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David Blue has to be Rock's greatest loser. He knew all the right folks, but always remained on the periphery. A buddy of Dylan & a forunner on the same Folk scene, the closest he ever got to a hit was when The Eagles' covered his, "Outlaw Man". He wasn't a great player & even less of a singer. But he wrote some fine songs nevertheless. Alot of which, you'll find here.
The only record of his you're likely to find in print (the self-titled David Blue), he vehemently disowned. After years of self-abuse he cleaned up only to drop dead jogging from a heart attack at 42. Since he had no ID, his body was left unclaimed for 3 days. Does Irony get any more bitter?
So why spend all the time & money tracking this album down? Quite simply, it's a great record. The kind that doesn't immediately grab you, but one that creeps up on you. Next to Neil Young's TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT, it has to be one of the most scathing accounts of post Hippie drug culture I've come across.
Recorded in 1971, it boasts a stellar ensemble of backing players. Jack Nitzche, Ry Cooder & Chris Ethridge to name a few. On the opening cut, Blue warbles with all the confusion of a guy who just had a nervous breakdown & is simply "Looking For A Friend". "House Of Changing Faces" puts you right in the middle of the San Francisco dope scene, lyrically coming off as a sort of resigned "Hotel California". As for non-chalant heartbreakers, "Another One Like Me" pretty much hits the funny bone.
For fans of Leonard Cohen's "So Long,Marianne", Blue's "Marianne" is about the same girl. In a wry send up of Cohen's tune, Blue maintains, "I will not say goodbye". Things end on a bitter, disillusioned note with, "The Blues(All Night Long)". It's the sound of a songwriter who realizes he's at the end of his era & hasn't made it anywhere. Honest, devastating stuff.
Still forgotten, Blue deserves the same re-examination bestowed on Nick Drake. Like so many of his generation, he sat in Dylan's shadow. But being in the shadows can sometimes offer a unique perspective. Blue may have a mere handful of memorable albums under his monicker, but STORIES is certainly one of them. For more on Blue & others like him, check out Mark Brend's book, AMERICAN TROUBADORS. (Amazon Review)
