Richie Havens | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Richie Havens moved to Greenwich Village in 1961 in time to get in on the folk boom then taking place. Havens had a distinctive style as a folksinger, appearing in such clubs as the Cafe Wha? His guitar set to an opening tuning, he would strum it while barring chords with his thumb, using it essentially as percussion while singing rhythmically in a gruff voice for a mesmerizing effect. Havens was signed to Douglas Records in 1965 and recorded two albums that gained him a local following. In 1967, the Verve division of MGM Records formed a folk section (Verve Forecast) and signed Havens and other folk-based performers. The result was Havens third album, Mixed Bag. It wasnt until 1968 and the Something Else Again album, however, that Havens began to hit the charts -- actually, Havens fourth, third, and second albums charted that year, in that order. In 1969 came the double album Richard P. Havens 1983. Havens career benefited enormously from his appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and his subsequent featured role in the movie and album made from the concert in 1970. His first album after that exposure, Alarm Clock, made the Top 30 and produced a Top 20 single in "Here Comes the Sun." These recordings were Havens commercial high-water mark, but by this time he had become an international touring success. By the end of the 70s, he had abandoned recording and turned entirely to live work. Havens came back to records with a flurry of releases in 1987: a new album, Simple Things; an album of Bob Dylan and Beatles covers; and a compilation. In 1991, Havens signed his first major-label deal in 15 years when he moved to Sony Music and released Now. Nobody Left to Crown was issued by Verve Forecast in 2008. Havens died of a heart attack at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey in April 2013; he was 72 years old. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 26 Title: Mixed Bag Released: 1967 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 High Flyin Bird (03:38) 2 I Cant Make It Anymore (02:51) 3 Morning Morning (02:20) 4 Adam (03:37) 5 Follow (06:25) 6 Three Day Eternity (02:18) 7 Sandy (03:15) 8 Handsome Johnny (03:56) 9 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:33) 10 Just Like a Woman (04:49) 11 Eleanor Rigby (02:43) |
| Mixed Bag : Allmusic album Review : Richie Havens finest recording, Mixed Bag captures the essence of his music and presents it in an attractive package that has held up well. A close listen to lyrics like "I Cant Make It Anymore" and "Morning, Morning" reveals sadness and loneliness, yet the music is so appealingly positive that a listener actually comes away feeling uplifted. In fact, on most of the songs on this album, its the sound of Havens distinctive voice coupled with his unusual open-E guitar tuning, rather than the specific lyrical content of the songs, that pulls the listener in. The six-and-a-half minute "Follow" is structured like a Dylan composition in the "Hard Rain" mode, with its memorable verse-ending refrain, "Dont mind me cause I aint nothin but a dream." Both "Sandy" and "San Francisco Bay Blues" have a jazzy feel, while the aforementioned "I Cant Make It Anymore" would not have been out of place in a movie soundtrack or pop radio playlist of the time. "Handsome Johnny," one of Havens best known songs as a result of the Woodstock film, is a classic anti-war ballad, stoked by the singers unmistakable thumb-chorded guitar strumming. Mixed Bag winds up with a soulful cover of Dylans "Just Like a Woman" and an electric piano-propelled take on the Lennon-McCartney classic, "Eleanor Rigby." | ||
 | Album: 2 of 26 Title: Somethin Else Again Released: 1968 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (02:58) 2 Inside of Him (04:27) 3 The Klan (04:31) 4 Sugarplums (02:54) 5 Don’t Listen to Me (04:25) 6 From the Prison (03:39) 7 Maggie’s Farm (04:35) 8 Somethin’ Else Again (07:26) 9 New City (02:50) 10 Run, Shaker Life (05:45) |
