LEON RUSSELL And The Shelter People

Original released on LP Shelter SW-8903

(US 1971, May 3)

Leon Russell's accolades are monumental in a number of categories, from songwriting (he wrote Joe Cocker's "Delta Lady") to session playing (with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, just to name a few) to his solo work. Unfortunately, it's the last category that never really attracted as much attention as it should have, despite a multitude of blues-based gospel recordings and piano-led, Southern-styled rock albums released throughout the 1970s. "Leon Russell and the Shelter People" is a prime example of Russell's instrumental dexterity and ability to produce some energetic rock & roll. Poignant and expressive tracks such as "Of Thee I Sing," "Home Sweet Oklahoma," and "She Smiles Like a River" all lay claim to Russell's soulful style and are clear-cut examples of the power that he musters through his spirited piano playing and his voice. His Dylan covers are just as strong, especially "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "It Takes a Lot to Laugh," while "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" and "It's a Hard Rain Gonna Fall" have him sounding so forceful, they could have been Russell's own. A hearty, full-flavored gospel sound is amassed thanks to both the Shelter People and the Tulsa Tops, who back Russell up on most of the tracks, but it's Russell alone that makes "The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen" such an expressive piece and the highlight of the album. On the whole, "Leon Russell and the Shelter People" is an entertaining and more importantly, revealing exposition of Russell's music when he was in his prime. The album that followed, 1972's "Carney", is an introspective piece which holds up a little better from a songwriting standpoint, but this album does a better job at bearing his proficiency as a well-rounded musician. (Mike DeGagne in AllMusic)

WILLIE NELSON Live With Friends

Original released on CD Lost Highway B000045302

(EU 2003, June 24)

For his 70th birthday gala, Willie Nelson decided to celebrate by inviting a cast of musical stars to join him in duets on a televised concert. In keeping with Nelson's eclecticism, only a few of the famous participants are country artists (Shania Twain, Toby Keith, and old pal Ray Price). How much is added to his classic "Crazy" by guests Diana Krall and Elvis Costello (then-hot celebrity couple of the moment) is an open question; what's really important is the well-deserved recognition Nelson receives from the musical world's biggest names. If you're a hardcore Willie fan, you've probably already got a couple of earlier live versions of, for example, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," but part of "Live and Kickin'"s purpose is to expose fans of Nelson's duet partners to the magic they've been missing out on for many decades. In that, it's a success. (John Bush in AllMusic)

THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH

Original released on Triple LP Apple STCX 3385

(US 1971, December 20)

Hands down, this epochal concert at New York's Madison Square Garden - first issued on three LPs in a handsome orange-colored box - was the crowning event of George Harrison's public life, a gesture of great goodwill that captured the moment in history and, not incidentally, produced some rousing music as a permanent legacy. Having been moved by his friend Ravi Shankar's appeal to help the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, Harrison leaped into action, organizing on short notice what became a bellwether for the spectacular rock & roll benefits of the 1980s and beyond. The large, almost unwieldy band was loaded with rock luminaries - including Beatles alumnus Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Badfinger, and two who became stars as a result of their electric performances here, Leon Russell ("Jumpin' Jack Flash"/"Youngblood") and Billy Preston ("That's the Way God Planned It"). Yet Harrison is in confident command, running through highlights from his recent triumphant "All Things Must Pass" album in fine voice, secure enough to revisit his Beatles legacy from Abbey Road and the White Album. 

Though overlooked at the time by impatient rock fans eager to hear the hits, Shankar's opening raga, "Bangla Dhun," is a masterwork on its own terms; the sitar virtuoso is in dazzling form even by his standards and, in retrospect, Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Alla Rakha amount to an Indian supergroup themselves. The high point of the concert is the surprise appearance of Bob Dylan - at this reclusive time in his life, every Dylan sighting made headlines - and he read the tea leaves perfectly by performing five of his most powerful, meaningful songs from the '60s. Controversy swirled when the record was released; then-manager Alan Klein imposed a no-discount policy on this expensive set and there were questions as to whether all of the intended receipts reached the refugees. Also, in a deal to allow Dylan's participation, the set was released by Capitol on LP while Dylan's label Columbia handled the tape versions. Yet, in hindsight, the avarice pales beside the concert's magnanimous intentions, at a time when rock musicians truly thought they could help save the world. (Richard Ginell in AllMusic)

