Seatrain (1970)

Artist: Seatrain
Release Year: 1970

Rating: 7/10

Track Listing: 1) Willin'; 2) Song of Job; 3) Broken Morning; 4) Home to You; 5) Out Where the Hills; 6) Waiting for Elijah; 7) 13 Questions; 8) Oh My Love; 9) Sally Goodin; 10) Creepin' Midnight; 11) Orange Blossom Special.

One look at that album cover would instill confusion in anyone who knows me well.  A country album?!  What that photo reveals, though, is a group of humble guys who are well aware of the way they might be received by snobs like me, and hence play their music with just a bit of humor to rejuvenate the old country and blues cliches.  There's very little of that dead-serious, oceanic reverence that plagues so much country music--just a good-natured fun time with lots of heart, and I can't dislike an album with those qualities.

It's clear that Peter Rowan and Co. had a very real passion for their bluegrass and gospel roots: just listen to those yodels and choral chants in "Home to You", for example.  Hell, that one and "Creepin' Midnight" almost remind me of something Carole King and Bob Dylan could have done together.  Wait...Carole King did write "Creepin' Midnight"?  Ha!  What do I win?!

But, speaking of gospel, there's a retelling of the Book of Job, which is an affront to my usual rule against religious retellings, but those vocal workouts and the little wah-wah accents every time Satan shows up make for an entertaining blues number all the same.  Still not as great as their cover of Little Feat's classic trucker anthem "Willin'", though: for all the quiet dignity of the original, this faster and brighter rendition injects enough new enthusiasm to turn it into a singalong highlight.  Also early on, "Broken Morning" is warm and soulful with a great chorus.

But!  The best has to be their blistering adaptation of "Orange Blossom Special".  I've not heard such infectious fiddlin' this side of "Beef: it's what's for dinner", and when the vocals kick in, that declaration of "bringin' my baby baaaack!" is suitably triumphant and never fails to lift my spirits.  And yet, Richard Greene has the generosity to continue his face-melting solo for another minute or two afterward.  Fantastic.

Now, there are a number of generic country-blues numbers in the middle, like "Out Where the Hills" or "Oh My Love", and that's where this album slumps a little for me.  Oh, and the "Sally Goodin'" track tacked on the end of the latter is probably the most obnoxiously backwoods of them all, but at least it's short.  None of these fully disrupts the vibe, though, and I suppose a better fan of southern rock and country might like them better.

With just a bit more artsy-fartsy touches like their fellow Californians in Frisco were doing at the time, this album might have been catapulted even higher.  Still, considering the only copy of this album that I ever owned was a decrepit vinyl pressing, I'm glad to have dug up a nice remaster.