Newbury jumped from Mercury to Elektra and in 1970 recorded the second of his amazing trilogy that concluded with Heaven Help the Child. Produced by
Dennis Linde, a songwriter, and recorded at the same converted garage studio (Cinderella Sound) It Looks Like Rain had been made, 'Frisco Mabel Joy adapts its title from a song on the previous album. Once again, texture, atmosphere and above all mood and mystery were the central tenets of what would become
Newbury's trademark sound. The album opens with
Newbury's arrangement of what he called "The American Trilogy," a suite containing three songs that have their origin in the Civil War. If this sounds familiar, it is:
Elvis Presley made a much more bombastic version of this the centerpiece of his Vegas shows.
Newbury's version, full of soft strings, guitars,
Charlie McCoy's haunting harmonica bleeding into a muted brass section, is full of drama and pathos. 'Frisco Mabel Joy moves into an entire series of songs that talk of dislocation, emptiness and endless searching through regret, remorse, and ultimately acceptance and resignation. And
Newbury's vocal abilities are just astonishing. He has a different voice for literally every song. It is tempting to write about every single song here, but it would be fruitless;
Newbury's tunes are so slippery and mercurial. They shift shape and disappear into a puff of smoke the minute you think you have them pinned down. And if the stories and arrangements aren't enough to confound the listener, the melodies, all of which have their roots in
country music, are so much more deceptive, they turn in on themselves and extend each measure with complex phrasing and mode changes. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
