Old Enough to Forget

I'm not sure how I ended up with so many releases that feature Chris Hillman. I knew of him, of course, from that one time he appeared on a 77s album way back in 1987. Everyone always made such a fuss over Roger McGuinn and David Crosby, and that was all I really knew about The Byrds ... of course, there were other members of the band, but they seemed to be a footnote. Right or wrong, perception can be a cruel and unfair thing. A while ago I found Chris' 1976 release Slippin' Away . It was on Asylum Records (which I always associated with prestige back in the day), and the cast of characters on the album was really impressive. The album, though? I can't remember it ... at all. It was instantly forgettable, but pleasant as well. It was enough that when I found anything with Chris on it, I bought it. From his collaboration with J.D. Souther and Richie Furay to an album with former Byrds McGuinn and Gene Clark, I would snap them up. When I found a pristine, and I mean pris...

Sometimes the anticipation and mystery of the unknown are greater than the reality once it's revealed. I found this album the same day I found the debut album by The Karroll Brothers, and at the time I mentioned I was pretty stoked to find this one. The Karroll Brothers album was a wonderful surprise. This one was a surprise too, but for different reasons. Let's get a couple of things out of the way right up front. I'm a casual J.D. Souther fan. I have a couple of his albums and, aside from his "hit" "You're Only Lonely," they were rather forgettable. However, his contribution to the 1988 movie Permanent Record (where I became a fan of Keanu Reeves), "Wishing on Another Lucky Star," is one of the finest pop songs EVER written. For that alone, I consider myself a fan. Chris Hillman is another guy I know more about than I actually know. I do have one of his albums, and I remember enjoying it, but I can't actually remember any of the songs...