Don't we all love Emitt Rhodes?

[Davey]

Wow, that first "real" solo album he released in 1970 after leaving the Merry-Go-Round was nearly solid gold Beatles-worshipping power pop. I'm talking about the eponymous one with songs like "Fresh as a Daisy", You Take the Dark Out of the Night", "Long Time No See" and especially "With My Face on the Floor". Like Paul McCartney's first solo album from the same year, it was recorded in his own studio and he played all the instruments. Unlike McCartney, I think Emitt's home studio was mainly a big Ampex 4-track and a Shure mixer in his parent's garage, but it doesn't much matter in this case because the results were better than that rather uneven and somewhat disappointing first release by Sir Paul. Sure, Paul went on to make some much better albums and Emitt didn't, but that's beside the point. The Emitt Rhodes album is still a classic. Maybe a little overlooked by most, but still a classic to me (and I think to the PwrPopGuy, too ).

I hadn't heard that LP in ages since I seem to have either lost it or misplaced it during one of my many moves over the years, so I was happy to find a copy of the CD at the library. Still the real deal and lots of fine memories associated with those songs.

[PPG]

Dave, I've got that on vinyl - bought it around '72 or '73 in a cut-out bin for a buck, I think it was. Also got the follow-up, "Mirror", and the "American Dream" LP's later. Oh yeah, the Merry-Go-Round album, too. You could say I'm a fan :-) But, that Dunhill/ABC "Emitt Rhodes" album you spoke of still retains it's infectious, melodic power 34 years later, as you have rediscovered. There was an article/interview with Rhodes and the engineer of that classic, Keith Olsen, in Tape Op mag last year that was very cool reading. Olsen had his work cut out for him when taking Rhodes' homemade tapes and mastering them for release. I wish Emitt would get it together again and put out some new stuff.

[Davey]

But, that Dunhill/ABC "Emitt Rhodes" album you spoke of still retains it's infectious, melodic power 34 years later, as you have rediscovered.

Yeah, maybe it is just you and me

Just checked and it looks like this has been OOP for awhile. Too bad, but I guess the best things in life aren't always easy to find or cheap. I'm gonna have to find another copy of the LP one of these days. Supposedly it sold pretty well at the time and even made a decent showing on the Billboard chart, but I don't remember hearing him on the radio. Guess he had to be, though. Also I read that he has a ton of unreleased songs from over the years. I wonder if he has them online anywhere? I'll have to check around.....

[PPG]

Check out his site: http://users2.ev1.net/~kryan73/emitt/
And, if you don't have his cd's, I recommend "Daisy Fresh From Hawthorne, Ca" It has that 1970 LP in it's entirety and the better cuts from his two albums after it, and a previously-unreleased track he recorded in 1980.

[Davey]

I recommend "Daisy Fresh From Hawthorne, Ca" It has that 1970 LP in it's entirety and the better cuts from his two albums after it, and a previously-unreleased track he recorded in 1980.

Oh, that's cool. I didn't know about that one but checking at Amazon it seems to be OOP too. Doesn't seem to be much you can buy new from Emitt right now if you live in the USA, at least not unless you don't mind paying those high import prices

Definitely something to look for in the used bins if you don't have a copy.

[Stone]

I have a beat up vinyl copy of that first album, and it's definitely worth sitting through the ticks and pops. I swear the guy sounded more like Paul McCartney musically than Paul did in his solo stuff, if that makes sense.

I keep an eye out for a nice vinyl copy of that s/t album, but I have yet to find one.

[Dusty Chalk]

I like Happy Rhodes, does that count for anything?

How about Nick Rhodes?