Bend In The Road - CD - 08/28/12

[sharksfan2000]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

Do we got side-by-side comparisons of the two tracklistings?

The 2-LP track listing along with track samples can be found here:
http://www.hhv.de/index.php?rid=2733...nguage&lang=en

A1 Homesick
A2 Cry For Me Baby
A3 Whispering Fields
A4 I Walked A Mile With Sorrow
A5 Earthquake
B1 Aphrodite
B2 Secret Sorrow
B3 Jambo
B4 The Sun Is Shining
C1 Stranger Blues
C2 Strange Woman
C3 Blind Lover
C4 Desired Haven
D1 Come To Me
D2 Merciful Sea
D3 Refugees
D4 Bend In The Road

Looks like the CD track listing is here:
http://www.propelz.com/bend-in-the-road-cd/

Homesick
Cry For Me Baby
Whispering Fields
Walked A Mile
Earthquake
Aphrodite
Secret Sorrow
Stranger Blues
Homework
Desired Haven
Come To Me
Merciful Sea
Refugees
Bend in the Road

BTW, another review of the album is here:
http://bluesrevue.com/2012/06/jeremy...-road-6-0812/#
Not as complimentary as the reviews michelej1 has posted here but there are bound to be differing takes on the album.

And for those who missed it, there was an earlier discussion on "Bend In The Road" here:
http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showthread.php?t=49970

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

http://bluesrevue.com/2012/06/jeremy...-road-6-0812/#
Not as complimentary as the reviews michelej1 has posted here but there are bound to be differing takes on the album.

I don't mind a negative review being posted, but this thing appears to have been written in the midst of a first listen to the album.

[jeremy spencer]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

I don't mind a negative review being posted, but this thing appears to have been written in the midst of a first listen to the album.

...considering the source.

[chriskisn]

Well I'm looking forward to the CD release! I haven't heard the whole album yet but I have heard a couple of tracks and it sounds pretty damn good to me.

[chriskisn]

Despite the release dating saying 28th August, Propelz say they have now despatched mine, so fingers crossed!

[Propelz]

Thanks to everyone for your excitement about Bend. You can purchase the CD now - pre-release date - at the Propelz site, as well as Jeremy's site:

www.JeremySpencer.com
www.Propelz.com

And here is the track list side by side for the CD & LP:

CD:
1. Homesick
2. Cry for Me Baby
3. Whispering Fields
4. Walked a Mile
5. Earthquake
6. Aphrodite
7. Secret Sorrow
8. Stranger Blues
9. Homework
10. Desired Haven
11. Come to Me
12. Merciful Sea
13. Refugees
14. Bend in the Road

Double LP:
1. Homesick
2. Cry for Me Baby
3. Whispering Fields
4. Walked a Mile
5. Earthquake
6. Aphrodite
7. Secret Sorrow
8. Jambo
9. The Sun is Shining
10. Stranger Blues
11. Strange Woman
12. Blind Lover
13. Desired Haven
14. Come to Me
15. Merciful Sea
16. Refugees
17. Bend in the Road

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by chriskisn

Despite the release dating saying 28th August, Propelz say they have now despatched mine, so fingers crossed!

I'm hoping that it gets here soon! It takes so long to send things half way around the world.

[chriskisn]

Yay my CD copy of Bend In The Road finally arrived today! Only had chance to have one listen but it sounds fantastic!

My wife (a notorious FM hater) did threaten to have dinner in the other room and referred to it as "old man music" but what does she know???

Great album Jeremy!

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by chriskisn

My wife (a notorious FM hater) did threaten to have dinner in the other room and referred to it as "old man music" but what does she know???

[TrueFaith77]

Just ordered my copy! Excited!!

[jeremy spencer]

Originally Posted by chriskisn

Yay my CD copy of Bend In The Road finally arrived today! Only had chance to have one listen but it sounds fantastic!

My wife (a notorious FM hater) did threaten to have dinner in the other room and referred to it as "old man music" but what does she know???

Great album Jeremy!

Thank you very much, Chriskisn,
Glad you like it. And when I hear much of what could be called 'young people's music' today, I take your wife's reference to mine as a compliment!

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by jeremy spencer

Thank you very much, Chriskisn,
Glad you like it. And when I hear much of what could be called 'young people's music' today, I take your wife's reference to mine as a compliment!

Yes you do have a point there!

[michelej1]

Something Else Reviews, by Nick DeRiso August 23, 2012
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2012...the-road-2012/

Jeremy Spencer, the Fleetwood Mac alum, has found inspiration in working with new voices, old masters and his own muse, creating an album of intimate, handmade joys that moves confidently from blues to Americana to rootsy pop.

