(This review first appeared in issue #63 of Shindig! magazine.)
Man
In The Moon CD
Although best known as
an actress with a resume that includes roles in Robert Altman's
Nashville and Dylan's Renaldo And Clara, Ronee
Blakley's parallel singing career generated some fine records, not
least her eponymous 1972 debut for Elektra Records. With a
predominate slant towards country music, it's a record that's stood
the test of time, and still sounds fresh mainly due to Blakley's
pure, crystalline voice and the musicianship of her assembled session
players.
Alongside the country
tracks are more introspective, piano-led songs ('Attachment',
'Graduation Tune') which compare favourably to those released by
Blakley's friend and contemporary Joni Mitchell. Also of note is
'Fred Hampton', a protest song about the death of the Black Panther,
shot by Illinois police at the age of 21.
Poor sales meant there
would be no more records for Elektra though Blakley recorded a 2nd
LP for Warner Brothers and continues to self-release music via her
website.
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