 | Album: 3 of 26 Title: Richard P. Havens, 1983 Released: 1969 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:11:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stop Pulling and Pushing Me (01:50) 2 For Haven’s Sake (07:05) 3 Strawberry Fields Forever (03:39) 4 What More Can I Say John? (04:39) 5 I Pity the Poor Immigrant (03:10) 6 Lady Madonna (01:59) 7 Priests (05:16) 8 Indian Rope Man (03:04) 9 Cautiously (04:02) 10 Just Above My Hobby Horse’s Head (02:59) 11 She’s Leaving Home (04:06) 12 Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home (02:53) 13 The Parable of Ramon (07:48) 14 With a Little Help From My Friends (05:19) 15 Wear Your Love Like Heaven (04:55) 16 Run Shaker Life (02:10) 17 Do You Feel Good? (06:41) |
| Richard P. Havens, 1983 : Allmusic album Review : Havens third Verve album was an ambitious double LP, using about a couple dozen backing musicians in various combinations on instruments ranging from conga and sitar to steel guitar and organ. Though recorded for the most part in the studio, it also included several live recordings from a July 1968 concert. As with many double albums, it perhaps could have used some pruning, although in general it was a worthy expansion of his sound as captured on record. Divided almost equally between originals and covers, the music has the moving and melancholy vibe, yet also somewhat rambling feel, typical of Havens prime. Certainly his "What More Can I Say John?" is a subtle and admirable anti-Vietnam war song, while his interpretations of Leonard Cohens "Priests" and Maurey Haydens (aka Lotus Weinstocks) "Cautiously" are unusual cover choices that are imaginatively done. An Indian influence makes itself heard occasionally, as on "Just Above My Hobby Horses Head" and "Putting Out the Vibration, and Hoping It Comes Home"; "Indian Rope Man," with Jeremy Steig on flute, is one of his better compositions. However, theres an over reliance on Beatles covers (there are four here). And the live stuff on side four, with its cutesy five-minute version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" (in which Havens wordlessly scats the lyrics), seems like an afterthought to push the set to double-LP length. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 26 Title: The Best of Richie Havens Released: 1970 Tracks: 12 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Indian Rope Man (?) 2 Handsome Johnny (?) 3 I Started a Joke (?) 4 Strawberry Fields Forever (?) 5 Just Above My Hobby Horses Head (?) 6 Rocky Raccoon (?) 7 Theres a Hole in the Future (?) 8 Maggies Farm (?) 9 Lady Madonna (?) 10 Just Like a Woman (?) 11 Open Your Eyes (?) 12 Eleanor Rigby (?) |
 | Album: 5 of 26 Title: Alarm Clock Released: 1970 Tracks: 9 Duration: 35:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Here Comes the Sun (03:48) 2 To Give All Your Love Away (02:48) 3 Younger Men Grow Older (03:34) 4 Girls Don’t Run Away (04:17) 5 End of the Seasons (03:38) 6 Some Will Wait (02:39) 7 Patient Lady (04:45) 8 Missing Train (04:55) 9 Alarm Clock (05:17) |
 | Album: 6 of 26 Title: Stonehenge Released: 1970 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Open Our Eyes (02:54) 2 Minstrel From Gaul (03:35) 3 It Could Be the First Day (02:21) 4 Ring Around the Moon (02:06) 5 It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (04:59) 6 There’s a Hole in the Future (02:04) 7 I Started a Joke (02:56) 8 Prayer (02:56) 9 Tiny Little Blues (02:07) 10 Shouldn’t All the World Be Dancing (08:04) |
 | Album: 7 of 26 Title: The Great Blind Degree Released: 1971 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What About Me (06:11) 2 Fire & Rain (06:23) 3 See Me, Feel Me (01:28) 4 In These Flames (03:52) 5 Think About the Children (04:20) 6 Fathers & Sons (06:45) 7 Teach Your Children (03:45) 8 What Have We Done (04:26) |
 | Album: 8 of 26 Title: On Stage Released: 1972 Tracks: 13 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 From the Prison (?) 2 Younger Men Grow Older (?) 3 Old Friends (?) 4 God Bless the Child (?) 5 High Flyin Bird (?) 6 Tupelo Honey (?) 7 Just Like a Woman (?) 1 Handsome Johnny (?) 2 Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (?) 3 Rocky Racoon (?) 4 Freedom (Adapted From "Motherless Child") (?) 5 Minstrel From Gault (?) 6 Teach Your Children (?) |
