The Free Design

[kenny weir]

All through my musical adventures I have never, ever renounced - and always had a real soft (and sweet) spot - for the classy, fluffy pop of my early ears-glued-to-the-radio days. Everyone from Petula Clark to the Asoociation and Spanky & Our Gang.

My complete ignorance of The Free Design, until a couple of weeks ago, I therefore can only attribute to the fact the band almost certainly had no deal connecting them with the NZ market in the late '60s and early '70s.

Anyway, after stumbling upon them courtesy of Pandora I was pretty zapped to find their second (You could Be Born Again) and third (Stars/Time/Bubbles/Love) albums during my lunch break today.

Wow - what a gas. And in a "six degrees" kinda way I was in no way surprised to see the players involved. They include Bill watrous, Jay Berliner, Richard Davis and Urbie Green.

I'm not sure how much of this I will be able to take, but I also strongly suspect that when I feel like it ... it will be just perfect.

It sounds like a close neighbor of the likes of the Mamas/Papas, Spanky and so on. So for some it will smack far, far too much of elevators and muzak.

But I suspect there may be a few closet fans here anyway.

[graypencil]

Most of the group were offspring of jazz trumpeter /educator Rusty Dedrick

the main creative force was his son Chris.

I dont know whatever happened to them as a group, but I too was quite taken with them inb the late 60s.

[Noj]

I have one disc by them which I bought on a whim and it got a big "wtf" from me first listen. I'll have to break it out and give it another spin.

[kenny weir]

At first blush, this would seem the kinda outfit that would most suit me having a greatest hits set. But having thrashed these two discs over the weekend, I'm rapt, and will pick up at least two more - their first and their final pre-rediscovery album from 1972.

Plus, my son Bennie really digs the tune Bubbles!

Sometimes, especially on early listens, the writing/orchestrations/arrngements seemed to be all too tricky in a bid to counter the sweet pop sound, but in the end it all started sounding good. (These are late '60s albums, so they're not that long anyhow ...)

More touchstones: Arthur Lee/Love, the angelic backing vocals found on such Van Morrison albums as Tupelo Honey and Into The Music. Oh yeah, and Karen Carpenter!

Also: Naomi Eisenberg/Maryann Price w. Dan Hicks; Toni Brown/Terry Garthwaite.

[kenny weir]

And so my Free Design, er, collection grows to three with the arrival last week of their debut album from 1967. I love the hell out of these guys. No listing on this one for the players, tho' they're very good, as the arrangements. The title track and My Brother Woody are classics, and I'm growing into the other originals. I could live without Michelle and 59th Street Bridge Song. Has anyone here got a brother called Woody?

[kenny weir]

My collection of these whack purveyors of musical prozac remains stalled at three CDs, but ...

Don't play 'em that often, but when I do there's simply nothing else that comes close or pushes my buttons quite as sublimely.

And today, I turned a colleague on to their charms - she's hooked.

Kenny's good deed for the day!

[kenny weir]

And remember: Butterflies are free, and so are we ...

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Kenny, on the basis of your qualified enthusiasm I just sampled some of the songs. I lived through the era, but don't recall any of the tunes although I do remember the name of the group. Pretty sure they didn't play the Fillmore or the Avalon.

Glad to report I will not have to be spending any $$ on them. I'd wonder aloud how a man who can appreciate Jimmy Martin and Louvin Brothers can like this weak treacle, but I have too many of my own apparent contradictions to make much of a case.

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Kenny, on the basis of your qualified enthusiasm I just sampled some of the songs. I lived through the era, but don't recall any of the tunes although I do remember the name of the group. Pretty sure they didn't play the Fillmore or the Avalon.

Glad to report I will not have to be spending any $$ on them. I'd wonder aloud how a man who can appreciate Jimmy Martin and Louvin Brothers can like this weak treacle, but I have too many of my own apparent contradictions to make much of a case.

Weak treacle!? Up yer ass snodgrass.

Seriously, each to his own.

For me, these cats have the vocal magic of the Mammas/Papas - except I reckon, with that sibling intimacy thing going on, they're even better in that regard.

Plus, they're incredibly hip in terms of arrangements and so on, and they hired some very cool jazz cats to play on their discs.

