Bobbie Gentry - Patchwork

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1971
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:11
Size: 116,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Benjamin
(2:43)  2. Marigolds And Tangerines
(2:40)  3. Billy The Kid
(3:48)  4. Beverly
(4:42)  5. Miss Clara / Azusa Sue
(3:34)  6. But I Can't Get Back
(6:14)  7. Jeremiah
(4:05)  8. Belinda
(3:57)  9. Mean Stepmama Blues
(2:54) 10. Your Number One Fan
(4:07) 11. Somebody Like Me
(4:00) 12. Lookin' In

While Patchwork is not Bobbie Gentry at the peak of her powers, it's nonetheless mysterious that this would be her last album, although a few singles did follow in the 1970s. For the singer/songwriter obviously seemed to have much left to give, composing or co-composing all dozen tracks as well as producing the record herself. Like many another long-playing record in the late '60s and early '70s, it's given a quasi-concept aura via the device of half-minute "interludes" that link seven of the tracks. There doesn't seem to be a definite thematic concept at work here, however, other than quite a few of the songs being character sketches not that this was anything new for Gentry. It's not among her more rootsy records, however, and is arguably too slick and heavy on the orchestration from the production end. Sometimes it sounds kind of like Nancy Sinatra might have had that star begun writing material under the influence of her producer, Lee Hazlewood. Sometimes it sounds a little closer to the kind of jaunty, slyly tongue-in-cheek observational style of singer/songwriters like Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman than it does to Bobbie Gentry. 

At its most middle of the road, it seems like there might be some Jimmy Webb worming its way into her approach as well; "Somebody Like Me" even sounds a bit like the Fifth Dimension. None of these songs really rank among her very best (or certainly her earthiest), and it's more something to be enjoyed by committed fans than recommended as the first or second stop for someone who wants more than a best-of collection. Still, some of the charms particular to Gentry her husky voice, and her fusion of country, folk, and pop remain in force, the most serious and intimate portraits ("Beverly," "Belinda," "Lookin' In," and "Marigolds and Tangerines") being the most impressive. ~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/patchwork-mw0000957407

Patchwork

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Bobbie Gentry - Fancy

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:35
Size: 74,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Fancy
(2:54)  2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(3:02)  3. Delta Man
(2:37)  4. Something In The Way He Moves
(2:40)  5. Find 'Em, Fool 'Em And Forget 'Em
(2:35)  6. He Made A Woman Out Of Me
(3:11)  7. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(2:23)  8. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
(2:40)  9. Rainmaker
(3:13) 10. Wedding Bell Blues

Fancy is a wild ride through all the contradictions that are Bobbie Gentry. After her breakthrough smash, "Ode to Billy Joe," with its haunted guitar figure and cipher meaning, the Mississippi singer/songwriter became the embodiment of backwoods in the eyes of the American public. But on Fancy, Gentry told the truth of what she aspired to. The title track is a "Billie Joe"-type story with a similar guitar figure; it also has a host of West Coast horns telling an unapologetic rags-to-riches story without regrets that mirrors Gentry's own. But it only begins here. From here, Gentry, assisted or perhaps directed by producer Rick Hall, cuts a pair of Bacharach/David numbers ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"), James Taylor's "Something in the Way He (sic) Moves," Leon Russell's "Delta Man" (sic), Nilsson's "Rainmaker," Rudy Clark's "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody," Laura Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues," and a few others with full strings, horns, orchestras, and glockenspiels for accompaniment -- along with a honky tonk piano, drum kit, and electric bass. What it makes for is even more of a mystery than "Ode to Billie Joe." Gentry's voice, with its smoke-tinged husky contralto, is ill-suited to this material. But that in itself is what makes this such a fascinating listen. None of it works, yet as a result, it's kind of a shambolic masterpiece. Not for the weak, but a compelling experience if you can make it through. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/fancy-mw0000854670

Fancy

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Bobbie Gentry - The Very Best Of Bobbie Gentry

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:45
Size: 132.2 MB
Styles: Country-pop
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
[2:32] 2. Something In The Way He Moves
[3:03] 3. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
[2:31] 4. All I Have To Do Is Dream
[2:16] 5. Walk Right Back
[2:49] 6. Seasons Come, Seasons Go
[2:04] 7. Son Of A Preacher Man
[3:17] 8. You've Made Me So Very Happy
[3:03] 9. Mississippi Delta
[4:12] 10. Ode To Billie Joe
[2:47] 11. Tobacco Road
[3:44] 12. The Fool On The Hill
[2:27] 13. Eleanor Rigby
[2:29] 14. Here, There And Everywhere
[2:29] 15. Where's The Playground, Johnny
[3:07] 16. Gentle On My Mind
[2:45] 17. In The Ghetto
[3:12] 18. Little Green Apples
[3:09] 19. My Elusive Dreams
[2:50] 20. Mornin' Glory

Bobbie Gentry did not record many albums but several compilations have been released. Because Bobbie only had a few big hits that have to be included, the remainder of each compilation often differs significantly. This UK compilation includes plenty of cover versions, some of which were duets with Glen Campbell. Of course, this compilation includes 'Ode To Billie Joe' & 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' (a British number one hit). The covers include 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' (B J Thomas), four Beatles classics, 'Son Of A Preacher Man' (Dusty Springfield), 'You've Made Me So Very Happy' (Blood Sweat & Tears), 'In The Ghetto' (Elvis Presley) and two Everly Brothers covers, which account for half of the Glen Campbell duets

The Very Best Of Bobbie Gentry

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