Dion
's early-'70s albums have been quite overlooked, even in comparison to his similar late-'60s
folk-rock
records, and even by many
fans. This single-disc CD pairs 1970's
Sit Down Old Friend
with 1971's
You're Not Alone
, both records showing
continuing to mature as a
singer/songwriter
and blender of
folk
,
rock
, and
blues
stylings.
was a change of pace even by the standards of his mellower,
folk-rockish
late-'60s comeback records. This was
unplugged: just him on acoustic guitar (both classical and steel string), and no other accompaniment, with all but three of the songs written or co-written by the singer. There's an intimate warmth and vulnerability here that you associate with demos that tend not to be issued in this original form, instead being embellished and worked over into something slicker. For whatever reason, in this case
was able to slip the material through to the consumer in this unadorned format. It's a wistful and reflective set, as unplugged acoustic guitar albums tend to be. But the inherent mellowness of the format is given a harder and more emotional edge by
's
leanings, and the sense of a man emerging from hard times into something better. His voice has rarely been more expressive than it is on
"I Don't Believe My Race Is Run"
and the cover of
Jacques Brel
"If We Only Have Love."
It's a quality overlooked effort of the early
era, though it's missing any classic or hitbound tunes that might have made it a major work.
was a low-key record in which
continued his explorations into introspective music that bridged the
and
styles. Whereas
was solo acoustic, though,
did revert to full-band arrangements for the follow-up. Fortunately, the backing -- including notable session players
Paul Griffin
on organ and
Hugh McCracken
on both electric and acoustic guitar -- was tastefully understated, which would not often be the case the further
moved into the 1970s. It's respectable, yet not as good as
and his best late-'60s
records, with a slight slide in the quality of the material, and less of the near-naked atmosphere that made
stand out. Sometimes the slow and introspective tenor of the tunes gets sluggish, rather in the same way as
Bobby Darin
records of the 1960s, though
was always a better and edgier
singer than
Darin
was. Most of the set is self-composed, and it's fair but not exceptional
singer/songwriting
, with covers varying from effective (
Melanie
"Close to It All"
) to unimaginative (
the Beatles
'
"Let It Be"
). There's just one outing into the rootsy
that
had developed a flair for from the mid-'60s onward,
"The Stuff I Got"
;
"Attraction Works Better Than Promotion"
has to qualify as one of his most offbeat song titles. The CD also adds a 1973 track,
"Doctor Rock'n'Roll,"
as a bonus cut. ~ Richie Unterberger