LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Best known for his signature 1972 hit "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," Danny O'Keefe is a veteran singer-songwriter of rare lyrical insight. In the '70s, backed by top session players and Southern California country-rockers, he released a string of genre-defying albums for Panorama, Cotillion, Signpost, and Atlantic. His songs have been recorded more recently by Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek, Ute Lemper, and others. While recovering from a motorcycle accident in his early twenties, O'Keefe began writing songs. Following his 1966 debut single "Don't Wake Me In The Morning," he formed the Seattle-based psychedelic group Calliope, which released the now-collectible Steamed LP in 1968. He then met Charles Greene a Los-Angeles-based industry figure with ties to Buffalo Springfield and Iron Butterfly. Greene introduced O'Keefe to Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun, who signed the artist to his label's Cotillion imprint. Danny O'Keefe, released in 1971 was recorded at Alabama's Muscle Shoals Sound with backing from the studio's legendary house band. Sessions were finished in L.A. with members of Rhinoceros, The Daily Flash, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Revealing an eclectic range, the record includes the honky-tonk standout "Steel Guitar" and an early version of "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues." O'Keefe's next album, O'Keefe, utilized Memphis and Nashville session pros for a more distinctive effort. "Good-Time Charlie" appears again, this time with a more emotionally resonant arrangement. The glossier Breezy Stories, which many consider O'Keefe's finest hour, followed in 1973, betraying a subtle but undeniable angst. After releasing three more increasingly adventurous albums and touring in support of Linda Ronstadt, the artist left the limelight in the '80s and worked as a contract writer during the '90s. In 1997 he launched the Songbird Foundation, an organization devoted to preserving rainforest wildlife. Runnin' From The Devil, his first album of new material in a decade and a half, came out in 2000, followed by Don't Ask three years later. This 22-track, single-disc collection from Rhino Handmade gathers tracks from Danny O'Keefe (1971), O'Keefe (1972), Breezy Stories (1973), So Long Harry Truman (1975), American Roulette (1977), and The Global Blues (1979). Classics is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING COVERED WAGON (2:42) STEEL GUITAR (4:03) GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S GOT THE BLUES (3:01) SHOOTING STAR (2:38) THE ROAD (3:48) I'M SOBER NOW (3:37) ANGEL SPREAD YOUR WINGS (3:28) MAGDALENA (4:32) STEPPIN' OUT TONIGHT (2:13) MAD RUTH/THE BABE (5:29) SO LONG HARRY TRUMAN (3:13) QUITS (3:15) IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY (3:37) THE RUNAWAY (4:21) ISLANDS (3:35) YOU LOOK JUST LIKE A GIRL AGAIN (4:20) ALL MY FRIENDS (4:10) JUST JONES (3:23) ON THE WHEEL OF LOVE (2:37) THE JIMMY HOFFA MEM. BLDG. BLUES (3:16) (KEEP YOUR) BACK TO THE WALL (3:22) THE STREET (5:07)