What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

KENNY ROGERS & THE FIRST EDITION "the ballad of Calico" vinyl, 1972:

the band's eighth studio set...
double vinyl...
a concept album...
story of a farmer who packs up and leaves his farm after one drought too many
and goes to Calico,California to seek his luck in the silver rush...
its not a Rogers album, all members take on vocal duties so it feels like the characters
the songs are portraying...
its soft rock, rock, country, folk, vaudeville...
album didn't sell very well only peaking at #118 in the US...
should have been a huge seller but wasn't, has over time been rated pretty high in lists
of "concept albums" and "great albums that failed on their initial release"..
well worth a listen or purchase if you find it anywhere...

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: rocking chair theme
best track: trigger happy kid

a couple of tracks that show the diversity of the songs within:

"Madame De Lil & Diabolical Bill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8RIDS5s...9B&index=5

"calico silver"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVR8q9lh...8416E3359B

"harbor for my soul"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2MJsQv...B&index=10

"Vachel Carling's Rubilator" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPTh_VIQ...8416E3359B





tracks:

1....sunrise overture (instrumental) **
2....Calico silver ***
3....write me down ***
4....the way it used to be ***
5....Madame De Lil & Diabolical Bill ***
6....school teacher ***
7....road agent ***
8....Sally Grey's epitaph **
9....Dorsey, the mail carrying dog **
10..harbor for my soul **
11..Calico Saturday night (instrumental) **
12..trigger happy kid ***
13...Vachel Carling's Rubilator ***
14..empty handed compadres **
15..one lonely room **
16..rocking chair theme (instrumental) *
17..Old Mojave Highway ***
18..man came up from town **
19..Calico silver (reprise) **

3s - 9
2s - 9
1s - 1

rating: 2.5