[2016-09-09] Gerry Beckley "Carousel" (Blue Elan)

Linda · **Posted:** Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:32 pm

Description
Carousel is the new full-length album from Gerry Beckley, co-founding member of the legendary Grammy Award-winning rock band America. Recorded at his Los Angeles studio Human Nature, the shimmering 12-track album plays to all of Beckley's strengths; the singer, songwriter and musician played most instruments on the album. "With a solo project I'm really a committee of one," says Beckley. "There's only myself to please. Having said that, it's not always easy. Each project is a snapshot in time. The material on Carousel came from a wide scope of inspiration." Carousel contains original standouts such as the deeply personal "Lifeline", "No Way I'm Gonna Lose You" (co-written with Dan Wilson who won an award for his work with Adele) and "Tokyo", of which Beckley says: "The song actually came to me while I was waiting to board a flight home from Japan. I seem to remember I lost track of time and almost missed the flight." There are also three covers on which Beckley puts his distinctive spin: Spirit's "Nature's Way", Gerry Rafferty's "To Each and Everyone" and Gerry and The Pacemakers' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". "I've fortunately never been short on inspiration for my original material but I do love to record a cover every so often," says Beckley. "These three are of course from my long list of fave songs. I've been singing 'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying' virtually since it came out in the 60's for example. The Gerry Rafferty song is from his first solo album Can I Have My Money Back? - I love the entire album. It was recorded between the breakup of The Humblebums, his first duo, and his later Steelers Wheel stuff."

Tracklist
1. Tokyo
2. Nature's Way
3. Minutes Count
4. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying
5. Lifeline
6. Widows Weeds
7. No Way I'm Gonna Lose You
8. Once a Distant Heart
9. To Each and Everyone
10. Fly
11. Serious
12. Carousel

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IR86RZ8/?tag=imwan-20

JGordonBD · 17 Aug 2007

I've got a few Gerry Beckley CD's, and they're all enjoyable. I'll definitely pick this one up. Did he cover all of the musical Gerries on this album, or did he leave some out?

Jim

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:20 pm

The album is due out next week, and this official lyric video has been made for one of the tracks:

Fred Schaffel · **Joined:** 13 Oct 2006 **Posts:** 45

JGordonBD wrote:

I've got a few Gerry Beckley CD's, and they're all enjoyable. I'll definitely pick this one up. Did he cover all of the musical Gerries on this album, or did he leave some out?

He left out Gerry Goffin.

Linda · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2017 3:37 am

The label is still promoting this album nearly a year after release. Here are a couple more lyric videos:

Renny · 26 Jun 2006

gerry beckley is a very interesting rock and roll personality......if you really think about it, the guy has written and played on some amazingly good records, and has been around for a long long time.

Greg Carrier · 25 Nov 2006

I have this and it's excellent. His version of "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" is terrific. The songwriting, playing, singing, and production are all first-rate.

Renny · 26 Jun 2006

Greg Carrier wrote:

I have this and it's excellent. His version of "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" is terrific. The songwriting, playing, singing, and production are all first-rate.

i'm not really sure about the feelings around here for america (beckley, bunnel and peek) but i think they are an excellent band, with a more than adequate catalog.

rock hall material??

i doubt it, because just like dan fogelberg and carly simon and warren zevon, they just don;t seem to have that certain something that jann wenner is looking for...you know lie tupac and the one-album wonder sex pistols.

JGordonBD · 17 Aug 2007

I enjoyed this album except for one thing: the production on "Widows Weeds". I hate the technique they employed with the scratchy-record sounds and the vocals sounding like they were recorded off a transistor radio. I think it might have been a good song, but I can't make much out of that recording. In my book, the best production entails performing a good song very well and recording it as clearly as possible. That's it.

[2016-09-09] Gerry Beckley "Carousel" (Blue Elan)

Who is WANline