BURNS, RANDY - Evening Of The Magician

Three albums by Randy Burns were originally released on the ESP-Disk label during the late 60s. The first called Of Love And War came out in 1966 and was somewhat your typical mid-60s solo folk debut album, straight out of the Greenwich Village scene. It contained a few self-composed tunes but mostly borrowed" songs from fellow folksters. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and occasional 12-string backing, Randy laid down a set that inspired his own writing. The third album called Songs For An Uncertain Lady was released in 1970 and already leaned much more towards Randys rock style in the early 70s, when he moved on to the Mercury label. However still folky, as a whole it was much more straightforward and outgoing than the music described yet. Now, in retrospective categorized as acid- or loner-folk, ever an effort of a self-composed album in the folk-rock genre of the time is Evening Of The Magician, from 1968. Randy has a clear and warm, very distinctive voice, especially beautiful when backed up by himself on two songs. In regards to the "acid-folk" point of view, his poetic lyrics may be considered slightly psychedelic. However, his words are often used and placed oddly, therefore making the meaning of the song not instantly obvious. From a "loner-folk" perspective, the music is quite introverted due to a woolly home-recording sound. Now backed up by a small band, Randys music really is folk-rock in the very essence of the term. He constructed compositions that are and can only be carried out on (acoustic) guitar, the core melodies being within the suggestive chords, underlined by electric solo guitar and bass, and occasional drums, organ, piano, and flute. The album only consists of the most gentle and musically interesting songs. It has been a challenge to provide the best of sound quality for the vinyl reissue. The original vinyl was of poor quality, the original tapes were worse. Furthermore, the recordings appeared to have been panned dominantly to one channel, making it sound completely out of balance. But, with the latest technology, the album could be fully restored to the way it should sound. The audiophile will find a centered stereo image and smooth continuity of tonal beauty. Randy recently picked up the guitar and started writing again. Apart from his often ESP-Disk-related cult status, he is a very much respected member of the U.S. folk community. Now, his current followers are introduced to probably his most essential release, as collectors are offered a true gem in the best quality, ever. 180 gram vinyl LP." -Enabling Works.