Jeremy Spencer "Precious Little" review

[dansven]

I thought I'd just post my impression of this album... not really a review, but just a few thoughts about the songs. It would be nice to hear the oppinion to those of you who already have the album, and maybe I can tempt some more of you to go and buy it!! :)

These are the songs.............

1. BITTER LEMON: (original)
Acoustic, jazzy blues with sparse backing. A nice starter to set the mood and tone for the record. “Take that bitter lemon, and squeeze in a sweet lemonade...”

2. PSYCHIC WASTE: (original)
This one really rocks! We know this one from the India ’98 live recordings, but this version is FAR better – Excellent vocals! Horn section on this one.

3. IT HURTS ME TOO:
This was issued as a promo single in Norway, and can also be found on India ’98. This beautiful blues ballad features mellow slide guitar by Jeremy, and also guitar solo and harmonica solo from his excellent backing band.

4. PLEASE DON’T GO:
Hehe, great fun!! :thumbsup: A Fabian cover with plenty of space for the band to take solos. Reminds me of the Fleetwood Mac days, with Jeremy doing Tiger, Blue Suede Shoes etc...

5. SERENE SERENA:
Back to the acoustic style of the opener. This is a rewritten version of the old classic “Corrine Corrina”. Jeremy tells the story about the woman he is singing about in the sleeve notes. They’re making a good job out of it, and this is my Mom’s favourite on the album!!

6. DR. J: (original)
Ah, the “Dust My Broom” type of song on this album!! Just had to do one! :D This was also released on the promo single mentioned earlier, but that was another version. Also a groovy horn section on this. I believe the “J” in the song is one Mr. J. from Nazareth approx. 2000 years ago, rather than Jeremy himself! ;)

7. BLEEDING HEART:
This song has stayed with Jeremy since the Fleetwood Mac “London Live ’68” CD and was also played in India in 1998. It is in the same mellow blues ballad style as “It Hurts Me Too” (with Jeremy doing bird sounds on his guitar).

8. MANY SPARROWS: (original)
I love this "cowboy instrumental" with Jeremy and the band humming a little melody now and then. Indeed one of the highlights on the album!!

9. TROUBLE AND WOE: (original)
A really funky rocker with brilliant with horn section. Jeremy is playing a slide guitar with lots of effects in the (pretty intense) ending.

10. MARIA DE SANTIAGO: (original)
This lovely ballad is found as an instrumental on the Gaia album. Jeremy wrote some beautiful lyrics for the version on this album. A very nice arrangement too. The song was performed live on Norwegian TV on the release date of the album.

11. TAKE AND GIVE:
I’m sooo glad he did this Slim Rhodes cover!!! Superb slide guitar! Superb vocals! Definitely one of my favourites on the album.

12. PRECIOUS LITTLE: (original)
A beautiful ending of a beautiful record. This wistful ballad is also one of my favourites. Jeremy also tells the story behind this song in the sleeve notes.

This album is a perfect mix of classic blues and Jeremy's originals. It is my honest oppinion to give it 10 out of 10!!:thumbsup:

This album shows not only Jeremy’s voice and slide guitar, but also what a wonderful songwriter he is!! (And from the India ’98 concerts we also have gems like have “Bend In The Road” and “Red Sky Blues”.)

It’s hard to believe that the last real album from this man came in 1979!!! So Jeremy, if you read this, it's so good to have a new album from you! And we hope to hear more of your own songs in the future! :)

Daniel

(Now, everybody: Go get it!):lol:

[BklynBlue]

Thanks for taking the time to post that song by song breakdown. Well done!
A favor to ask: could you please post the song writer credit for the Fabian song "Please Don't Go"?
While waiting for the disc to arrive, it is going to drive me nuts wondering if that is the same song circulating on bootleg that is usually listed as being from the October 9th 1968 BBC broadcast. The title for the one unreleased track from that session is "Baby, Don't You Want To Go" and I believe that is an entirely different song.
Also, I have as I have not been able to find the title "Please Don't Go" in the Fabian catalog, I am thinking that it was originally released under a different title and the composer credit might help to narrow it down.
Thanks

[Wouter Vuijk]

I thought I'd just post my impression of this album... not really a review, but just a few thoughts about the songs. It would be nice to hear the oppinion to those of you who already have the album, and maybe I can tempt some more of you to go and buy it!! :)

These are the songs.............


12. PRECIOUS LITTLE: (original)
A beautiful ending of a beautiful record. This wistful ballad is also one of my favourites. Jeremy also tells the story behind this song in the sleeve notes.


Daniel

(Now, everybody: Go get it!):lol:
Doing a little research (google) I came up with a song entitled "Precious Little". Here are the lyrics. Hopefully it's not the same as Jeremy's? Or has henot claimed to have written the song (if it is the same)?

Eleanor Mcevoy lyrics

"Eleanor Mcevoy Precious Little lyrics" (eleanor mcevoy)

Shake your beads out,
One by one
And call me magdalene
It won’t grieve me
I understand
Where it is you’re coming from
Draw a curtain
Close your eyes
When history’s pages fail you.
I will not open up those history books
That’s not for me to do.