 | Album: 9 of 26 Title: Connections Released: 1980 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mama Were Gonna Dance (03:51) 2 Every Night (04:28) 3 You Send Me (03:25) 4 Weve Got Tonight (04:57) 5 Ol 55 (04:04) 6 Going Back to My Roots (05:00) 7 Dreams (04:46) 8 She Touched My Heart (04:13) 9 Fire Down Below (04:14) 10 Heres a Song (03:46) |
 | Album: 10 of 26 Title: Common Ground Released: 1983 Tracks: 9 Duration: 35:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Death at an Early Age (04:18) 2 Gay Cavalier (03:33) 3 Lay Ye Down Boys (03:12) 4 This Is the Hour (04:00) 5 Stand Up (03:31) 6 Dear John (04:32) 7 Leave Well Enough Alone (04:43) 8 Moonlight Rain (03:52) 9 Things Must Change (04:15) |
 | Album: 11 of 26 Title: Simple Things Released: 1987 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Drivin (04:24) 2 Simple Things (04:13) 3 Songwriter (04:06) 4 Passin By (04:48) 5 Wake Up and Dream (03:58) 6 I Dont Wanna Know (04:28) 7 Shouldnt We All Be Having a Good Time (05:28) 8 Arrow Through Me (04:28) 9 Runner in the Night (05:36) |
 | Album: 12 of 26 Title: Collection Released: 1987 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:04:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Woman (02:55) 2 Whats Going On (05:47) 3 Younger Men Grow Older (03:59) 4 What About Me (05:41) 5 There’s a Hole in the Future (02:04) 6 Fire & Rain (06:23) 7 It Could Be the First Day (02:22) 8 Minstrel From Gault (03:36) 9 Tightrope (02:58) 10 Open Our Eyes (02:55) 11 Prayer (02:59) 12 Missing Train (04:51) 13 I Started a Joke (02:55) 14 Teach Your Children (03:58) 15 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:43) 16 High Flying Bird (04:59) 17 Here Comes the Sun (03:48) |
| Collection : Allmusic album Review : Trying to boil down a recording career that spans multiple decades into a single albums worth of music is a daunting task at best. Richie Havens gets the "best-of" treatment on 1987s Collection. The 17-track disc includes eight Havens originals, notably "Woman" and "Prayer," but the strength of the album lies in cover tunes like the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" and Marvin Gayes "Whats Going On." What keeps this collection from really representing Havens career is the absence of anything from his performance at Woodstock, which yielded his best-known work. In fact, all of the songs found on Collection are from the same five albums, which were all released between 1970 and 1973. Since the release of Collection, Havens has made some strong material, including Sings Beatles and Dylan, which of course is not included. Overall, it is a fair, if incomplete, overview of this folk legends body of work. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 26 Title: Richie Haven Sings Beatles and Dylan Released: 1987 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:13:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Here Comes the Sun (02:44) 2 If Not for You (02:47) 3 Lay Lady Lay (04:30) 4 In My Life (05:14) 5 Strawberry Fields Forever (03:52) 6 All Along the Watchtower (03:22) 7 Imagine (05:11) 8 My Sweet Lord (03:00) 9 Its All Over Now, Baby Blue (04:28) 10 Eleanor Rigby (03:09) 11 Just Like a Woman (05:17) 12 The Long and Winding Road (03:29) 13 Let It Be (04:32) 14 License to Kill (04:49) 15 The Times They Are A-Changin (04:54) 16 Working Class Hero (05:01) 17 Rocky Raccoon (04:13) 18 With a Little Help From My Friends (02:23) |
 | Album: 14 of 26 Title: Now Released: 1991 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Angel (04:34) 2 You Are The One (06:39) 3 That’s The Way I See You (04:01) 4 After All These Years (03:03) 5 Love Sometimes Says Goodbye (04:37) 6 Message From The Doctor (04:45) 7 Time After Time (03:47) 8 You’re My Tomorrow (03:31) 9 Let The Walls Fall Down (04:27) 10 It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over (03:48) |
