ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 268 SEALS & CROFTS - DIAMOND GIRL (1973)

Artist: Seals & Crofts

Genre: Pop/Folk/Soft Rock

Nationality: American

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Diamond Girl

Producer: Louie Shelton

Release Date: April 1973

Running Time: Approximately 42 Minutes

RIAA Certification: Gold

Peak Billboard Chart Position: #4

Singles: Diamond Girl (#6)/We May Never Pass This Way (Again) (#21)

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it).

We broached the soft rock scene a couple of weeks ago with Jim Croce, and we do so again this week with the duo Seals & Crofts (James Seals and Darrell Crofts). The Album of the Week is Diamond Girl and it was the band's highest charting album. Both of the singles were big hits and are still played to this day on classic rock radio. I had never heard the album until recently when I purchased it, so once again I'll rely on someone else's work to give you a mini-review. Here is a review written by Paul Gambaccini (Rolling Stone) way back on June 7, 1963:

It looks like a trend. Arlo Guthrie, Steve Goodman, Seals and Crofts -- all adorning their album covers with family portraits. The difference here is that S&C have gone all the way and dedicated the record to their wives, spalshed their pictures all over the gatefold jacket, and even written a song about them.

Treasure this gift, luckiest of ladies, for you have been offered an ace album. Not perfect, for a couple of tracks suffer from the blahs, but overall it's a humdinger. And one of the choicest cuts is your song, "Ruby Jean and Billie Lee." It is a moving statement of devotion, and those who searched for and foun

These ingredients, part of the duo's personal philosiphies, crop up throughout without becoming obnoxious. The main reason they don't is the great difference in the styles of the outstanding tunes. Besides the "Ruby Jean and Billie Lee" ballad there's the all-for-fun "Standin' on a Mountain Top," the country "Dust on My Saddle," and the mellow instrumental "Wisdom."

"Mountain Top" sounds like a vintage 1964 rock tune that might have vied with the Riveras' "California Sun" for a spot in the Top Ten. And well it should, because a check at the credits shows that James Seals did indeed write it in 1964. Today it's a refresher, a breather between songs sprinkled with various messages.

S&C must have really combed the vaults this time around, because "Dust on My Saddle" is a 1966 Seals copyright. Reflecting the influence of his early country work, this is a sheer delight, an "El Paso" that ends happily ever after. The innocent narrator flees from the law for six years only to discover that the real culprit was caught just after he left town. Even in the mid-Sixties Seals was aware of the comfort provided by close relatives: The hero announces that "I'm bound for Carolina -- and my family."

Not only does he walk, talk, write, sing and play guitar on Diamond Girl, Seals blows a mean alto sax. "Wisdom" is completely incongruous with the rest of the album, but it ends the 41 minutes on a high note. The instrumental, the extended vocal-free passages of "Nine Houses" and the mandolin work of Dash Crofts will astound dilettantes who thought the team was only capable of producing songs Ray Coniff could cover.

Unfortunately the tracks most likely to get AM play are the unadventurous ones. They're not bad, but they're musical meringues appealing to those looking for sweet sounds without much substance. The title tune and "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)" are the best-known entries in this category. Then there are a couple of minor irritants that will keep listeners needle-hopping to hear the really good stuff.

- Paul Gambaccini, Rolling Stone, 6/7/73.

And that is that. The album is still readily available on Amazon. That's where I got my copy. And it's another one from the $4.99 bin (the Flashback Series I believe). Here's your chance to own some more of the 70's for a very nice price.

Side One:

1. Diamond Girl

2. Ruby Jean And Billie Lee

3. Intone My Servant

4. We May Never Pass This Way (Again)

5. Nine Houses

Side Two:

6. Standin' On A Mountain Top

7. It's Gonna Come Down On You

8. Jessica

9. Dust On My Saddle

10. Wisdom

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Niels (Mod) on August 13, 2015 at 8:02am

This is DEFINITELY "Scott-rock"!!

But as in each and every one of the "genres", there are good and bad stuff, even in RAP, Disco and Scott-Rock.

(The number of the track)

1. Very easy listening, but somehow it appeals to me. I like there's a good speed to this track. They certainly play there instruments well, but I'm afraid I'll get tired of this kind of music pretty fast.

2. Nice start on the accustic guitar. Sounds a BIT like S&G. He's or they are (a) good singers, but the chorus bores me a bit. I'm starting to think about Air Supply.

