Rosebud — Rosebud
(Collectors' Choice CCM 432, 1974/2004, CD)
by Cesar Montesano,
Published 2007-03-01

Ten songs give almost as many stylistic snapshots. The sound of a
love-in, with a keyboard, in Latin America; no trace of Carlos
anywhere. A moody testament with sultry vocals grazing across
California skies. Thirteen hippies piled in a Volkswagen bus, wheels
just barely touching the ground as they feel it start to come on. Wispy
Wisconsin sing-along bedtime story based on flower-power dreams of
sunshine, beautiful strangers, children, every summer. The delicate
poetics rumble around a savory love song tinkling down like gentle
rain. Seemingly obligatory with a name like rosebud, one tune exudes a
precarious balance between country and folk-rock. Oddly enough, a
summer carol sounds pretty much the same as the yuletide season
version, replacing snow and stockings with sun and misty winds. Slide
guitar does not always have to mean honky-tonk, and yet, it does here
for the strum and drang portion of the proceedings. Devolving into Joy of Cooking territory, also well done, just not my particular taste of
wheatstraw — where's that spittoon? Decent follow-up for Judy Henske
and Jerry Yester, it sits finely next to its precursor. If that lit
your fire, then you are all set. Barring that, stick with
Farewell
Aldebaran.
Filed under: Reissues, Issue 34, 2004 releases, 1974 recordings
Related artist(s): Rosebud