who in this bitch is down with Chris Darrow?

I love Chris Darrow dudes. The Kaleidoscope (US) were never one of my true favorites, but their second and third records have grown on me considerably. Mostly I love his self-titled solo record and also "Artist Proof." They are both full of great songs & great playing. Not psychedelic, typically, like the cosmic jamming kaleidoscope sound but with more of a rural country-rock & blues-rock approach. They are very stylistically varied albums though--intricate arrangements on some tracks with a slight baroque feel and others that are more stripped down.

This post was inspired by wanted to post this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdHnZGWMAPo
but there not being a Chris Darrow thread.
Note the first comment on the 'video'

also he's done a ton of session work. i would like ppl to c&d that stuff if they have heard it, cuz there is a lot of it i've not heard and i'm not sure if i should.

He was briefly a member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and plays on the only one of their early LPs I don't own, "Alive." I have a soft spot for their early jugband stuff, I should probably complete the collection.

oh yeah! i think i knew that. but i never dug deep into the dirt band. i also never seem to see the one(s?) with him on it.

Enh, I just listened to bits of "Alive." LOTS of stage banter and rehashes of earlier songs, and a few ill-advised R&B covers. It sounds like the contractual obligation album I believe it was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ym5TLnnd88

Never heard any solo stuff, but I love those first three Kaleidoscope albums. I can't make any offhand comments on Darrow in particular 'cause I can't even remember what he played (but then that was kind of an everybody-plays-everything band anyways)

This is the only one I have heard and seriously it deserves the titled of masterpiece!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6680806819_fd56496b72.jpg

He also plays guitar on Gene Vincent's self titled record from 70 which is really good.

Has anyone heard 'Under My Own Disguise'?

Here's a good list of his session work and his own http://www.chrisdarrow.com/disc.html
Been looking for Morning's 'Struck Like Silver' for awhile now. And I never knew he played on my favorite John Stewart records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNRFDjpVv94

the s/t is indeed a masterpiece.. still haven't heard under my own disguise! it was included in that box set that came out a few years back, but it was too $$$ since i already had the other records.

Is there any instrument he doesn't play?? Looking at his credits he plays fiddle, bass, guitar and steel guitar, harp, Violin, dobro, harmonica, Mandolin, banjo, keyboards, even tap dancing!!

does session work & production work on this lp iirc--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw0ZtEq-wdE

Never heard any solo stuff, but I love those first three Kaleidoscope albums.

Same here + his songs on them are all good. Definitely gonna check out his solo stuff. Got a couple of John Fahey albums he's on.

man, take good care of yourself is amazing

this somewhat caffeinated take, imported from Rolling Country via Can We Talk About Early etc, still spotlights some worthy tunes and atmospherics:
Chris Darrow's twofer, s/t with Under My Own Disguise. from the early 70s, post- or late-psychedelic folk/country rock I'd say: he reaps the whirlwind, under inpenterable cloud cover, but re-orientation is no prob: dense but clear, as xgau said of Meltzer's best writing, And no up-in-lights oh wow factor, cause no lights. Lots of stuff going on, but mainly what gets me is voice-keyboards-bass-drums in the pocket, like on Fotheringay 2, Jessi Colter's Out Of The Ashes, Tell Tale Signs (and some other Dylan tracks, much older than Tell Tale Signs' outtakes, like "Ballad of a Thin Man"/"Dear Landlord"/"Down Along The Cove"/"If Dogs Run Free"/"Dirge") Vocally, a bit like Michael Nesmith, but this guy can hold a note as long as he wants to, and flex it too (might be some of that Middle Eastern in his alma mater, Kaleidoscope, but he always sounds like a cowboy, incl in UK with maybe some of the same people on Fotheringay 2, come to think of it-- although some of the "UK" vibe turns out to be from the L.A. sessions, and vice versa)

so this is coming out on drag city in january
http://www.dragcity.com/system/album_products/images/2055/large.jpg?1351790995
don't know this dude except for this thread, i think but it's sounding goooooood.

I am on the lookout for more Darrow. The only thing I own is Kaleidoscope "Side Trips" but my radio station has the s/t.

sorry that's so small -- it's Artist Proof from 1972 + some bonus tracks.

i love that record and also the s/t record the most. i am hunting for a copy of 'under my own disguise.'

darrow is the shiz

Certainly have skot Seward to thank for turning me on to Darrow - think I like so. Cal drive a touch above the s/t. Dang it, every time he's mentioned in threads I gotta slap that vinyl on and listen to it ...

Ian, that twofer of s/t and Under My Undiguise I mentioned above might still be around (LP was way expensive, think the CD was much less so, when first released anyway) Info on xpost Artist Proof, which I recently posted on the West Coast Country Rock etc. thread
Speaking of Chris Darrow, as I did upthread in '09, here's another Darrow reissue: Artist Proof, from 1972. Out on Drag City 1/22/2013, so I won't say much yet (so far so good, though)

1. Beware Of Time 3:00
2. Lovers Sleep Abed Tonight 2:57
3. Shawnee Moon 3:32
4. Move On Down The Line 2:47
5. Song For Steven 2:42
6. Cocaine Lil 1:39
7. Alligator Man 2:22
8. Keep On Trying 2:50
9. New Zoot 2:26
10. The Show Must Go On 2:48
11. The Sky Is Not Blue Today 3:51
12. We Can Both Learn To Say
I Love You 2:42
Bonus Tracks
13. Beware Of Time 2:54*
14. Song For Steven 2:28**
15. Keep On Trying 2:15**
16. Move On Down The Line 1:54 †
17. The Sky Is Not Blue Today 2:23 †
* Pre-album studio demo
** Home demo
† Demo for publishing, Sergio Mendes studio
Chris Darrow Guitar, Electric Guitar,
Mandolin, Fiddle, Dobro, Slide Guitar,
Marimba, Kalimba, Triangle, Vocals
Ed Black Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar
Loren Newkirk Piano, Accordion, Organ
Arnie Moore Bass
Mickey McGee Drums, Steel Drums
Steve Cahill Guitar, Autoharp, Vocals
John Ware Congas, Percussive Textures
John Stewart Rhythm Guitar on
“Alligator Man”
(Courtesy Warner Brothers Records)
Background Singers
Claudia Lennear
Jennifer Warren
(Courtesy Warner Brothers Records)
Russel Brooker
Earl Shackleford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9O_8F51PQE

^^^ otm

man this guy is great. need to get that two-fer... what i dig most (or at least a lot) is that he seems pretty mature? kinda positive?

Artist Proof is sounding so good to me lately. A handful of duds on there, but the five or six great songs are really great. Even the explicitly Eagles-y ones are good. I guess I need the s/t.

i dunno, for me, it's dud-less...

"we can both learn to say i love you" is the only one i skip

For me it's all about the first four tunes and then "Keep On Trying" (which I really, really love)

Found the s/t sorta cheap on eBay (under $15 with shipping). Now the search for Under My Own Disguise (on vinyl) begins. Something tells me I won't have as easy a time.

just realized this dude plays on Fahey's Of Rivers & Religion!

yeah! dixie pig barbecue blues!

he plays on TONS of records..

heads need this one --
http://therisingstorm.net/maxfield-parrish-its-a-cinch-to-give-legs-to-old-hard-boiled-eggs/