J.D. Souther’s name might not ring any bells unless you read songwriter credits or are old enough to remember his two hits, 1979’s “You’re Only Lonely” and 1981’s “Her Town Too” (with James Taylor). He has spent most of his career out of the spotlight, singing backup on other artists’ albums and composing tunes recorded by performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt. Most notably, he wrote or co-wrote some of the Eagles’ biggest chart successes, including “New Kid in Town,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “Best of My Love.”
Souther is also a fine singer, however, as his own albums demonstrate. Omnivore reissued three of them – his first, second, and fourth LPs – back in 2016, all with bonus tracks. At the time, though, the label didn’t release a new edition of his third album, You’re Only Lonely.
That omission has been rectified by Omnivore’s July 26th reissue of the self-produced set, which shares the title of Souther’s only Top 10 single and ranks as his most commercially successful LP. The new edition includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks: an alternate take of “Bad News Travels Fast,” which the singer rerecorded for 1985’s Home by Dawn, and “Ever Faithful Woman.” Guest performers on the album include the Eagles’ Glenn Frey, Don Felder, and Don Henley, as well as Jackson Browne, John Sebastian, and Phil Everly.
The best track on the mostly self-penned CD is the title cut, a beautifully crafted, addictively hooked, and well-sung pop ballad that owes debts to Roy Orbison. (Souther, a longtime fan, sang in Orbison’s band for his Black and White Night concert.) It’s not the only gem on the record, however. The program also includes two other numbers that became singles and deserved to sell more copies than they did: the lilting “White Rhythm and Blues,” which Ronstadt covered on her Living in the USA album, and “If You Don’t Want My Love” (not to be confused with the identically titled John Prine song). Another standout is “The Last in Love,” a ballad that Frey co-wrote with Souther, which Nicollete Larson recorded even before this album came out.
Though Souther says in the Omnivore reissue’s new liner notes that one of his mottos has been “no filler,” several of the rockers on this album – “Fifteen Bucks,” “’Til the Bars Burn Down,” and “Trouble in Paradise” – fail to showcase the qualities that render his best work distinctive. Still, there’s enough good stuff here to make the CD well worth seeking out, starting with that gorgeous title cut.
Also Noteworthy
James Cotton, Rocks. Blues harmonica giant James Cotton, who died in 2017, is the latest performer to be featured in the Bear Family label’s long-running Rocks series, which has previously spotlighted such pioneering acts as Roy Brown, Eddie Bond, Mac Curtis, and Charlie Feathers. Like the recently deceased British guitarist John Mayall, Cotton was a seminal figure in the transition from blues to rock who worked with many other important artists, among them Sonny Boy Williamson (his mentor), B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, and Junior Wells.
This excellent set, which draws on recordings made for multiple labels, focuses on the rocking side of Cotton’s discography and offers 27 remastered tracks made between 1953 and 1968. It includes four songs from his first recording session, which took place at Sun Records when he was just 18 years old and features him singing sans harmonica. A dozen of the numbers showcase the Mississippi native as a bandleader while nine find him performing as a member of Muddy Waters’s band. Featured accompanists include such blues luminaries as Otis Spann and Willie Dixon. A 36-page booklet serves up copious discographic information, liner notes, and photos.
Jeff Burger’s website, byjeffburger.com, contains five decades’ worth of music reviews, interviews, and commentary. His books include Dylan on Dylan: Interviews and Encounters, Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: Interviews and Encounters, and Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters.
