专辑简介

by Richie Unterberger

Like many traditional folk performers who began recording in the early '60s, Judy Mayhan eventually moved into far more contemporary, eclectic rock music. In her case, however, the transition appeared radical, as there were no albums between her 1962 traditional acoustic debut, Rockin' the Cradle, and her second LP, Moments, which came out a full eight years later in 1970. It was almost the work of a different artist, as while Mayhan had confined herself to upper-register singing on Rockin' the Cradle, her range was far wider here. It was a change much for the better, with a rich reediness that at times recalls some of Marianne Faithfull's work. Her stylistic palette was also more extensive, now encompassing soul, folk-country, folk-rock, pop, and even a bit of psychedelia. Plus she was now writing much of her material and using electric full-band arrangements, most of the album being recorded at Muscle Shoals with such noted players as Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, and Wayne Jackson (Lowell George plays on the sole track recorded in Hollywood, "Dream Goin' By"). The album was in fact perhaps too varied for listeners to get a firm handle on her music or make a commercial impact; the covers alone took on work by Jim Webb, Bob Dylan, and Tom Hall, as well as the standard "You Are My Sunshine." It's an album that tends to grow on you rather than stunning you right off, but it's an admirable (and little-known) early-'70s effort for a singer/songwriter with a folk base. With its eerie slide guitar (presumably by Allman), Mayhan's soul-pop ballad "Everlovin' Ways" is a highlight, as is the orchestrated, brooding "Begin Again," while the sitar-dusted "Dream Goin' By" is a pretty stab at the margins of pop-psychedelia.