COCKER & RUSSELL: Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Original released on Double LP A&M SP 6002

(US, September 1970)

In the pantheon of classic live albums, Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is near the top, alongside "Woodstock" and "The Last Waltz" in defining the spirit of a generation. Now, the album – originally issued in 1970 – is heard with previously unreleased tracks and studio cuts. The 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition reveals in full for the first time, the repertoire of the craziest, loudest, longest rock 'n' roll circus to have ever hit America, featuring guests such as Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, and Don Preston. Along with already-legendary performances of "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window," "The Letter," "Delta Lady," "Bird On A Wire," "Cry Me A River," "Feelin' Alright," "Let's Go Get Stoned" and "Space Captain" are seven previously unreleased live performances (whose inclusion now reflects the actual sequence of the show's set list) and four rare studio recordings.

When the original "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" album was released in September 1970, it reached #2 in the U.S. album charts, selling over a million copies, besides riding high in Britain, Europe and Australia. A&M Records loved it and not just because it had been a hit. As co-founder Jerry Moss would later say «It's an extraordinary record – one of the greatest records we've ever put out, and we've had some nice live albums.» Over thirty-five years on it remains an extraordinary record. Listening to this CD brings back a lot of memories. "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" was just about the most elaborate album that A&M Records had ever released, a double LP in a three-panel, fold-out, gatefold sleeve, with almost 80 minutes of music inside and a ton of photos, graphics, and annotation wrapping around it. A live recording done in tandem with a killer documentary film of the same U.S. tour, it was recorded at the Fillmore East, where the movie was a cross-country affair, and the two were, thus, completely separate entities – also, as people couldn't "buy" the film in those days, the double LP has lingered longer in the memory, by virtue of its being on shelves, and also being taken off those shelves to be played. Unlike a lot of other "coffee table"-type rock releases of the era, such as Woodstock and The Concert for Bangladesh, people actually listened to "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" – most of its content was exciting, and its sound, a veritable definition of big-band rock with three dozen players working behind the singer, was unique. The CD offers a seriously good sound, whether it's just Joe Cocker and a pianist and organist in the opening of "Bird on a Wire," or the entire band going full-tilt on "Cry Me a River"; the remastering was set at a high volume level and there was a decent amount of care taken to get the detail right, so you can appreciate the presence of the multiple drummers, and the legion of guitarists and singers, plus the multiple keyboard players. The lead guitar and solo piano on "Feelin' Alright," for example, come through, but so do the 34 other players and singers behind the lead. 

This record was also just as much a showcase for Leon Russell as it was for Joe Cocker, which A&M probably didn't mind a bit, as Russell was selling millions of records at the time. As is now known, and it's recounted in the new notes, the tour from which this album was drawn all but wiped out Joe Cocker – on a psychic level – because the music was presented on such a vast scale (and there is a moment in the movie where he mentions breaking up his former backing group, the Grease Band, with a hint of regret in his voice) and his own contribution was so muted by Russell's work as arranger and bandleader. He may well have been the "victim" of a "hijacking" of sorts, but the musical results, apart from the dubious "Give Peace a Chance," are difficult to argue about upon hearing this record anew, decades after the fact – it's almost all bracing and beautiful. [In 2005 "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" was reissued in a two-CD deluxe edition with eight previously unreleased live performances inserted throughout the discs and four rare studio recordings tacked onto the end. The new live performances are longer and looser and Russell plays an even bigger role. They're excellent, as are the stereo studio mixes of "The Letter" and "Space Captain," available for the first time here.]

Personnel: Joe Cocker (vocals); Leon Russell (guitar, piano); Don Preston (guitar); Bobby Keys (tenor saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet); Chris Stainton (piano, organ); Carl Radle (bass instrument); Chuck Blackwell (drums, percussion); Jim Gordon , Jim Keltner (drums); Bobby Torres (congas); Sanford Konikoff (percussion); Rita Coolidge (background vocals) and others…