1(B)
BEST OF THE BAD BOYS
(Style STLP 8061)
1966 R4

Alias Blowin' In The Wind.

I don't really care for Bob Dylan, and it is for one reason only; his whingey voice. It just, for me, undermines all the cleverness of his lyrics since he sounds like a child who's dropped his ice cream.

But there's no denying the man writes cracking songs. Virtually every time I hear someone other than him perform a Dylan tune, I find it a great listening experience. Another favourite is Linda Gayle's version of Maggie's Farm (on one of the Girls In The Garage volumes).

Peggy March is famous (if 'famous' isn't stretching it) for a couple of saccharine hits in the early 60's. Few people realise she had a later dimension to her career - great popularity as a German language singer. Her vocal treatment of this Dylan song adds a shyness and grace to the protest, all accompanied by, naturallment, that slight oompah-ness endemic to a great deal of German pop of the period.

weary and so, so sad.

This track makes you wish you had some of the title. A crazy mix of marimba, sax, and sitar grooving in a rock-jazz mode. Probably his best work from the period, apart from his great jazz-mass from the previous year with Lalo Schifrin. This album is full of now sound madness, with Oliver Nelson leading most of the set in good form, but the two PH directs himself, this one and "Guv-Gubi" make the record worth seeking out.