
Bob Lind, born Robert Neale Lind, is an American folk singer-songwriter who helped shape the folk scene that exploded in the 60s in the US and UK. In 1965, when Lind was only 23 years old, he signed a record contract with LA-based World Pacific Records (formerly Pacific Jazz, a subsidiary of Liberty Records), and released his debut album Don't Be Concerned by 1966. Produced and arranged by the infamous Jack Nitzsche (think Rolling Stones), the album opens with "Elusive Butterfly," an upbeat melody about unattainable love. When the song was released as the single to the album, Irish singer Val Doonican (real name people) also recorded and released the song. The only outcome of this random situation was that Lind's version didn't sell as well in the UK. But that didn't matter un the States; the song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Most of the songs on the album are upbeat in tempo, rhythm, but the lyrics are what get you. Like a warm summer breeze on these increasingly cold November nights, Lind's voice reminds me of Fred Neil and the Everly Brothers. Usually in describing an album, I prefer to use my own words, but in this case, with the liner notes written by Nitzsche himself, I'd rather share them:
"Bob Lind is, without a doubt, the worst pool player I have ever known. He is afraid of airplanes, and can't stay alone in the dark. Other than that, the best way to get to know Bob is by listening to the songs he writes. There isn't one lie in the contents of his poetry."
The end.
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