If it sounds like "weak treacle" to you, it simply may not be your thing.

Alternatively, you may not be listening. Undeniably, this is a style of music that has baggage for anyone of a certain age. I don't think anyone who can't give a thumbs up to, say, the Cowsills or the Turtles is in a position to pass judgment.

Meanwhile, let us wildly celebrate contradictions in our musical loves.

Excuse, must get back to my Pet Clark collection.

It's all good.

I discovered this band on Pandora, which has since been banned in Australia.

Having said that, sampling online is not where it's with Free Design.

Ideal listening situations for Free Design ProzacPop:

*Housework, chores, etc, played loud.

*Sunday driving, played loud likewise.

*Cooking, especially with kids. Play loud for this, too.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by kenny weir

I don't think anyone who can't give a thumbs up to, say, the Cowsills or the Turtles is in a position to pass judgment.

Right. Loathed them both.

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Right. Loathed them both.

There you go.

So I'm curious. Tell me one - nay, two - of your illogical, irrational musical idiosyncracies.

[Vince Kargatis]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

I'd wonder aloud how a man who can appreciate Jimmy Martin and Louvin Brothers can like this weak treacle, but I have too many of my own apparent contradictions to make much of a case.

Based on your apparent musical catholicism, I'm surprised you have this reaction in the first place (though at least you know to discount it). Not that you find it "weak treacle", but rather surprise that others might like it, whatever their other tastes.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally Posted by kenny weir

There you go.

So I'm curious. Tell me one - nay, two - of your illogical, irrational musical idiosyncracies.

To my ears, I have none. But I suspect my fondness for Tchaikovsky and Judy Collins has raised some eyebrows here.

Originally Posted by Vince Kargatis

Based on your apparent musical catholicism, I'm surprised you have this reaction in the first place (though at least you know to discount it). Not that you find it "weak treacle", but rather surprise that others might like it, whatever their other tastes.

I'm always a little surprised to see it in others.

[BFrank]

I never heard of them either until a friend of mine started picking up their albums a few years ago. Still not sure if I could handle an entire album of theirs. Most (if not all) of their albums are on eMusic, so I'll eventually pick up their "Best of ...".

[kenny weir]

True.

I like all of everything on the three albums I have.

But I only really truly swoon with ecastatic pleasure for about a quarter of it.

I imagine a double CD culled from all their albums would be a mind-blower.

Originally Posted by BFrank

I never heard of them either until a friend of mine started picking up their albums a few years ago. Still not sure if I could handle an entire album of theirs. Most (if not all) of their albums are on eMusic, so I'll eventually pick up their "Best of ...".

[kenny weir]

These cats were my post-surfing long-drive-home sounds today.

Brilliant.

Damn I love them - the Beatles of sunshine pop!

Memo to self: Must acquire the rest of their albums with a sense of some urgency.

[HenryMc]

I feel that all music has some value.

Isnt it funny that nostalgia is singing along in the car to songs that you would never have sung along to the first time around?

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by HenryMc

I feel that all music has some value.

Isnt it funny that nostalgia is singing along in the car to songs that you would never have sung along to the first time around?

True!

Mind you, as I noted in my first post, the Free Design would certainly have tickled me pinkish had I heard them on the radio at the time.

[HenryMc]

I got to listen to a couple of the discs. I get it. It is cheezy but while that always seems to imply its bad. It isn't. Sunshine Pop would be a good label. The right place and time I could get into it. There were a number of those type of bands coming out of the UK in the late 60's /early 70's too. Well produced pop pap.

Thanks for hipping me bro'

[kenny weir]

Originally Posted by HenryMc

I got to listen to a couple of the discs. I get it. It is cheezy but while that always seems to imply its bad. It isn't. Sunshine Pop would be a good label. The right place and time I could get into it. There were a number of those type of bands coming out of the UK in the late 60's /early 70's too. Well produced pop pap.

Thanks for hipping me bro'

Glad you dug it, Henry! Right place and right time is where it - and they - are at.

The voices really are angelic, and there seems to be a level of sophistication and humour and smarts on the best of the FD that puts their stuff on another level, say, from the most blatantly commercial bubblegum. Not that that stuff doesn't have its attractions, too, of course. But the appeal is different.