 | Album: 15 of 26 Title: Résumé: The Best of Richie Havens Released: 1993 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:18:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 High Flyin’ Bird (03:36) 2 Drown in My Own Tears (04:21) 3 Morning, Morning (02:21) 4 Just Like a Woman (04:48) 5 The Dolphins (05:10) 6 Here Comes the Sun (03:48) 7 God Bless the Child (06:19) 8 The Klan (04:35) 9 Handsome Johnny (03:56) 10 Follow (06:24) 11 Younger Men Grow Older (04:01) 12 Medley: Run Shaker Life / Do You Feel Good (08:36) 13 What About Me (06:12) 14 Minstrel From Gault (03:36) 15 Rocky Raccoon (05:07) 16 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:33) 17 Freedom (03:27) |
| Résumé: The Best of Richie Havens : Allmusic album Review : Havens output has been so extensive that picking tunes for a single-disc anthology would be a difficult task for any label. Rhino has done a respectable job in compiling 17 selections, although there was no material from the LPs Stonehenge or 1984, and while he certainly performed them his way, neither Ray Charles "Drown in My Own Tears" nor Billie Holidays "God Bless the Child" were among Havens best songs. By comparison, "Handsome Johnny," "Freedom," "Here Comes the Sun," "The Klan," and "Just Like a Woman" had a strength and power that came partly from being ideally suited for Havens style. This isnt the comprehensive or qualitative anthology Havens deserves; just a decent hits collection. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 26 Title: Cuts to the Chase Released: 1994-06-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lives in the Balance (04:22) 2 They Dance Alone (05:23) 3 My Fathers Shoes (02:45) 4 Darkness, Darkness (04:25) 5 The Hawk (04:37) 6 Young Boy (03:25) 7 The Times They Are A-Changin (04:54) 8 Fade to Blue (05:41) 9 Intro/Old Love (06:25) 10 How the Nights Can Fly (05:17) 11 Comin Back to Me (03:27) 12 Dont Pass It Up (04:50) 13 At a Glance (03:39) |
| Cuts to the Chase : Allmusic album Review : Guitarist/composer Richie Havens keeps making thought-provoking, poignant and intensely personal music, with few (if any) romantic songs and frank discussions of issues without violent or sexist rhetoric. This is Havens first solo release in several years, and it contains only one original. But his covers of songs by Sting, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Lind and Marty Balin become his own memorable statements, while guitarist Billy Perry and guest guitarist Greg Chansky provide three new compositions. Although this doesnt have the same resonance as his great 1960s LPs, its a worthy vehicle for the 1990s. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 26 Title: The Classics Released: 1995 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Eleanor Rigby (02:42) 2 Just Like a Woman (04:48) 3 Run Shaker Life / Do You Feel Good (08:55) 4 Maggie’s Farm (04:39) 5 Somethin’ Else Again (07:29) 6 She’s Leaving Home (04:06) 7 The Klan (04:35) 8 Strawberry Fields Forever (03:39) 9 High Flyin’ Bird (03:37) 10 Handsome Johnny (03:55) 11 With a Little Help From My Friends (03:12) |
| The Classics : Allmusic album Review : This 11-track collection includes Richie Havens favorites like "Eleanor Rigby," "Just Like a Woman," "Maggies Farm" and "Handsome Johnny." | ||
 | Album: 18 of 26 Title: Tex Murphy: Overseer – Music From the Original Score Released: 1998 Tracks: 16 Duration: 48:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Trying to Try (03:05) 2 Opening Credits / Texs Nightmare (02:17) 3 Upsetting a Client (01:01) 4 Tex Drugs the Coffee (00:51) 5 The Mansion (01:17) 6 Sylvia Drunk (03:02) 7 Ambus at the Cabin (03:14) 8 Slow Down (03:09) 9 Sonny Dies (02:13) 10 "Let the Match Begin" (02:44) 11 Clocktower Fight (01:42) 12 Checkmate (04:09) 13 Things Get "Worser" (02:59) 14 Maria (03:06) 15 Texs Lament (03:30) 16 Suite From the Pandora Directive (10:18) |
 | Album: 19 of 26 Title: Songs from Tex Murphy: Overseer Released: 1998 Tracks: 3 Duration: 09:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Trying to Try (03:05) 2 Slow Down (03:09) 3 Texs Lament (03:30) |
 | Album: 20 of 26 Title: Time Released: 1999 Tracks: 7 Duration: 41:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stardust & Passion (04:00) 2 The Well (05:38) 3 Nobody Left to Crown (live) (03:52) 4 Zodiac (08:35) 5 Freedom (09:08) 6 No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (03:49) 7 I Was Educated by Myself (06:10) |
