Buzzy Linhart - Pussycats Can Go Far (1974) [24bit FLAC]

The fourth album from Buzzy Linhart in a five-year period, this one on Atlantic records in 1974, is a mellow and enjoyable collection of pop songs with Linhart's distinctive voice and creative lyrics. The title track, espousing the philosophy that nice guys finish first, or at least somewhere on the upside, sets the tone for the rest of the disc. There's a cute white kitty cat snuggling up against Linhart's white shirt on the back cover, while a caricature of the artist on the cover has him looking like the son of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. There's a delicate version of "Friends" which ends side one, a little longer than the one which appears on his Kama Sutra release, The Time to Live Is Now; with vibes and subdued backing vocalists, the song is always a treat. This album was released around the time Bette Midler hit the Top 40 with that track -- indeed, there are two versions on her LP The Divine Miss M., and a different mix for Midler's 45 rpm which climbed the charts. "The Greatest Person I Know" has that Muscle Shoals atmosphere producers/musicians Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins bring to the table, recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, of course. There are all sorts of guest stars: The Electric Flag's Barry Goldberg playing piano on "Friends," Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen adding backing vocals to that tune; Herbie Mann is found hitting a wastebasket with a baseball bat on "The Greatest Person I Know," while choral work from the Florence State University Singers really brings "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em" to life. That Alabama sound is all over "A Tear Outweighs a Smile," the blues tune giving the other side of the title track's sentiment. What's great about this album are the dense liner notes which take the listener the 39 and a half minutes of playing time to get through. Lots of names are dropped, lots of wry humor, just like the music in the grooves. Pussycats Can Go Far deserves more than just its status as a collector's item of great music which makes the rounds on eBay. The solid musicianship and innovative ideas deserved more chart activity and a number of follow-up albums.