Sweet Harmony/Open Your Eyes

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Customer reviews

review by: SMc date: 2007-11-16 rating:
"Sweet Harmony" - Sweet Maria
This is quite simply one of the finest and most eclectic albums I have ever had the pleasure to listen to, but more importantly, to own.

Co-produced by Lenny Waronker and Joe Boyd (Nick Drake's producer), this is an album that is perfect in its entirety.

- From Smokey Robinson's "Sweet Harmony", the albums opening track, to the Reverend Brewster's album closer, "As An Eagle Stirreth In Her Nest" this is one hell of an album and cost me all of £2.50 when it came out on vinyl - which I still have in mint condition - in 1976.

For those who don't necessarily need decibels to listen to good music this is a must.

There aren't any stand out tracks - they are ALL stand out tracks. Wendy Waldman's two wonderful compositions, "Wild Bird" features - three LA musicians (on bass, flute and classical guitar) and her "Back By Fall" features a stunning alto sax solo by Vi Redd. There's gospel, the aforementioned album closer, "As An Eagle Stirreth In Her Nest", to Smokey McAllister's USA 60's hit, "I Can't Stand It" and Jon Herald's "Jon The Generator"; there's 40's style pop/swing with Harry Woods' "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" and the glorious Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair" with the composer himself providing harmony vocal and finally, Kate McGarrigle's "Lyin' Song" with wonderful New Orleans style piano from James Booker (who it's reputed gave a lot of style to both Mac Rebenack - aka Dr John - and Alan Toussaint)and Neil Sedaka/Phil Cody's "Sad Eyes", this is what can only be considered in the fullest sense of the phrase, "a classic album".

When people speak of Joe Boyd, they think of Nick Drake, but Joe could never improve on an album of this quality. It's always been a mystery to me that it didn't sell in bucket loads and if you ever buy this and listen to one Katie Melua, you will hear perhaps some influence there.

I have many other Maria Muldaur albums, but if I had to persuade anyone to purchase one, I would urge them to buy "Sweet Harmony". I would put it on a par with The Blue Nile's 1996 masterpiece "Peace At Last" amongst others, as one of the finest albums of all time. Definitely in my top ten.

"Sweet Harmony" is simply a wonderful album and though it's coupled with the much inferior, "Open Your Eyes", this double album, at todays prices, would be the well worth the money. I commend this album to the house !




review by: not_a_real_folkie date: 2007-05-15 rating:
Sumptuous 70s and Spiky 70s
Sweet Harmony was the 3rd album released by Maria on Reprise Records in the 1970s, taking her on an eclectic path away from "Midnight at the Oasis". The album has some lovely, swooping songs on the old vinyl Side 1, but it's "We Couldn't Say Goodbye" with its smart wordplay and close-harmony singing, that really kick-starts the album. From there to the closing track, she's on a big-band/blues/gospel roll to the end.

"Open Your Eyes" from 1979 was a move in a rockier direction, with Patrick Henderson producing and lending keyboards, Dean Parks on guitar and Junior Walker on sax. The songs are for the most part punchy and innovative. "Love is Everything" is a gorgeous Rory Block song given the full production treatment, "Heart of Fire" sees Maria growling her way through a typically fiery vocal, "No More Dancin in the Streets" takes a neat soul-girl's view of punk.

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