Mickey Newbury - I Came To Hear The Music (1974)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

I Came To Hear The Music was Mickey Newbury's fifth studio album, his third on Elektra Records, and his first since his critically-acclaimed trilogy consisting of Looks Like Rain, Frisco Mabel Joy and Heaven Help The Child. Though recorded at a different studio (Youngun Sound rather than Cinderalla Studios), it followed in the same formula as its predecessors. Though it perhaps didn't include as many memorable songs, it wasn't much of a step down in quality, and made for another brilliant Mickey Newbury album (just not quite as essential as the trilogy). Notably one song, "Dizzy Lizzy", incorporated rock elements into the now familiar Newbury sound very successfully.

Live At Montezuma Hall (1973) <|> Lovers (1975)
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Mickey Newbury - Live At Montezuma Hall (1973)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

Mickey Newbury's first live album saw release in 1973, an unedited recording of a solo concert performance at Montezuma Hall at San Diego State Universty from the same year. It was a powerful, intimate performace, mostly of songs from his past three albums (his famous trilogy of masterpieces), plus one which had yet to be released, a couple of obscurities exclusive to this concert, and a surprise cover of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone To Love".

The history behind the album's release is quite interesting. Of his recent trilogy (Looks Like Rain, Frisco Mabel Joy and Heaven Help The Child), the first had been released on Mercury Records, whilst for the other two he had moved to Elektra. He took the rights for Looks Like Rain with him to Elektra, and so it was re-issued on his new label combined with Live At Montezuma Hall as a double LP. For many years this was the only place Montezuma Hall could be found, until it was included on the eight-disc The Mickey Newbury Collection in 1998. The album has therefore never been released by itself.

Heaven Help The Child (1973) <|> I Came To Hear The Music (1974)
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Mickey Newbury - Heaven Help The Child (1973)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

Heaven Help The Child was Mickey Newbury's third album to be recorded at Cinderella Studios, and turned out to be another stunning record, completing a remarkable trilogy begun with Looks Like Rain and Frisco Mabel Joy. As was to be expected, it followed in the same vein as its predecessors, with beautifully recorded tales of heartache, longing and failed relationships sung the way only Mickey Newbury could sing them. The instrumental backing was more elaborate and diverse than the first two albums, the epic title track being his most ambitious yet in terms of arrangement. A couple of songs were re-recordings of tunes originally featured his debut Harlequin Melodies, and oddly it also repeated "San Francisco Mabel Joy" from Looks Like Rain (actually the same version, rather than a re-recording). Another notable track was "Why You Been Gone So Long", an upbeat bluegrass-flavoured number which has come to be one of his most-covered songs.

Frisco Mabel Joy (1971) <|> Live At Montezuma Hall (1973)
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Mickey Newbury - Frisco Mabel Joy (1971)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

Mickey Newbury's third album came out in 1971, by which time he had moved from Mercury Records to Elektra. Since its fantastic predecessor (1969's Looks Like Rain) his songs had been recorded by all sorts of artists including Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Andy Williams and Willie Nelson. Like Looks Like Rain, Frisco Mabel Joy was recorded at the small Cinderella Sounds studio, and it continued in the same superb atmospheric style, with softly picked acoustic guitar, harmonica, and the familiar sounds of rain and thunder. The arrangements were also fleshed out by some big, stirring orchestral passages, which helped further define the unique Mickey Newbury sound (however apparently most of the 'strings' on this album were created through studio trickery, and actually consist of overdubbed layers of distorted steel guitar!)
The album introduced some more brilliant songs, and a new version of one which he had originally recorded on his RCA debut Harlequin Melodies - "How Many Times (Must The Piper Be Paid For His Song)" was transformed into something entirely different. But the best-known song on the album was technically not a Mickey Newbury original, but rather his arrangement of three 19th century songs - "Dixie", "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic" and "All My Trials" became "An American Trilogy", and gave Newbury his one and only hit as a singer - it got to #26 on the pop chart. However it is generally better known today through Elvis Presley's version.
Frisco Mabel Joy was another masterpiece, and has come to be seen as the second in a trilogy of masterpieces Newbury recorded at Cinderella Sounds.

Looks Like Rain (1969) <|> Heaven Help The Child (1973) 
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Mickey Newbury - Looks Like Rain (1969)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

Mickey Newbury found success in the late 60s as a songwriter, but was dissatisfied with his debut album when it was released in 1968. He negotiated his way out of his contract with RCA, and signed with Mercury Records on the condition that he got total artistic control. For his second album therefore he left the Nashville recording establishment and went to the tiny Cindarella Sound studio. Here he succeeded in created a truly remarkable album.

Looks Like Rain came out in 1969, and introduced Newbury's new style. It was masterfully produced, with delicate, atmospheric arrangements built around softly picked acoustic guitar and his brilliant voice, the songs interspersed with the sounds of thunder and rain. The result was a melancholy soundscape full of elegance and mystery, quite unlike any other country music (if indeed it is to be labelled as country). It also featured some more fantastic songs, including two of his best-known - "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" and "San Francisco Mabel Joy", both of which have been heavily covered over the years.

It was an obvious work of genius, and is generally considered his true recording debut. It didn't see any commercial success, but is today considered a masterpiece.

Harlequin Melodies (1968) <|> Frisco Mabel Joy (1971)
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Mickey Newbury - Harlequin Melodies (1968)

Mickey Newbury was a critically-acclaimed American singer-songwriter.

Mickey Newbury was born in Houston, Texas in 1940. As a teenager he performed with the moderately successful vocal group The Embers, but put his music career on hold when he joined the Air Force. After four years in the military, he moved to Nashville and began working as a songwriter. He found great success in this field, and in the late 60s his songs were recorded by artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Don Gibson, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Solomon Burke, Eddy Arnold, Andy Williams, The Box Tops, The First Edition and Jerry Lee Lewis. Many of these artists took his songs to the Top 10.
In 1968 his debut album was released. Harlequin Melodies saw him performing his own versions of the songs that had brought him his success, and proved him to be an incredible singer as well.
However Newbury himself actually disowned this album, and considered 1969's Looks Like Rain to be his true debut. In comparison to his later work, Harlequin Melodies is perhaps a bit overblown and marred by its elaborate production. There's nothing wrong with it, but the sound Newbury found on his next album was simple so superior and distinctive that this debut will always remain in the shadows. One song in particular is notable for being nothing like his later work - the psychedelic rock song "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", which had been a #5 hit for The First Edition in 1967.
Nevertheless, it stands up fine on its own, with an orchestrated country sound full of innovative arrangements that complement his stately, poetic style well. More than anything, it was a hint of wonderful things to come...

|> Looks Like Rain (1969)
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