Rock Archeologia

St. George & Tana - Is Now! (1967) 

Artist: St. George & Tana
Album: Is Now!
Label: Kapp Records
Catalog#: KL-1534
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: Pop, Rock, Folk Rock
Duration: 00:32:02

•  St. George & Tana are a likable folk-pop/rock duo on this LP, but not one with much personality or distinctive material. It seems unlikely that Ian & Sylvia and Richard & Mimi Farina were such big sellers that other musicians or labels wanted to capitalize on their approaches. But if anyone did want to devise a version of those early male-female folk/folk-rock pairs that was more consciously geared toward the pop market, they would have most likely sounded like St. George & Tana do. They're a pretty chipper act for the most part, lacking the emotional range of the likes of Ian & Sylvia and the Farinas, given far more pop-conscious (though not unduly saccharine) production. Some of the songs are a little above average, like the reasonably gutsy "Big Daddy's Blues" with its elemental blues-folk-rock riff; "(Gee Baby) Sorry 'Bout That," which has a blatant catchy teen rock vocal hook; and "Cold Nights and Pepper Soup," where the similarities to the more bittersweet facets of Jim & Jean's 1966 Changes album are most evident. There are also run-of-the-mill covers of the folk-rock standard "High Flying Bird" and Richard Farina's "Reno Nevada," and, for whatever reason, the straight pop staple "The Shadow of Your Smile." - Richie Unterberger

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 • Side One:
A1. So Tenderly (Socks - Campolongo) - 02:46
A2. High Flying Bird (B. E. Wheeler) - 02:55
A3. Country Cat (John Campolongo) - 02:32
A4. Cold Nights And Pepper Soup (Socks - Campolongo) - 02:26
A5. 313 Crabtree (John Campolongo) - 02:37
A6. Without Your Heart (Socks - Campolongo) - 01:55
 • Side Two:
B1. Big Daddy's Blues (Socks - Campolongo) - 02:50
B2. Rocky Road (John Campolongo) - 02:34
B3. Books Of Rhythm, Books Of Rhyme (John Campolongo) - 03:37
B4. (Gee Baby) Sorry 'Bout That (Socks - Campolongo) - 02:34
B5. Reno Nevada (Richard Farina) - 02:20
B6. The Shadow Of Your Smile (Wibster - Mandel) - 02:08

     Producer – Huey Meaux

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