Bend in the Road, seeing worldwide release on August 28, 2012, recalls in many ways the Elmore James-focused contributions he made to Fleetwood Mac’s first pair of Peter Green-led recordings in the late 1960s — a vibe that carried over to Spencer’s 2006 comeback recording Precious Little, as well. Spencer plays slide throughout, and includes James tracks like “The Sun is Shining” and “Stranger Blues” — the last of which is given a tasty new Spanish tinge. (The opener, called “Homesick,” was actually written and recorded in the early 1950s by James’ cousin, too.)

But there’s much more than that going on here.

Of course, Spencer was also known, in the late 1960s, for his canny way of echoing early rockers, and he gives a few notable nods (the groove on “Earthquake,” the unkempt vocals on “Stranger Blues” and “Homework”) to the legacies of lost mid-century geniuses like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, too.

Bend in the Road, originally issued as a limited-edition double vinyl album for Record Store Day, also revives a few ideas that had lain dormant from his time in Fleetwood Mac, the brief solo career that followed, and during what would turn a three-decade retirement from the music business for Spencer — who left to follow a religious path.

He’d started on “Whispering Fields” in the run up to Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1967 debut, but set it aside. After a number of failed attempts at fashioning lyrics for the tune over the years, it’s presented here as an amiable, country-rocking instrumental. The searching, ruminative “Desired Haven” is a reworking of an idea that dates back to 1972, while “Refugees” started out as the title track from 1979′s Flee. “Aphrodite,” which recalls the inspirational lyricism of George Harrison, is originally from the late 1970s, as well. Meanwhile, “Earthquake” was written in 1981, after Spencer experienced a temblor in Greece.

At the same time, though, Bend in the Road doesn’t seem dated, never feels rote: That’s thanks in part of these flinty tandem moments with new collaborator Brett Lucas, who’s worked with Bettye LaVette in the past. His contributions are particularly notable on the series of Spencer instrumentals included here, as the second guitarist adds classically inspired flourishes, early rock punch, and a few saucy R&B asides. (The band is rounded out by drummer Todd Glass; bassist James Simonson; accordion player Duncan McMillan; a string section that included Molly Hughes, Mimi Morris and Stefan Koch; and background vocalist Rachel May, who offers an intriguing series of shadings — moving with sly ease from soaring heights to ghostly quietude.)

Posted by Nick DeRiso

Jeremy Spencer, the Fleetwood Mac alum, has found inspiration in working with new voices, old masters and his own muse, creating an album of intimate, handmade joys that moves confidently from blues to Americana to rootsy pop.

Bend in the Road, seeing worldwide release on August 28, 2012, recalls in many ways the Elmore James-focused contributions he made to Fleetwood Mac’s first pair of Peter Green-led recordings in the late 1960s — a vibe that carried over to Spencer’s 2006 comeback recording Precious Little, as well. Spencer plays slide throughout, and includes James tracks like “The Sun is Shining” and “Stranger Blues” — the last of which is given a tasty new Spanish tinge. (The opener, called “Homesick,” was actually written and recorded in the early 1950s by James’ cousin, too.)

But there’s much more than that going on here.

Of course, Spencer was also known, in the late 1960s, for his canny way of echoing early rockers, and he gives a few notable nods (the groove on “Earthquake,” the unkempt vocals on “Stranger Blues” and “Homework”) to the legacies of lost mid-century geniuses like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, too.

Bend in the Road, originally issued as a limited-edition double vinyl album for Record Store Day, also revives a few ideas that had lain dormant from his time in Fleetwood Mac, the brief solo career that followed, and during what would turn a three-decade retirement from the music business for Spencer — who left to follow a religious path.

He’d started on “Whispering Fields” in the run up to Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled 1967 debut, but set it aside. After a number of failed attempts at fashioning lyrics for the tune over the years, it’s presented here as an amiable, country-rocking instrumental. The searching, ruminative “Desired Haven” is a reworking of an idea that dates back to 1972, while “Refugees” started out as the title track from 1979′s Flee. “Aphrodite,” which recalls the inspirational lyricism of George Harrison, is originally from the late 1970s, as well. Meanwhile, “Earthquake” was written in 1981, after Spencer experienced a temblor in Greece.

[SOMETHING ELSE! REWIND: Jeremy Spencer's former Fleetwood Mac bandmate Peter Green has also made a remarkable 2012 comeback with the thrillingly rambunctious 'Blues Don't Change.']

At the same time, though, Bend in the Road doesn’t seem dated, never feels rote: That’s thanks in part of these flinty tandem moments with new collaborator Brett Lucas, who’s worked with Bettye LaVette in the past. His contributions are particularly notable on the series of Spencer instrumentals included here, as the second guitarist adds classically inspired flourishes, early rock punch, and a few saucy R&B asides. (The band is rounded out by drummer Todd Glass; bassist James Simonson; accordion player Duncan McMillan; a string section that included Molly Hughes, Mimi Morris and Stefan Koch; and background vocalist Rachel May, who offers an intriguing series of shadings — moving with sly ease from soaring heights to ghostly quietude.)