 | Album: 21 of 26 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Richie Havens Released: 2000-02-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 High Flyin Bird (03:37) 2 Follow (06:22) 3 Handsome Johnny (03:52) 4 San Francisco Bay Blues (02:33) 5 Just Like a Woman (04:48) 6 No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (03:01) 7 The Klan (04:35) 8 From the Prison (03:39) 9 Run, Shaker Life (05:47) 10 Indian Rope Man (03:04) 11 Lady Madonna (01:59) 12 Strawberry Fields Forever (03:39) |
| 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Richie Havens : Allmusic album Review : Another excellent entry in MCAs Millennium Collection, this features 12 of the singer/songwriters best-known tunes. Havens unique style moves effortlessly from standards like "San Francisco Bay Blues" to the bleakness of "The Klan" to very interesting covers of "Lady Madonna" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." A great little introductory set of Havens best work. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 26 Title: Grace of the Sun Released: 2004 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 By the Grace of the Sun (04:17) 2 Way Down Deep (05:00) 3 Woodstock (06:18) 4 We Both Know (03:36) 5 Dusk (04:06) 6 Red Flowers (02:59) 7 All Along the Watchtower (03:37) 8 When (04:05) 9 Scarlet Flames (04:57) 10 Pulling Up the Stone (04:43) |
| Grace of the Sun : Allmusic album Review : After years of recording for a variety of labels, Richie Havens returned to his own imprint with 2004s GRACE OF THE SUN. (He originally created this company over 30 years earlier to release not just his own music, but that of talented folk-rock unknowns such as Bob Brown and Montreal.) Happily, Havens shies away from outsized production techniques, utilizing a small-scale, acoustic-oriented approach strongly flavored by World Music (bouzouki, shakuhachi, Turkish violin, and tabla all play a part). While Havens is best known as an imaginative interpreter of other peoples material, he penned the majority of the songs here, and they stand up quite well. Thats no small feat when you consider that the songwriters he chooses to cover include Bob Dylan (a polyrhythmic "All Along the Watchtower"), Fred Neil (a moody take on the obscure "Red Flowers"), and Joni Mitchell (a "Woodstock" closer to Mitchells own version than to CSNYs popular recording). As ever, Havenss trademark percussive acoustic guitar work provides much of the rhythmic propulsion, and his rich, soulful voice tells the tales with energy and authority. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 26 Title: Wishing Well Released: 2005-06-14 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Well (06:39) 2 Handouts in the Rain (06:00) 3 Love Is Alive (04:43) 4 Youll Never Know (03:23) 5 Slow Down (03:42) 6 On the Road to Calvary (04:26) 7 Stardust & Passion (03:46) 8 Paradise (04:19) 9 Alone Together (03:41) 10 On the Turning Away (07:43) |
| Wishing Well : Allmusic album Review : The earnest Richie Havens of Woodstock has turned into a mellower, wiser man and a very spiritual individual -- which infuses his music with a wonderful depth. "The Well," the albums opening track, is a prime example, a small path toward truth and love. But love in all its forms is the central idea of the album -- even down to one of the covers, a glowing, laid-back version of Gary Wrights 70s FM staple "Love Is Alive" thats enough to make you forget the original (now if he could only manage the same for "Dream Weaver"). But his individual stamp is unmistakable, whether on his own songs, which make up the majority of the disc, or his covers -- his take on Pink Floyds "On the Turning Away," remaking it as an Indian meditation, is nothing less than inspired. But inspiration runs deep throughout Wishing Well. Its a walk through a blooming garden of the mind and heart. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 26 Title: Dreaming as One: The A&M Years Released: 2006-06-04 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:14:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Im Not in Love (05:23) 2 We Cant Hide It Anymore (04:01) 3 Dreaming as One (03:28) 4 You Can Close Your Eyes (04:20) 5 I Was Educated by Myself (05:14) 6 Daughter of the Night (03:40) 7 If Not for You (03:08) 8 Do It Again (03:28) 9 Wild Night (03:30) 10 Long Train Running (03:49) 11 Live It Up (One Time) (03:12) 12 Shadows of the Past (02:36) 13 I Dont Complain (03:17) 14 Touch the Sky (02:35) 15 Billy John (03:02) 16 We All Wanna Boogie (03:14) 17 Avalon (03:03) 18 Aviation Man (02:49) 19 Nobody Left to Crown (03:38) 20 The End (03:24) 21 Im Not in Love (Edited single version) (03:45) |