Precious little in your life
Is yours by right
And won without a fight
Precious little in your life
Is yours by right
And won without a fight.

Shadows call me,
In the wind
Some don’t go away
Angels guide me
From the clouds
In everything I do and say
Shake your beads out

Kneeling down
It will not pass me by
Two people coming from a different place
Maybe neither one is right.

Repeat chorus

Shake your beads out
Join your hands
That still won’t make you right
Those so-called sinners that you’re praying for
Are standing by your side

Repeat chorus

Repeat chorus

[bretonbanquet]

Nope - different song :wavey:

Whilst I'm here, I was wondering if the "J. Phoenix" who co-wrote "Psychic Waste" is the celebrated Joaquin Phoenix...? Jeremy mentions him as a "young musician friend" but is it the same guy? Seems like quite a coincidence.

[Neb-Maat-Re]

Nope - different song :wavey:

Whilst I'm here, I was wondering if the "J. Phoenix" who co-wrote "Psychic Waste" is the celebrated Joaquin Phoenix...? Jeremy mentions him as a "young musician friend" but is it the same guy? Seems like quite a coincidence.

Apparently it is John Phoenix according to this and some other sites:

http://www.family.gr.jp/music/cds/unchart/unc-psy.htm

[bretonbanquet]

Apparently it is John Phoenix according to this and some other sites:

http://www.family.gr.jp/music/cds/unchart/unc-psy.htm

Thanks for clearing that up! It was just that I knew Joaquin Phoenix was with the CoG at one point, and if he'd helped to write the song it would have been something the media would have made a big deal of. Now if ever anyone asks again, we can put them straight :)

[mzero]

Thanks for clearing that up! It was just that I knew Joaquin Phoenix was with the CoG at one point, and if he'd helped to write the song it would have been something the media would have made a big deal of. Now if ever anyone asks again, we can put them straight :)

interesting! this john phoenix may be joaquin, rain, summer, and river phoenix's father, born john bottom, known as john phoenix in the CoG. the phoenix children's early years were spent in the CoG. i believe that john phoenix left the CoG in the late 1970's which (if its the same john phoenix) would date the song as from that period.

zero

[Neb-Maat-Re]

interesting! this john phoenix may be joaquin, rain, summer, and river phoenix's father, born john bottom, known as john phoenix in the CoG. the phoenix children's early years were spent in the CoG. i believe that john phoenix left the CoG in the late 1970's which (if its the same john phoenix) would date the song as from that period.

zero

I don't think that John Phoenix could be described as "young".

[diamond sky]

interesting! this john phoenix may be joaquin, rain, summer, and river phoenix's father, born john bottom.

zero

So that means his son's name was really River Bottom!:laugh:

[dansven]

A favor to ask: could you please post the song writer credit for the Fabian song "Please Don't Go"?

Hi BklynBlue!

The composer of "Please Don't Go" is Gordon Gaibraith.

Daniel

[chiliD]

So that means his son's name was really River Bottom!:laugh:

A little respect for the dead. :laugh:

[chiliD]

(Now, everybody: Go get it!):lol:\

A link to where to order it, please.

[wetcamelfood]

\

A link to where to order it, please.

http://www.bluestownrecords.com/katalog_e.htm

Do what they say in the blue box on the right of the page. :)

John

[chiliD]

Thanks, John.

HEY! I see there's a band called "Jumpin' Jerry & The Blue Healers". My old blues band was called "Blue Healer"...they stole my name!! Well, I guess I can't bitch too much, my "Blue Healer" band has been broken up for 18 years with such a rare chance of a reunion, I think there'd be better odds that Dave Walker would rejoin Fleetwood Mac before that band would reunite. :lol:

[Neb-Maat-Re]

A little respect for the dead. :laugh:

So, no rousing chorus of TISM's "(He'll Never Be An) Old Man River", then?

[sharksfan2000]

Just listened to the new Jeremy Spencer CD, Precious Little. Wow - really nice music! :thumbsup: My first impression is that it ranks up there with the best solo albums by Mac members.

The most notable thing to me is how relaxed Jeremy sounds on this album. Sounds like he must have had a good time recording it. :)

Nice rundown of the individual tracks, Daniel! A bunch of very good tracks, only a couple that didn't do that much for me, but a terrific finish with the title track, maybe my favorite on the album. That one reminded me a lot of Mark Knopfler (I think someone else here mentioned that too).

Great work by Jeremy and the rest of the band - looking forward to listening again to this CD, and hope we hear more music from Jeremy soon!

[Wouter Vuijk]

Hi folks,

I just received my copy today and had a "quick" listening.
Most of my opinions are equal to all the other rviews we've seen here so I won't go into repeating what has already been stated. Just these two remarks:

1) Although not the Jeremy Spencer we knew from the old FM days, he has really come up with a nioe and mellow album.
2) Comparing this album to the Splinter Group material, I'd say that Peter and Jeremy should really show up together again, the same mellowness throughout both. Peter's singing would fit in with Jeremy's compositions very well.

Having said this, I also think Mick and John would fit in very well, just listen to the pounding bass on various tracks. It reminds me of Johns BM days also on the more mellow tracks. So, who's going to stop this reunion?