Credit Spencer, the roving gypsy heart of this project, as well. He finds inspiration everywhere — switching to keyboards on tracks like the majestically restrained “Merciful Sea” and James’ sizzling “Cry for My Baby,” while uncovering inspirational wellsprings that reside far beyond the iconic Delta cottonfields and shotgun shacks of traditional acoustic blues: There are devotional nods to his time away from music (“I Walked a Mile With Sorrow,” “Come to Me”), and a trio of tunes based upon poetry — “I Walked a Mile” (Robert Browning), “Secret Sorrow” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) and the title track (an obscure writer named Praveen).

In the end, this gives Bend in the River the feel of a career valedictory. It’s gloriously hard to pin down — something personified in standout tracks like “Homework,” which finds Spencer howling like old rock and stinging like Otis Rush, all over a loose groove that would have been right at home on an Eric Clapton solo recording from the early 1970s.

It’s that kind of record. The very good kind.

[michelej1]

Blog Critics.org

Author: David Bowling — Published: Aug 23, 2012

When most people think of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Jeremy Spencer is not an artist who usually comes to mind. In fact, many modern music fans will not associate him with the band for which he was inducted, Fleetwood Mac. Today, the band is known for its smooth brand of pop rock and the tens of millions of albums it has sold during the past 30 years.

If you were a fan of the early Fleetwood Mac or an aficionado of the blues, then you are probably very familiar with Jeremy Spencer as one of the premier guitarists of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and Peter Green were Mac’s original guitarists and they managed to produce some of the best guitar-based fusion of rock and blues of their era. Spencer was a member of the band, 1967-71, until he walked away in the middle of a tour to join a religious cult. He now returns with a brilliant new album.

Bend In the Road was originally released as a two-disc vinyl album on National Record Day, April 21, 2012. It now returns as a CD and there are differences. The LP contained 17 tracks, four of which were exclusive to the format. The CD repeats the other 13 tracks plus adds one more new song for a total of 14.

When Spencer is in the mood he is one of the better guitarists alive today and on this album, he is definitely in the mood. The material finds its foundation in the blues but there are excursions into country and rock.

The album's lead track, “Homesick,” was originally recorded by James Williamson during 1952. It is a traditional blues song and is made for the virtuosity of Spencer’s slide guitar style. His voice may have aged a bit but the patina has made it perfect for interpreting the blues. “Cry for Me Baby” is an old Elmore James tune and on it he plays off second guitarist Brett Lucas. The clarity of each individual note is the result of talent and years of practice.

“Whispering Fields” goes in a different direction. It is a breezy instrumental that just flows along. “Walked a Mile” or “I Walked a Mile with Sorrow” is a sermon-type song that has an autobiographical feel to it, even though it was inspired by Robert Browning.

“Earthquake” finds him is rock mode. While the liner notes state it was inspired by Eddie Cochran, I find it has an Elvis feel to it. Whichever may be true, it is an ode to old style rock and roll. The title track ends the album and has poignant lyrics concerning the ebb and flow of life, which is perfect for a musician with many miles under his bent. Through it all it retains a positive attitude and hope.

Bend In the Road is now in the running for one of my top 10 albums of the year. It’s good to see this old Fleetwood Mac alumnus live and well, still producing superior music.

[TrueFaith77]

I actually have a lot I'd like to say about this beautiful album. But I'll just share a couple of initial thoughts.

1. The variety of genres on the album showcases Jeremy Spencer's famed skills as a mimic. But he is always personally expressive, utilizing his "masks" to express a complex personality--in fact, the personality of an uncanny mimic--particularly as he struggles to balance his spiritual yearning and his sexual desires. This theme unites this collection of original compositions and covers.

2. The four works in which Spencer paints "musical 'pictures'" are all gorgeous.

3. Spencer would add great value to the current Mac line-up.

4. I struggle over the inclusion of "Refugees." First, any version of "Flee" is great. But "Flee" is one of my favorite songs of all time. So I guess I was hoping for something more radically different in approach; instead it creates a kind of strange cognitive dissonance. I guess it just sounds like how Jeremy might perform the song live in a concert with his collaborators on this album (such a concert would be a dream for Jeremy, according to the liner notes, and I can say: I would be there!!). Cognitive dissonance aside: this song very much speaks to the state of the world today. It's this album's "Psychic Waste" in which the personal, private, spiritual concerns of the rest of the album speak directly to these troubled times. So I guess in a way: who knew "Flee" was a folk song?

5. With Precious Little, I felt that Spencer's voice remained remarkably youthful. On this album, I hear the age. Now, do not misunderstand me: he in no ways has a decreased range nor is his voice any less lovely! Instead, I just hear a weathered tone to the vocals. It signifies experience.