| Dreaming as One: The A&M Years : Allmusic album Review : Richie Havens (guitar/harmonica/vocals) established himself as a formidable folkie during the 1960s Greenwich Village scene. This was prior to becoming a household name after a career-defining appearance at the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. After releasing seven acclaimed long-players on his own Stormy Forest label, a series of business maneuvers led to Havens next two platters being issued on A&M; Records. The contents of those discs, The End of the Beginning (1976) and Mirage (1977) make up the bulk of Dreaming as One: The A&M Years, a limited-edition anthology from Hip-O Select. Although his distinct musical vision remains, the artist has integrated new sonic textures to a matured style, expanding significantly upon the primarily acoustic instrumentation of Havens earlier efforts. His trademark arrangements are as organic and emotive as ever, particularly notable on the updates of 10ccs noir "Im Not in Love," the funky take of Steely Dans "Do It Again," or the four-on-the-floor driving the remakes of the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Running" and Van Morrisons "Wild Night." Havens electric ensemble was undeniably modern, yet the respective interpretations provide an uncomplicated backing. In that respect, The End of the Beginning featured Steve Cropper (guitar), Booker T. Jones (keyboards), Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass) and suitably Jeff Baxter (pedal steel/side guitar) , who was a one-time member of Steely Dan and the Doobies. Havens capacity for lyrical and evocative balladry is likewise evident on the title composition to this compilation, "Dreaming as One," as well as "Shadows of the Past" and the upbeat and perhaps prophetic "Nobody Left to Crown." In addition to both albums the edited single version of "Im Not in Love" is included, wrapping up what is an exceptional anthology of Havens short stint at A&M.; | ||
 | Album: 25 of 26 Title: Nobody Left to Crown Released: 2008-03-31 Tracks: 13 Duration: 54:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Key (03:32) 2 Say It Isnt So (02:45) 3 Wont Get Fooled Again (05:49) 4 Standing on the Water (03:04) 5 Hurricane Waters (04:33) 6 If I (04:03) 7 Nobody Left to Crown (04:13) 8 (Cant You Hear) Zeuss Anger Roar (03:14) 9 Lives in the Balance (05:25) 10 We All Know Now (03:08) 11 Fates (03:55) 12 The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life) (07:02) 13 One More Day (03:29) |
| Nobody Left to Crown : Allmusic album Review : Havens became an international star in 1969, when he opened the Woodstock Festival with a set that was three hours long and culminated with "Freedom," a song he improvised on the spot based on the traditional salve song "Motherless Children." Havens has been on the road ever since, known for his unique driving acoustic guitar style, soulful gravel-throated vocals,and freewheeling set lists. Hes written plenty of his own songs over the years, but is best known for his interpretations of other songwriters. On Nobody Left to Crown, his 30th album of new material, Havens interprets the Who, Peter, Paul & Mary,and Jackson Browne, but the majority of the tunes are his own, and they stand proudly alongside the covers. "The Key" opens things up with a meditation on the healing power of love. Its a gentle folk-rock tune with a hint of samba in the rhythm, and Havens smooth timeless vocals offering solace to both his lover and the world. "Say It Isnt So" speaks about the troubles of the world with the disbelief