Tuesday, April 10, 2007

J. P. Rags - Scruffety (1968)


I think you can best describe this release as lounge music for hippies (or maybe a lounge lizard's idea of hippie music, I'm not sure)--I can imagine someone in the audience asking for some orange sunshine with that martini. A casual listen will suggest that you've found a sweet, somewhat innocent pop relic. However, if you listen closely you'll soon realize that this is pretty silly stuff (lyrically speaking). Especially the spoken word, philosophical interludes--they're downright ridiculous. Rags (real name D. Cox) writes lyrics that wouldn't be out of place on a greeting card and delivers them with a with a childlike (or perhaps childish) quality make him come off as a sort of an unholy cross between Scott Walker (sans gravitas) and Mr. Rogers (with a joint).

Check these lyrics:
I heard a sightless man describe great beauty he had touched
And I admired his sense of smell so very much
Impressed by how his ears could see
I wondered just how it would be
If I could smell her soft clean hair
Upon my pillow lying there

But don't let that turn you off to the record. Silly isn't always bad & this record certainly has its moments. I don't know much about the band but Nilsson contributes a blurb to the back of the lp cover & Larry Goldberg & Doug Cox produced it.

This was a request--I believe based on the Rags track that appeared on the Mystic Males compilation. I liked that track too, but it was on the short side--I'll let you be the judge of how he holds up on a whole album.

Side 1
1. Soul Sunrise 2. Wonderful World of Children 3. Don't Watch Me 4. Something to Think About 5. Portrait of a Soft Woman
Side 2
6. Scruffety 7. Porch Song 8. Bells of Saint Barbara 9. Posession Is 9/10 of the End 10. Talkin' 11. Still Life 12. Let's Get Together Again

Enjoy the music (now reposted).

14 comments:

Turkish Records said...

very good ,thank you !
I´m add to my friend link
Thank for all !

Anonymous said...

I have a very scratchy vinyl.
Interested is yours any better?
Hope so :)

Tom

Anonymous said...

Do you have Bob Ray - Initiation Of A Mystic?
He was a bass player of Thorinshield

Max said...

Hi Turkish,

No problem glad to link to your blog.

Anonymous 1,
It's a pretty clean copy--no major scratches or pops. Will be up later today.

Anonymous 2,
Yes I do, but it's not my rip so let me check with the person I got it from to see if it's OK to post.

Max

Sébastien Desrosiers said...

Can't wait to hear this.

I have a M copy of Bob Ray - Initiation Of A Mystic. I guess I should rip that one too for you.

Max said...

Thanks. I have a rip of the Bob Ray & the person who ripped was OK with me posting it here--so it will be up next week.
Max

Anonymous said...

How about "Music for Casting Spells"

Mr. Wizard

Anonymous said...

Thanks Max. This sounds really good to me right now, or maybe it's this wine I'm drinking. Nah, sounds right on. Hey, Rick Nelson recorded some stuff that sounded like this before figuring out Stone Canyon Band. This may be heretical, but I'm not sure that spoken word stuff is any dumber than the "pointless forest" stuff from Nilsson's the Point.

Unknown said...

Hello there, Im from the music blog Kapritska. I created a group on Last.fm for music blog owners, and would be awesome if you could join. The idea is to be in touch with people who do the same thing.

Link is: http://www.lastfm.es/group/Music+blog+owners

Hope to see u there!
Cy

display said...

Hey Max,

In our never ending quest to collect all things Nilsson for our For The Love Of Harry blog, I was wondering if we could trouble you for a high quality scan of the back cover area that features the Nilsson poem/blurb? We've never seen it, heard it wasn't much, but are still on our quest. Many thanks in advance.
Willard
willard-nevergetoutoftheboat@hotmail.com

Max said...

Hi Willard,
Unfortunately this record was recorded from the library at WMUC (U of Maryland's radio station) and I don't have ready access to it. I still do a fill-in there from time-to-time and I'll try to remember to take a picture of it (that'll be the best I can do & that may not be for some time).
Max

display said...

Thanks, Max.
W

display said...

Thanks again, Max.
W

Anonymous said...

I got this album from a radio contest; I really loved it.