Neapolitan

artist: Susan Christie
album: Paint a Lady
tracklist:

1. Rainy Day 3:09
2. Paint A Lady 3:22
3. For The Love Of A Soldier 3:55
4. Ghost Riders In The Sky 3:26
5. Yesterday, Where's My Mind? 9:04
6. Echo In Your Mind 3:17
7. When Love Comes 2:18
8. No One Can Hear You Cry 2:21

Susan recorded this album around '69. Before that she was a one hit wonder with the song “I Love Onions." Imagine something like if Marilyn Monroe was declaring her love for onions - that's basically the song. Interestingly enough she beat The Beatles' song about the bulbous root by two years. That is the thing about this album. Even though it pulls from what is going on at the time. Borrowing heavily from what's happening in the late 60s, there are times these songs are ahead of the curve.

ABC-Paramount was somewhat interested in her. She was given a contract to record an album by them. She recorded songs in various styles the way she wanted with her collaborator John Hill. The songs were a mix of Country, Folk, Psychedelic songs. Then suddenly ABC-Paramount pulled out of the deal. The company deemed the album to be too "un-commercial." Basically it was literally canned. A commercially released album for Susan Christie never happened for her - almost. Susan left her dream of becoming a famous folk singer and found steady work singing commercial jingles. The album didn't see the light of day until it was released well over three decades later on CD.

A little bit about the songs:
Rainy Day I love songs about rainy days, with acoustic guitars, and about love lost. This song is the Trifecta.

Paint a Lady This song is definitely interesting. There are vocals near the end of the track that remind me of "Amish Paradise" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. His song is actually a parody of "Gangsta's Paradise." Coolio got his sample for his song from a Stevie Wonder track released in '75 "Pastime Paradise." It's so similar, it has to come from somewhere. I don't know who came up with the original "ahhh" melody, whether it's a chant - idk.

For The Love of a Soldier reminds me of Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells which was recorded about two years earlier. The song is framed during the Vietnam War. She recalls a love she had for soldier, and laments him fighting and dying in the war.

Ghost Riders In The Sky A rocking version of a Cowboy song. Susan is ahead of the curve this. Ten years after she recorded this The Outlaws decided to rock it into outer space. (album cover reference for those in the know, not a play on words i.e. "rock it"/"rocket" that would be lame.)

Yesterday, Where's My Mind? This song is approximately the middle of the album, and is on average three times as long. It's kind like the jewel of the crown.

The song is split into two sections. She sets up the second part of the song in first half with spoken word. It's like if she was performing in some dank Beatnik bar. The drumming in the background reminds of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover sans the syncopated bass drum. I believe it has a few other references too. Most notably the guitar riff from Dear Mr. Fantasy. Maybe they are using that riff alluding to the song by Traffic and forcing a comparison. They are similar enough, except instead of feelin' alright afterwards in some drug-induced fantasy, she is questioning the side-effects of drugs.

In the beginning of the song she tells a story about meeting a guy name "Blue Boy" which so happens to be the slang code word on the streets for "Amphetamine." Whether or not it's that particular drug I'm not sure. It sounds more like she took acid (the street slang for "Lysergic acid diethylamide") and had a bad trip. So much so that she gets mad at herself and asks God to punish her. As all of this is going on - as she having a meltdown - you hear a swirling organ akin to a sound effect they would use in a movie indicate someone head is spinning. When that sound stops it like Dorothy landing in Oz. However instead of being on a quest to get back home she queries where her mind is. The mind she had before she took the drugs. Maybe it's longing for a simpler time before drugs complicated her life.

Echo In Your Mind yet another song about clowns. The 60s with riddled with quite a few clown-themed songs. However this little more sophisticated, a little more serious than a song about clowns should be. It's more like a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. Same idea as Smokey's and she unfolds it like a story and it builds up to why the clown has tears. Also the song title is very similar to a line in the song, Everybody's Talkin', by Harry Nilsson. But it all seriousness it's well written song.

When Love Comes This song is channeling the Merseybeat.

No One Can Hear You Cry is very Burt Bacharach, and yet there is something about it that also reminds of Broadcast.

Overall these songs have moment where segments of the melodies and lyrics that remind me of other songs. It's like if these song were a collage. It's tempting to figure out the similarities. However just like painting hanging in a gallery it good to take a step back enjoy the picture as a whole instead of consecrating on little details.

final thoughts:
This album is so enjoyable. I can't understand how could anyone in the record business would think it was a good idea to stop this album from happening. I find this album amazing. It has great studio musicians and is well produced. There is a little bit of everything and every little moment reminds me of something else I like.

Susan Christie is awesome in my book. I feel sorrow that she fell short of her dreams, but at the same time I am glad to find this lost piece of art.

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