Rating:
**** (4 stars)
Title: Montage
Company: Laurie
Catalog: SLP-2049
Year: 1969
Grade
(cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: cut
corner; gatefold sleeve
Available: 1
Price: $110.00 |
Following his departure from The Left Banke,
singer/keyboardist Michael Brown turned his attention to the New York based
band Montage. Though he wasn't an official member of the group (billed as
drummer Vance Chapman, bassist Lance Corneulius, guitarist Mike Smyth and
singer Bob Steurer), Brown served as the project's unacknowledged front man -
producing, arranging, contributing keyboards and co-writing the majority of
material on the band's 1968 self-titled debut. Musically "Montage"
sought to pick up where The Left Banke had left off. Exemplified by tracks
such as "I Shall Call Her Mary", "Grand Pianist" and
"Tinsel and Ivey", the result was a stunning set of Banke-styled
baroque pop (the immaculate "Desiree" had actually been recorded
by The Left Banke). Catchy melodies, bolstered by wonderful group harmonies
made for one of the year's undiscovered treasures. The set wasn't perfect;
Steurer now and then hitting a bum note while Brown and company occasionally
blundered into needless MOR sentimentality ("She's Alone",
"Men Are Building Sand" and "Song Is Love" (the latter
sounding like an Association outtake). In spite of rave reviews, perhaps due
in part to the fact it sported one of the year's ugliest covers, the album
vanished without a trace. (The album was originally released with a gatefold
sleeve.)
"Montage" track listing:
1.) I Shall Call Her Mary (Michael Brown - Feher) - 2:21
2.) She's Alone (Michael Brown - Sommer) - 2:56
3.) Grand Pianist (Michael Brown - Sommer) - 2:25
4.) Men Are Building Sand (Michael Brown - Sommer) - 2:10
5.) Desiree (Michael Brown - Feher) - 2:44
6.) Song Is Love (Michael Brown - Sommer) - 1:42
7.) Tinsel and Ivey (Michael Brown - Feher) - 2:25
8.) Audience with Miss Priscilla Gray (Michael Brown - Feher) - 1:59
9.) My Love (Feher) - 2:56
10.) Wake Up, Jimmy (Something's Happening) (Michael Brown - Sommer) - 3:08
Brown subsequently reappeared as a member of The Stories followed by a brief
mid-'70s outting with The Beckies (see separate entries).
(In 1997 the English Bam Caruso label reissued the collection in CD
format.)
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