Bleecker And MacDougal
by Fred Neil

From Mercury 10/19/2017 20:40 | #199818

Right from the jump on this album its clear this is a different, a completely unique take, on the folk singer/songwriter movement which was flourishing in '65. Neil had a strangely beautiful, deep, sonorous voice, which he never uses (here) to overtly emote. He always sounds detached, mildly amused even by the most deeply blues-soaked, depressed songs lyrically.

On songs like the absolutely superb "Blues On The Ceiling" every single aspect of the song just sounds sublime, cool, and yet very off-puttingly dark. The audio indicates the message in the most subtle and gorgeous way, but the lyrics really get to the root and the real existential insanity of deep deep blues. (reminds me a lot of another classic from '65 by Jackson C. Frank...the difference is that musically Frank's "Blues Run The Game" is all on a vector to express the depression just as much as the lyrical content. Its the strange dichotomy of this song which makes it better in my opinion....anyway, way way overlong parenthetical aside ends..... now).

The album is consistently beautiful and nuanced and varied and unique. Songs like "Candy Man", "Other Side to This Life", the title track, etc, are rightfully now regarded as classics of the genre.

Grade: 8.4/10