Chip Taylor - This Side Of The Big River (1975)

James Wesley Voight (born March 21, 1940), better known by the stage name Chip Taylor, is an American songwriter, noted for writing "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing." He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and geologist Barry Voight and the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie and actor James Haven.

After writing three standards of the '60s the garage rock classic "Wild Thing," made famous by the Troggs; the soft pop ballad "Angel of the Morning," originally cut by Merrilee Rush; and "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)," made famous by Big Brother & the Holding Company Chip Taylor began a solo recording career in the '70s, signing to Warner Bros. after releasing one rock-oriented album, "Gasoline", on Buddah in 1971. His first album, rather ironically (and quite funnily) named "Chip Taylor's Last Chance", appeared in 1973 but it wasn't a rock or a pop album: it was a country album, which signaled a return to his roots in a way, since he sang country music at the beginning of his career. Neither Last Chance nor the following year's Some of Us were hits, but the label stuck with him through one more record, 1975's "This Side Of The Big River". This is also a country album indeed, it was the only one of his records to sell well enough to appear on the country charts but it's not a conventional country record by any means. It's an appealingly sleepy, meandering record, drifting from languid ballads to laid-back country-rockers, but its sonic palette is broader than that suggests the Gram Parsons-styled "I've Been Tied" is punctuated with horns; the slow, slow "Holding Me Together" is built upon electric pianos and mournful steel guitar and the album recalls California singer/songwriters as often as it does Nashville. It could be pegged as progressive country, since there are some echoes of Kris Kristofferson and Mickey Newbury here, but Taylor isn't an outlaw; he's an outsider, crafting his own idiosyncratic music that doesn't quite fit into any real specific category which, of course, is its appeal. First and foremost, it's a subtle songwriter's record, but it's a songwriter's record where the most immediate tune is a cover a rather rowdy version of Johnny Cash's "Big River" that lends the LP its title. It's taken from a live radio session, as are "John Tucker's on the Wagon Again" and "You're Alright, Charlie," and all three feel different "Big River" has the kick of a concert, "John Tucker" is as conversational as a story, "You're Alright, Charlie" is hushed and intimate but boast a loose, human quality that presents a nice contrast to the studio cuts, which are professional in the best sense: accomplished without being polished, highlighting the skills of Taylor and his crew, since they make these reflective songs feel warm, comfortable, and lived-in. In fact, "This Side Of The Big River" may be a little bit too broken-in it rolls so slow and easy, his songs so subtle and solidly constructed, that it takes some effort on the part of the listener to get within its little details, whether it's in the lyrics or the texture. But give it a little time and "This Side of the Big River" is not only quite charming, it's rather moving.


01.  Same Ol' Story - 3:14  
02.  Holding Me Together  - 2:44  
03.  Gettin' Older, Lookin' Back  - 3:22  
04.  John Tucker's On The Wagon Again  - 5:27  
05.  Big River   - 3:15  
06.  May God Be With Me  - 4:04  
07.  Circle Of Tears  - 2:35  
08.  Sleepy Eyes  - 3:48  
09.  I've Been Tied  - 2:45  
10.  You're Alright, Charlie  - 4:27

Release:  1975
Label:  Warner Bros.
Genre:  Country
Length:  36:07
Producer:  Chip Taylor

Credits
Vocals, Guitar [Rhythm] - Chip Taylor
Backing Vocals - The Jordanaires
Bass - Dave Kapell
Drums - Charlie Powers
Fiddle - Buddy Spiker
Guitar [Electric] - John Platania
Guitar [Lead], Guitar [Acoustic] - George Kiriakis
Guitar [Pedal Steel] - Pete Drake
Piano [Electric] - Joe Renda