'He Has The Rare Ability To Communicate A Lyric'

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I'm still reading Johnny Ray Miller's wonderful book. I'm a very fast reader (a former librarian) but it's impossible to read it fast. Too many moving stories, too many important sentences, besides the reading of 'When We're Singin', as soon after returning from West Orange,  turned out to be very emotional. 

Today reading about 'Sound Magazine' literally has stopped me in my tracks. Johnny Ray Miller explains in detail the creation of each song,  and while reading I was listening to every single one song from that great album at least twice. The Partridge Family 'Sound Magazine' was released 54 years ago, in August 1971.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erq5IVzGEqE

'Brown Eyes' written by Danny Janssen and Wes Farrell. Johnny Ray Miller, "He (David) has the rare ability to communicate a lyric". Yes, so true, his voice, sincerity and what Johnny calls "the conversational way Cassidy handles the lyrics" ('When We're Singn'. p.118). So well put, David Cassidy always knew what he was singing about, he made something special with 'Brown Eyes'. His strong, warm, fabulous voice at last wasn't speeded up as it was on the first two albums, it seduces the listener, me every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCQbelvzMqo

The album was originally titled 'The New Partridge Family Album', but was renamed at the last moment as 'Sound Magazine', peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200 chart in September. The single from that extraordinary album, 'I Woke Up In Love This Morning/Twenty-Four Hours A Day', got to number 13. 'Sound Magazine' is one of the best pop albums from the first part of the 70s. Pop music at its best, sophisticated, wonderfully arranged and played, perfectly sung by David. Great team work. 

The songs' lyrics are not for kids, rather adult oriented, more written with the reigning teen idol in mind, not his young fans. How could anyone call that wonderful, timeless music 'bubblegum'?

All songs are excellent, I could listen to them all over again. But if I had to choose that one and only, it would be 'Love Is All That I Ever Needed', my favourite David Cassidy's song (I think). It should have been released as a single and become a great hit. So different from any other the group's recordings. Funky and soul rather than pop. Full of passion and longing. Written by David Cassidy and Wes Farrell.

I love this video, wonderfully done, emphasizes the rythm of the music, the descripton and comments are great read. So many people appreciate that song and David's fabulous voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGrdlR1fKr4



 



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