I'm sure most readers will recognize the name above. From his role as one of the key bricklayers(?!) in Phil Spector's orchestral Wall Of Sound perhaps? Or his collaborations with guys like Neil Young and The Rolling Stones? Maybe even his soundtrack work on movies like 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'? Anyway, point made, Jack Nitzsche played a pretty major role behind the scenes of some seminal music. On the other hand, relatively little is mentioned about the guy as a solo artist. That's mainly because there weren't many records to speak of, other than the soundtracks of course plus the album thrown together to capitalize on the success of his 'The Lonely Surfer' single.
Buffalo Springfield's 'Expecting To Fly' (featuring strings arranged by Nitzsche).
Nitzsche's only single (i think) 'The Lonely Surfer'.
The 'Three Piece Suite' compilation from Rhino was in print briefly during the years just after his death in 2000. There seems to be little prospect of it being reissued properly, but thankfully it can be downloaded at a very reasonable price from Amazon - at least that's where i picked it up. Now to sell you on it.
The first six tracks are taken from a 1972 orchestral work entitled 'St. Giles Cripplegate', which is also available separately. It's fairly intense, Bernard Herrmann-esque stuff flecked with gentler patches of beauty (especially '#4 (For Mori)'). A very interesting listen not too far removed from the more classically-inclined parts of John Cale's 'The Academy In Peril' (it was in fact recorded in the same church).
Probably the selections of most interest are the next eleven. These previously unreleased songs constitute what was intended to be a proper Nitzsche solo album in the singer/songwriter vein (tentatively titled 'Jack Nitzsche'). This isn't your typical amble through early-70's acoustic folk, though. The most common (and most appropriate) comparison is with the solo work of Brian Wilson's 'SMiLE' collaborator Van Dyke Parks. I'm specifically thinking of of the wildly varied, kaleidoscopic vision of 1967's 'Song Cycle'. For all its myriad wonders - and i'm very much in the 'pro' camp with that particular opinion-splitter - the Parks album does seem to have been directed more at the head than the heart. Although Nitzsche doesn't quite reach the same dazzling heights on his abandoned solo work (being somewhat limited by his voice), there might just be a better head/heart balance here. The compositions fly off in surprising directions to genuinely disorientating effect. A few tracks appear at first glance to be slightly stodgy blues numbers but stick around and you'll suddenly end up caught in a wave of lush, mournful strings or even the pleasing squeal of wine glasses. Highlights include the swaying opener 'Lower California', which unexpectedly breaks down into a heartwarming tribute to the textural elegance of mid-60's Beach Boys, and the dejected slide guitar ballad 'Marie' (featuring John Fahey). Best of all, though, are the impeccably-arranged orchestral pieces 'I'm The Loneliest Fool' and 'Sleeping Daughter', both of which carry enough emotional clout to stand next to the most stirring fare of the period. There's a seemingly endless stream of 'lost classics' emanating from the bustle of the late 60's/early 70's, many of which don't really stand up to the wishful thinking of their well-intentioned supporters. This album contains enough invention and beauty to at least have its day in the limelight - highly recommended!
Four extra tracks complete this compilation, being further demos for this ill-fated project. They're more traditional singer/songwriter fare but they're well worth hearing if you liked the album, not to mention the fact that they sound strangely similar to 90's Americana outfits such as Lambchop and Sparklehorse at times.
Artwork for 'Three Piece Suite' compilation.
I'm genuinely not sure how well-known these recordings are. A simple Google search doesn't bring up a great deal of info or discussion except for the occassional Nitzsche-related site (or niche site, if you will). Anyone with a soft spot for baroque pop, psych pop, orchestral pop, whatever you want to call it, will be surprised by the quality of music on offer here, especially given that most of it never even made it onto the shelves at the time.
Unfortunately, there are no clips from YouTube (another sign of its obscurity?) but two of the best songs can be heard at the Jack Nitzsche MySpace here.
JACK NITZSCHE MYSPACE
MORE INFO ON THE ALBUM FROM ALLMUSIC
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