3. Yeah, well, again the speed of the song is fine. The most "rock-song" so far. Best one so far.

4. Did I know the first single? No. do I know this single? Absolutely not. As I said, this kind of music is starting to getting to me. The violins irritates me. Most boring track so far. Now their singing is starting to sound like Bee Gees to me.

5. Sweet start, but I fear, that I have to listen to side two later on. 10 songs at once is too much!! Whats this, an instrumental? Nope. Hmm, kind of proggy this one, kind of. If I listened to this album more than once, this one would probably grow on me.....but I won't.

Ahhh...the sound of silence!!

I will return later on.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Niels (Mod) on August 14, 2015 at 4:38am

6. This is an eye- (or ear-opener)!! I've known this song for 40 years, but not by the apparently original writers. The danish band Shu-Bi-Dua did a danish version on their debut-album in 1974, and I kind of always thought, it was "their own". You DO learn something new everyday. Good track, No Scott-rock here!!

7. A new day, and fresh ears. Even though, it's a bit slow, I like this one as well. I like, that they use the mandolin (I suppose, it's a mandolin) a lot on the album. One of my favorite instruments. And electric guitar on this as well. Not bad. I like a song going "quiet/noisy/quiet/noisy" aso.

8. Sounds a bit like The Carpenters. Again, can't say it's bad, but it's not one of the best.

9. Nice start. Sounds like something from danish children-televison from the 70's, if they had sang on danish. Hmmm, I would skip this one, if I would listen to this album once more.

10. Ahh, a true Scott-rock opening!! Again, to me it sounds like music from some danish children-program on TV, from when I was a child. No, I don't like this one. I friggin' HATE Jazz, and a Saxophone/clarinet. Ydrkk!!

Bottomline: Not a bad listening, some of it was better, than expected, some of it was worse. I don't think, I will ever hear it again, but it wasn't that hard, to listen to it once. But it's a nice piece of music-history, and therefore no waste of my valuable music-time.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jon on August 13, 2015 at 10:06am

$4.99 you say? Wow! That's a............deal?

I guess it would be if you didn't know about this. It's even better if you're a member and have a 20% off coupon. It's decent if you're not a member and have a 15% off coupon.

Side one is quite good, especially "Nine Houses". That's just a killer track. On side two, there are two songs back-to-back that are kind of letdowns, one with the singing (oddly) and the other with the type of song it is. However, it's redeemed by the track after those two because it features sax AND FRIGGIN' WOCKA WOCKA GEETAR!

20 years or so ago, I wouldn't have given these guys a chance. Soft rock was mostly kinda blech to me. But I picked up some S&C in the past few years and there's more than just the soft-rock hits that they're known fer. This reminds me of another band that was out around the same time, you know the hits, you think they're wimpy, but the album tracks are incredible.

Really nice post, folks really need to listen to this if they haven't before.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Scott on August 13, 2015 at 5:24pm

Calling something "Scott-Rock" sure makes it sound a lot more appealing! Must be high quality material...

Diamond Girl and We May never Pass This Way Again are stellar hit songs, these were all over the radio when I was but a wee-lad and they have staying power as you still hear them on the radio every now again. That Scott-Rock is truly long-lasting-high-quality material!

As I listen and read the comment below, I must say Jon is right on with this "Scott-Rock" stuff, this is definitely at the very far mellow end of the "Scott-Rock" spectrum, but what a Spectrum it is to have such breadth of taste and genre inclusion (except for Country of course which all smart folks would agree with). Might need its own Wiki at the rate its popularity is growing!!

All kidding aside, this is really quite stunning, Nine Houses at 7:01 is quite a surprise at the proggy (yet mellow) feel it has, a very unique tune (at least to me). Also surprised at the geetar work on some of these tracks. The production of Its Gonna Come Down On You is very good, has a great feel to it! Probably my favorite track outside of the radio hits, so far.

Why does Jessica sound so familiar? Cant place it... But I suspect this is one of the two track Jon poo-poo'd. Again he might be right, sounds a little like filler but it has moments. One track (the one that follows Jessica) is definitely not Scott-Rock... This one isn't really good, moving on to Wisdom... And its sounds way better! Real authentic wocka-wocka. COOL!

9/10 for me... Really surprised!