Rock Archeologia

Ron Davies - Silent Song Through The Land (1970)

Artist: Ron Davies
Album: Silent Song Through The Land
Label: A&M Records
Catalog#: SP-4264
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1970
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Duration: 00:27:18

• Ron Davies is best-known, if he's known at all, it's for writing "It Ain't Easy," which David Bowie covered on Ziggy Stardust just a little while after Long John Baldry had a U.K. hit with the tune. This, along with Dave Edmunds cover, gives the impression that Davies was a bit of a blues-rocker, which isn't the case. He fit comfortably within the wave of singer/songwriters of the early '70s, influenced by Dylan but perhaps a bit more meditative and inward-looking, never quite kicking up the dust after "It Ain't Easy" opens 1970s Silent Song Through the Land, even though the title track does bring the soulful backing singers back and replicates some of the mountain imagery. Davies maintains the quiet, almost pastoral mood, although it has to be said that his quivering, nasal voice can pierce that spell, and the intimate settings also reveal his songs as just a shade too guileless. So, he's better suited to the bigger arrangements, the ones that arrive on "Change," "Silent Song Through the Land," and, especially, on "It Ain't Easy," which is indeed his one enduring moment of brilliance. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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 • Side One:
A1. It Ain't Easy 02:29
A2. What Life Must Be Like For Some 02:28
A3. Change 02:51
A4. The Clown 04:12
 • Side Two:
B1. Silent Song Through The Land 02:33
B2. Yesterday Is All I Want 02:47
B3. Open Road, The Open Sky 02:55
B4. Lover And The Loved 06:05 

Members:
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Ron Davies
Backing Vocals – Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields
Banjo, Mandolin – Byron Berline, Doug Dillard
Bass – Chad Stuart
Drums – Jim Keltner
Engineer – Bart Chiate, Rick Henke
Harmony Vocals – Vicki Davies
Lead Guitar – Demetri Callas, Mike Deasy
Organ – Larry Knechtel
Piano – Leon Russell, Mike Lang
Producer – Chad Stuart

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