Trials and Tribulations
Band members Related acts
|
line-up 1 (1970) - Gene Fuchs -- drums, percussion, backing vocals - Jim Harvey -- vocals, keyboards, harmonica, percussion, - John Wilf -- lead guitar, backing vocals - Sonny Wilf -- vocals, bass
|
- none known
|
|
Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Trials and Tribulations Company: Vanguard Catalog: VSD
6565 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: white label Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5697 Price: $75.00
|
The first couple of times I spun this one I felt these guys were a little too much in awe of Robbie Robertson and the Band for my tastes. That changed the more I listened to this album. While there was a distinctive Band influence throughout the collection, what originally struck me as being imitative turned out to be quite likeable and even a little more original than I initially thought. Also, I didn't know it at the time, but it turned out there were actually a couple of tie-ins to Robertson and The Band.
Can't
say I know a great deal about these guys. The line-up featured drummer
Gene
Fuchs, singer/keyboardist Jim Harvey, singer/lead guitarist John Wilf and
bassist Sonny Wilf. They somehow attracted the attention of Vanguard
Records which signed them to a contract, teaming the with producer Bob
Scherl for 1970's
"Trials and
Tribulations".
Most of the dozen tracks were pen
And one last quirky tie-in to The Band: John Wilf wrote and produced the soundtrack to the film "End of the Line" which co-starred The Band's Levon Helm.
And that appears to be it for the band, which was shame given their considerable talent. As far as I can tell most of them simply dropped out of the music business. The exception is Harvey who was living in South Carolina where he served as the editor of Piano Technicians Journal, working as an in-demand keyboard technician.
"Trials
and Tribulations" track listing: 1.) Please Mrs. Henry (Bob Dylan) - 2:55 rating: ** stars Showcasing Jim Harvey's sing/speak vocals, the album started out with a breezy, bouncy cover of Dylan's 'Trials and Tribulations.' Likeable Americana vibe that wouldn't have sounded bad on an album by Robbie Robertson and the Band. Given some of their original material was far superior, I've always wondered why Vanguard tapped the Dylan cover as a single:
- 1971's 'Please Mrs. Henry' (stereo) b/w 'Please Mrs. Henry' (mono) (Vanguard catalog number 35124)
2.) Sing (Don't Ever Worry If You're Gonna Die) (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 2:56 rating: ** stars Powered by Harvey's Hammond B-3 and Sonny's melodic bass line, 'Sing (Don't Ever Worry If You're Gonna Die)' continued their exploration of The Band styled Americana (before it was Americana). Still, there was something irritating about the lead waivery lead vocals. 3.) Message (Jim Harvey - John Wilf) - 4:09 4.) Stones That I Throw (Jaime Robbie Robertson) - 1:58 rating: *** stars This one was written by Robbie Robertson and originally recorded and released by Levon and the Hawks. Originally entitled 'The Stones I Throw (Will Free All Men)', this one was one of the album's standout performances, their arrangement of 'Stones That I Throw' had a breezy Gospel-influenced melody and some "uplifting" lyrics. 5.) Calgary Lady (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 2:32 rating: *** stars Not to sound like a broken record, but darn if these guys didn't sound like they'd overdosed on The Band albums. 6.) Home (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 4:15 7.) Simple Song of Freedom (Bob Darin) - 3:51 rating: ** stars Their cover of Bobby Darin's 'Simple Song of Freedom' was respectful, but complete with extended a cappella section didn't threaten Darin's original performance.
(side
2) 2.) Hallelujah (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 2:58 3.) Friend of Mine (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 3:19 4.) Thoughts That Rhyme (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 3:13 5.) Can't Change Your Fate (John Wilf - Sonny Wilf) - 7:14 rating: **** stars Spotlighting Harvey's Hammond B-3, an edited version of 'Can't Change Your Fate' was the track I would have tapped as a single. Admittedly the song never blasts into a breakthrough moment, but the band find a great groove and lock onto it for the seven plus minutes.
© Scott R. Blackerby 04/2023
|
BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
ned by the Wilf brothers with
keyboardist Harvey co-writing 'Message' (one of the standout performance). Harvey and Sonny Wilf shared lead vocal duties.
One of the two had kind of a nasally delivery that wasn't the most
impressive voice you've ever heard. In fact on tracks like 'Sing
(Don't Ever Worry If You're Gonna Die)'
and 'Friend of Mine' you were left to wonder whether he was
actually going to make it through the entire song. Luckily his occasionally
ragged voice was well suited for the band's Americana-influenced repertoire and
the group regularly showed themselves to be capable harmony singers ('Simple
Song of Freedom').
The
second lead singer was far better, baring a mild resemblance to a less manic
David Clayton-Thomas on selections like 'Hallelujah'
and the pretty ballad 'Thoughts That Rhyme'.
Moreover, exemplified by performances like the rocker 'Message',
the country-flavored ballad 'Calgary Lady'
and 'Friend of Mine' the brothers had a knack for penning material that was
under-the-table catchy and commercial. It made for FM material that would
have sounded good on AM radio. The other big surprises were Harvey's always
tasteful keyboards (good example found on 'Can't Change You Fate') and John Wilf''s
equally impressive guitar. While he wasn't a showy player, whenever the spotlight was on
Wilf, he made full use of it ... check out the solo on 'Friend of
Mine', or his work at the end of 'Home'. Very nice ! So
back to The Band tie-ins ... the two Dylan covers 'Please Mrs.
Henry' and 'Open the Doom Homer'
(the latter sounding like a Thunderclap Newman track) were recorded by Dylan
and the Band and released on "The Basement Tapes". Elsewhere
'Stones That I Throw' was a Robbie Robertson track. (Recorded
by Levon and The Hawks the song was originally entitled 'The Stones I Throw
(Will Free All Men)'.). 
