I bought this some time ago at a Saturday sale at a serious record collector’s warehouse. I thought it was $3 when I picked it out but when I went to pay, they told me it was $6. No big deal but at the time, my limit for this blog was $5 and was pretty zealous about keeping it that way. Well, times have changed and my limit has gone up to reflect the current mood of record prices so here is this thing, back from the pile of the dead (overpriced). On a side note, trying to bang out the rest of this month’s blog today. I had earlier lamented about getting the blog too far ahead due to the fact that it is hard to make timely observations when I am months into the future. Well, I have reconsidered this and found that the benefits of doing the blog in this fashion do not outweigh the benefits of getting ahead of myself. At the end of the day today, I am hoping to get three weeks ahead.
If you watched Disney movies as a kid (or perhaps an adult. It’s your world), you should know our next subject, Dean Jones. Jones , born in Decatur, Alabama in 1931, starred in various films for Walt including That Darn Cat!, The Million Dollar Duck, and most famously two movies in the Herbie the Love Bug series. He started his career on the stage, working on Broadway in such works as Under The Yum Yum Tree. TV was his next stepping stone, working on his own series, Ensign O’ Toole, (which is referenced on this album cover heavily).. In the 70’s, he started in the lead role in Stephen Sondheim’s Company, but dropped out shortly after opening night due to his ongoing divorce proceedings. He remained active all his life playing the villain in 1992’s Beethoven and Kelly’s grandfather in Saved By The Bell:Hawaiian Style as well as smaller roles in Clear and Present Danger and Other People’s Money. Really surprised that there is no Law & Order credits here, but regardless, Jones died from Parkinson’s in 2015. He was 84.
This album came out on Valiant Records in 1963, fresh off his role on Ensign. 12 tracks backed by the arrangement and conduction of Shorty Rogers. Jones had considerable singing chops from his work on the stage so this record was no stretch as some thespian records can be at times. All said, this record is slightly uneven. After listening to the first track, I thought this was going to be a great album. a couple tracks later, I felt the opposite. And then back and forth and so on. The music is pretty good and Jones can sing so neither of these are weighing it down. Probably just personal preference on the song selection. Am I rambling? Do I want to get this month finished? Yes on both counts.
For a sample, I was really leaning on the opening track, “Inside Out”. However, I went with “Every Day (You’ve Got To Rise Up)” as the later was a but more upbeat.
Meh. Could have used better songs. Other than that, pretty decent album. Probably would have given it a better review if it was $3 rather than $6.