Throwback Thursday #98!- The Feelies- The Good Earth (1986- Coyote/2009 Bar None)
Though the Feelies' classic debut was released in 1980, I had no idea who the Feelies were at that time (I was 16). So in the early 80's my tastes had gone from classic rock to new wave to hardcore to .....something else.
A pal had put The Feelies' song "Slipping Into Something" on a mix tape in 1986. Before the release of The Good Earth album, the Feelies had released a 4-song EP that had that song and 3 others so the EP in a way primed me for the band's sophomore release.
...and the band had changed. Only Glenn Mercer and Bill Million remained from the earlier incarnation, while they added bassist Brenda Sauter, drummer Stanley Demeski, and percussionist Dave Weckerman (the lineup that would remain to this day).
The Good Earth, co-produced by Peter Buck, doesn't have the same frenetic strum of the debut, but it offers something different. A classic pastoral variety among the bands' sound. Opener "On The Roof" is a stone-cold classic from the get-go, which leads right into the equally good "The High Road."
Elsewhere, "The Last Roundup" has the band's dry country and western feel, while "When Company Comes" is pure dueling acoustic guitars, and the title track is supremely gentle in its beauty.
Catch me on the right day and i think this one surpasses their much-vaunted debut. I've been spinning this one for nearly 40 years and it seems to age like fine wine.
www.thefeelies.bandcamp.com
www.bar-none.com
