The Great Relisteninging 5: Alfredo! to Herb Alpert
I’m pretty sure I picked An Evening with…Alfredo from a discount bin or used LP sale but how could I say no to this face? Or the dramatically placed ellipsis?
But just look at that smile.
The thing about Alfredo—Alfredo Villoldo, if we’re keeping track—is that he seems like he was in the music business for his adult life, and married another singer with whom he performed as a musical duo until he passed. RIP Alfredo. I could have done without the cover of Just The Way You Are, but let’s not quibble.
And then there is Duane Allman, An Anthology. True confession: I don’t have a tremendous amount of love for the Allmans overall—it’s the jam band thing—so this double-album, followed by another double-album in Allman Brothers, Eat A Peach, is a lot of Allman for ya girl. But Duane’s talent was undeniable. And his cover of The Weight with Aretha Franklin is easily one of the best things I’ve ever heard.
Also, check out the liner notes. Not only is it laid out like a newspaper, but the entire thing is urging their young fans to register to vote. “They lowered the voting age to raise the I.Q. of voters.” LOL Don’t trust anyone over 30.
Eat A Peach is the Allman Brothers album that was released post-anthology, and following the death of Duane Allman. Again, it’s sooooo jammy. Did this really need to be a double-album? I think not. But the groove of Ain’t Wasting Time No More is infectious, and is a song that gave me tremendous inspiration during some difficult times in my life.
Contrary to urban legend, the album’s name, Eat A Peach, is not so named because Duane Allman died by hitting a peach truck, which would be cold-blooded AF especially coming from his own brother. He did die in an auto accident, running his motorcycle into the back of a flatbed truck that was carrying a crane, and probably hitting the crane first. Rather, the line comes from something Duane said in an interview. He was asked how he was helping the revolution and he replied, “…every time I'm in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace." Right on, Duane. Right on.
Finally, we come to Herb Alpert.
Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass is a classic. The album is classic. The cover art is classic. It’s been preserved at The Smithsonian for its impact on popular culture. And it’s fun. While songs like “A Taste of Honey” and “Whipped Cream” have crept into the fabric of society, I have such a soft spot in my heart for their swaggering cover of “Love Potion No. 9” that I don’t need to hear anything else. Look, I realize that song is problematic, especially at the end, but this cover is really. Really. Something. And it’s all musical, so you can ignore the weird lyrics.
Albums covered:
Alfredo Villoldo, An Evening With…Alfredo
Duane Allman, An Anthology
The Allman Brothers, Eat A Peach
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream & Other Delights