Very Rare LP Finally Gets CD Release
Jeff Feezle | Indiana | 09/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The mid-70's Muscle Shoals Alabama music was popping with life. Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan all used the Muscle Shoals musicians and studios during this period. At Pete Carr's request, Lenny Leblanc transplanted his guitar skills to this great 70's music mecca. They only recorded one album together on Big Tree Records (WEA subsidiary) called `Midnight Light' in 1975. It yielded a huge Top Ten Billboard hit: `Falling' that is seldom played today since the cd it was from was largely out of print, expensive, and hard to find.
Also in 1975, WEA (Warner/Elektra/Asylum) released a special promotional full length album of Leblanc & Carr live at Atlantic Recording Studios. The album was only issued to radio stations, so most all of America has never heard this recording! (except for those lucky people who might have heard it played at the time on mostly college radio stations.) This superb album has now been resurrected by Wounded Birds Label, a label whose sole purpose is to reissue hard to find and eclectic 70's music.
Beautifully sang and recorded, the music is that of understatement and heart-rendering southern-influced love songs, ballads and mid-tempo music, perhaps reminiscent a bit of the Little River Band or England Dan/John Ford Coley flavour.
Lenny had one solo album released up to this point, self-titled, and some of those songs are included on this cd ("Hound Dog Man" & "Lady Singer.") The Live cd also includes a version of the minor hit: `Something About You.' Leblanc and Carr toured only for a year before Pete Carr quit touring to go back to producing. What is ironic is that Pete Carr had already left the band, so he isn't even on this cd that bears his name.
In 1980, Leblanc became a born again Christian, after the band had stopped touring, and has a very successful and acclaimed Christian music career since.
The band members on this Live CD are:
Lenny LeBlanc: Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Rick Powell: Drums
Steve Nathan: Keyboards
Leon Sherrill: Lead Guitar
Thom Flora: Piano, Percussion, Background Vocals
Gary Baker: Bass, Background Vocals
Label: Wounded Bird Records, USA
(Original: Atlantic Recording Corp. USA- Promotional release)
CATALOG #: WOU1003
Release Date: March 17, 2009
TRACKS:
1. Something About You
2. Lady Singer
3. Falling
4. Rainy
5. Looking For A Love
6. Hound Dog Man
7. Stay Awake
8. Midnight Light
9. I Believe That Me
reviewed by Jeff Feezle of Macafeez
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