of a child facing death for the first time. A cello adds its poignant voice to Havens heartbreaking vocal. The title track is the kind of driving, rhythmic tune Havens is so good at, a look at the clay feet of our leaders delivered with ironic humor instead of anger. He drops a quote from "Home on the Range" into the chorus, singing "where seldom is heard an encouraging word, and our leaders do nothing all day." He rages gently against the powers that be on "Fates," a blues that likens capitalism to slavery. The song builds slowly to a moaning coda with Havens wordlessly lamenting the mess the world is in, while Henry Manx adds stinging accents on slide guitar and mohan veena. Pete Townshends "Wont Get Fooled Again" gets slowed down, with Havens vocal more hopeless than angry. When he sings "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" he sounds weary and defeated. Jackson Brownes "Lives in the Balance," written about the U.S. supported war in El Salvador, still sounds unhappily timely, and Havens delivers the lyric with a searing intensity. Peter Yarrows "The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)" appears near the end of the album, another prayer for sanity in a world that seems to be going mad once again. The music here is quiet, acoustic, and downbeat, with Havens sounding cautiously optimistic as he faces life and death. The albums not an upper, but even the darkest songs are suffused with Havens gentle soulfulness. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 26 Title: My Own Way Released: 2012-05-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 C.C. Rider (03:20) 2 Oxford Town (03:19) 3 Norahs Dove (03:37) 4 9000 Miles From Home (03:44) 5 Shadow Town (03:55) 6 3:10 To Yuma (03:18) 7 The Bag Im In (03:46) 8 Drown In My Own Tears (04:20) 9 Down In The Valley (04:03) 10 Chain Gang (02:49) 11 Babe, Im Leaving (04:36) 12 Daddy Roll Em (02:40) 13 Boots & Spanish Leather (05:38) 14 My Own Way (02:11) |
| My Own Way : Allmusic album Review : In 1967, producer Alan Douglas heard some tapes of solo performances by Richie Havens. In Douglas own words, as taken from a note on the back cover of this reissue, "We decided that a solo recording was just too difficult to compete in the exploding record market...So we went back to the studio and overdubbed musical backgrounds onto Richies solo sessions." The results yielded two albums on his own Douglas label, Electric Havens, and Richie Havens Record, issued at a time when the singer was reaching much bigger audiences with Verve albums conceived with full-band arrangements from the start. My Own Way is a 14-song CD compilation of material from those Douglas LPs, and is flawed in several crucial respects. True, Havens performances -- largely of traditional or traditional-oriented folk and blues material, though there are more contemporary items like Ray Charles "Drown in My Own Tears" and Fred Neils "The Bag Im In" -- are OK, and characteristic of the style with which Richie came to prominence. However, the overdubs are sometimes notably out of sync with the original contents, smacking of a hurried rush to exploit the folk-rock sound. Even the liner notes concede Douglas additions were done "to the great displeasure of purists everywhere," and though theyre not nearly as controversial or well-known as the posthumous overdubs he laid on some Jimi Hendrix tapes, they can likewise be criticized for insensitivity. Even if one takes the attitude that the Douglas productions are nonetheless of historical interest, this CD blows an opportunity to gather all of the material in one place, by including only 14 of the 18 tracks from the original LPs. "Im a Stranger Here" (from Electric Havens) and "Im Gonna Make You Glad," "It Hurts Me," and "Im on My Way" (from Richie Havens Record) are all missing, even though there was ample room for their inclusion on the CD, which runs 51 minutes. As another annoyance, there are no songwriting credits. If you do need to find these tracks for their historical interest, its still preferable to hear them in their entirety than in this slightly abridged and unsatisfactorily packaged version. | ||