My Favorite Urban Folk Album
J. Derme | Buffalo, NY | 04/11/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first bought "Yes I See" soon after it's release in the early part of 1961 and it changed my life. Soon after, I bought my first guitar at a Western Auto store and began to learn to play. I wanted to be Bob Gibson, which was impossible, because his was a unique and wonderful talent.
Gibson was an excellent musician; nobody ever played the twelve-string guitar as expressively. His voice was an almost impossible mix of gravel and silk which you could never tire of listening to, and he loved and respected the music he played. He sang the songs for their own sake.
I played the record for forty years, and enjoyed it every time. The cover fell apart, and the vinyl wore thin, but it was the best $3.00 (1961 money) I ever spent.
I am so very pleased it is being released on CD and I give it my highest possible recommendation."
Folkie Gets Funky
J. Herman | Atlanta, GA United States | 05/13/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Recorded during the peak of Gibson's triumphant run at Chicago's legendary Gate of Horn, as well as his brief (but celebrated) teaming with kindred folkie spirit Hamilton Camp, "Yes I See" is an experimental mix of traditional ballads ("Copper Kettle," "Gilgarry Mountain"), bluesy offshoots ("Trouble in Mind," "Motherless Children"), and gospel rave-ups ("You Can Tell the World," "Well Well Well"). Gibson's juxtaposition of the tried-and-true with the urban-hip is schizophrenic at times, and the studio loses some of the folk-club spontaneity, but the album still nicely showcases Gibson's vocals, cascading twelve-string, and personal magnetism while he was still at the top of his game."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1