Fifty Year Friday: Roy Ayers, Stoned Soul Picnic; Eric Burdon & The Animals, Every One of Us
About the time that the Fifth Dimension released their single of Laura Nyro’s “Stoned Soul Picnic”, Roy Ayers recorded tracks for his second album on June 20, 1968 that included Nyro’s tune and would be named for that song. The session and the released album also included three originals, Jobim’s “Wave” and Ron Miller and Orlando Murdon’s “For Once in My Life” (previously recorded by Tony Bennett [#91 on the pop singles chart] and several Motown Artists including the Temptations, before Stevie Wonder’s hit version would be released later that year.) Sometimes these jazz covers of pop hits are just a waste of time to listen to, but not here.
Roy Ayer’s opens the album with his own composition, “A Rose for Cindy”, which starts off like free jazz before dissolving into a sensual chromatic passage that precedes the main section of a thoughtful and introspective ballad. Notable here is the excellent soloing and interplay between the participants. Hubert Laws and Herbie Hancock are both particularly attuned to the character of the piece and provide an appropriate, impressionistic sensibility that make this the most memorable track on the album.
“Stoned Soul Picnic is vibrant and funky with Evan’s mallet work, Law’s flute, Ron Carter’s bass, Hancock’s keyboard work (he plays what sounds like a Hammond B-3) and Charles Tolliver’s trumpet essential to the sense of freedom and exuberance that permeates this version. This is followed by a surprisingly engaging and inescapably immersive version of “Wave” with Miroslav Vitouš replacing Ron Carter for the rest of the album, and strong solos from Gary Bartz and, as the case on every track here, Herbie Hancock.
“For Once in My Life” is treated tenderly. but not over-delicately, followed by Tolliver’s upbeat “Lil’s Pardise” highlighted by Ayer’s vibe solo and Hancock’s piano solo. The album concludes with Edwin’ Birdsong’s evocative “What the People Say” with introspective yet enchanting solos by Ayers and Laws. Overall, an excellent post-bop album characterized by overall beauty and unaffected optimism.
Track listing [from Wikipedia]
- “A Rose for Cindy” (Roy Ayers) – 8:56
- “Stoned Soul Picnic” (Laura Nyro) – 2:50
- “Wave” (Antônio Carlos Jobim) – 7:59
- “For Once in My Life” (Ron Miller, Orlando Murden) – 3:50
- “Lil’s Paradise” (Charles Tolliver) – 6:33
- “What the People Say” (Edwin Birdsong) – 8:09
Personnel
- Roy Ayers – vibraphone
- Charles Tolliver – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Hubert Laws – flute, piccolo
- Gary Bartz – alto saxophone
- Herbie Hancock – piano
- Ron Carter (tracks 1 & 2), Miroslav Vitouš (tracks 3-6) – bass
- Grady Tate – drums
- Herbie Mann – producer
This is not a particularly strong album by the Animals. Listening to this today, it seems there is more filler than essential components, though the political statement Burdon makes on side two is pretty remarkable given the inherent expectations by the record label for a high level of commercial appeal from a group as well known as this. And there is commercial appeal in “White Houses”, which hints at Caribbean rhythmic and melodic influences, and in the group’s initially very dark, then bluesy and rocking rendition of “St. James’ Infirmary”, a follow-up of sorts to the groups’ very successful version of “The House of the Rising Sun.”
The main item of note, particularly for historical interest, is Burdon’s “Year of the Guru” somewhat modeled after Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, but with more of a rock than folk character — sounding more like rap music than can reasonably be expected for 1968. Certainly there are other cases for early “proto-rap”, but “Year of the Guru” sounds too much ahead of its time instrumentally and vocally to be categorically overlooked, particularly in light of the social commentary of the lyrics:
“My leader said son you’d better get yourself together
Never mind the fools who know what we’re getting into
But a forty mile walk would do us both a world of good
And he sat down and watched me take off down the road.”
…..
Limitless, friendless but much more together
I decided to do some good book readin’
About the art of people leadin’
What’s the matter if they’re crazy till you hear what I’ve said
Being the leader is really where its at
But just how long can a good thing last
Oh, oh leader
This is the year of the guru
Now the thing to do is to ask yourself
What can a guru do for me?
Then you say to yourself
I gotta get a guru”
Track listing [from Wikipedia]
All selections written by Eric Burdon except where indicated.
Side 1
- “White Houses” (4:43)
- “Uppers and Downers” (0:24)
- “Serenade to a Sweet Lady” (John Weider) (6:17)
- “The Immigrant Lad” (6:15)
- “Year of the Guru” (5:25)
Side 2
- “St. James Infirmary” (Traditional, arranged by Eric Burdon) (4:15)
- “New York 1963-America 1968” (Eric Burdon, Zoot Money) (19:00)
Personnel
- Eric Burdon – vocals
- Vic Briggs – guitar, bass
- John Weider – guitar, celeste
- Zoot Money (credited as George Bruno) – Hammond organ, vocals, piano
- Danny McCulloch – bass, vocals, 12-string guitar
- Barry Jenkins – drums
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