line up 1 (1969)

- Mike Millius -- vocals, guitar

- Five Dollar Shoes

Genre: folk

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:   Desperado

Company: Uni

Catalog: 73072
Year: 1969

Country/State: Bedford, New York

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $20.00

Here's one I bought without any knowledge of the artist - Frank Rubino's cover art, the Uni label and the right price were the factors that led to the investment.  

I haven't been able to find much of an on-line biographical trail for Mike Millius.  He seems to have gotten his start as part of New York's mid-'60s Greenwich Village folk scene.  Some of his folk-oriented material ('Hey Mr. Rockefeller,' 'Doesn't Someone Have a Plan' and 'The Ballad of Martin Luther King' was featured by the New York-based folk music oriented Broadside Magazine.  Somehow scouted and signed by MCA's Uni subsidiary, Millius was teamed with producer Don Thomas.  Thomas also co-wrote one of the eleven songs that appeared on Millius' debut album.  Unfortunately 1969's "Desperado" didn't do Millius any favors.  Thomas clearly had no idea what to do with the singer/songwriter.  In an ill-advised attempt to increase his potential commercial appeal Thomas slapped ham-handed orchestration and even chirpy backing singers (The Peer-Southern Community Singers) on many of these songs.  The contrast of those arrangements with Millius' ragged, gravelly voice was stunning.  I've never pictured Dylan or Kris Kristofferson as having smooth and commercial voices, but compared to Millius those two singers were silky smooth.  That's not meant to throw shade at Millius since the man's ragged voice was fascinating.  I can't really explain why, but perhaps it was a bit like seeing a nasty traffic accident - horrible to see the carnage, but you can't take your eyes off the disaster. Say what you will, but the man's voice had character.  When you heard tracks like 'Sweet Sunday', 'If Jesus was Alive Today' and 'Algiers Hotel' these prime '60s folk-singer tunes stuck with you.  And I'll gladly admit I would not have learned the story behind Algiers Hotel without hearing the tune.  I'd also suggest the results would have been better stripped of all Thomas' production work. Elsewhere the most atypical yet appealing songs were the pop-rock 'Datenite U.S.A.' and  the garage-rocker 'Lookout for Lucy.'  Where in the world did thesen two songs come from?  Fantastic tunes.

Uni clearly had no idea what to do with Millius and the collection quickly vanished into cutout bins.  

"Desperado" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Sweet Sunday   (Mike Millius) -  3:49 

2.) Datenite U.S.A.   (Mike Millius) - 2:57 

One of the album's few truly commercial offerings, 'Datenite U.S.A.'

3.) If Jesus was Alive Today   (Mike Millius) - 3:15   rating: *** stars

Powered by some stark barrelhouse piano and chirping background singers, 'If Jesus was Alive Today' had a distinctive Dylan-esque feel.  Listening to this one I'll grudgingly admit Millius' gravelly voice kind of grew on you.

4.) Poor Boy Michael Strange   (Mike Millius) - 2:30 

Not a big haromica fan so this one was a pass for me.

5 Forty Days Of Rain    (Mike Millius) - 3:02 

(side 2)
1.) Lookout For Lucy    (Mike Millius) - 3:10  rating: **** stars

Geez, where did this one come from?  A screeching, garage-tinged rocker 'Lookout for Lucy' was completely unexpected. Powered by some awesome electric guitar and Mullius' ragged vocals, this one would not have sounded bad on FM radio.  If anyone's heard the LP in this day and age, it's likely a result of the fact Beck sampled Millius' scream for 'Lord Only Knows' on his 1996 "Odelay" LP.

2.) Doesn't Someone Have A Plan  (Mike Millius) - 3:06

3.)  I Just Wanna Be With You  (Mike Millius) -1:30 

4.) Taterbug Mandolin Man  (Mike Millius) - 2:57   rating: * star

The combination of a country melody and Millius' vocals wasn't something that struck a chord with me.  Pass.

5.) Algiers Motel   (Mike Millius - Don Thomas) - 3:12   rating: *** stars

With Millius growlin' in his trademark talk-sing fashion (accompanied by some squeaky backing singers), 'Algiers Hotel' laid out the tragic story of a series of civilian deaths that occurred at the hotel amidst the July 1967 Detoit riots.  Detroit police. Michigan State police and Michigan National Guard troops were searching for suspected snipers and in the process managed to kill three young black men and would another nine people.  Extra star for the historical aspects of the tune.

6.) Nobody Cares  (Mike Millius) - 4:47

In a daring change in musical direction, three years later Millius reappeared as a member of the New York-based glam band Five Dollar Shoes.  Before calling it quits the band managed to record one obscure album and a pair of singles for Melanie Safka and her husband Peter Schekeryk's Neighborhood Records label ("Five Dollar Shoes" Neighborhood catalog number NRS 47002).

Millius seems to have then turned his attention to the publishing side of the business working on commercials and film projects under his Mike Millius Music Co. nameplate

Apparently retired and living with his wife in Maine, Millius has a Facebook page, though it doesn't have a great deal to say about his musical career, let alone the "Desperado" album.  I did find this brief reference to the LP: "When it ["Desperado"] was first released in '68 it sold about 10 copies. I think my mother bought them all."  I like folks who have a sense of humor.  I think I would like Mike Millius.