ludicrous What Color Are You?

Bob Lind reportedly disowned the album; it has never – to our knowledge – been reissued, although one track – Cool Summer – turned up on a compilation of left-field pop and rock oddities compiled by Pulp band members Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey.

But the record is not without its charm.  When Pat Williams gets the strings right (i.e. on Fennario and Black Night) the effect is quite haunting.  With the recent re-emergence of the mercurial Bob Lind as a recording artist, this album becomes strangely more desirable and absolutely worthy of investigation.  The serendipitous means by which this record was assembled (otherwise forgotten demo tapes tarted-up with overdubs and released as a cash-in) has afforded a very worthwhile record indeed. There’s a lot here to enjoy.  Play this records, the next time you fancy hearing Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left.

Here is the cleanest vinyl transfer that you are likely to hear, taken from a (sealed) American stereo copy of the album.   

      

Audio systems that are capable of reproducing seriously deep bass may reveal the odd sonic thump – these are present on the original record (presumably part of the primitive demo recordings) and not a result of someone or something jogging my turntable.

Track listing

1.      Fennario

2.      Wandering

3.      The Times They Are A-Changin'

4.      Black Night

5.      White Snow

6.      Cool Summer

7.      Hey Nellie Nellie

8.      The Swan

9.      What Color Are You

10.   Gold Mine Blues

11.   Hard Road

Verve Folkways FTS 3005 (1966)

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