I can't be your hero today (Jimmy Buffett) (LP 4968 - 4971)

Jimmy Buffett  Before the Salt (Vinyl, Barnaby/ Janus Records, 1979) ***

Jim Capaldi  Short Cut Draw Blood (Vinyl, Island Records, 1975) *** 

Al Di Meola Project  Tirami Su (Vinyl, Manhattan Records, 1987) **** 

Sutherland Brothers & Quiver  Reach for the Sky (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1975) *** 

Genre: Folk rock, rock, Jazz fusion, world music, folk, soft rock

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Love Hurts (Jim Capaldi), Arms of Mary (Sutherland Brothers & Quiver)

Gear costume: The Captain and the Kid (Jimmy Buffett)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: The Little Red Bookshop's $4 record sale keeps on delivering some excellent items.

Everybody has to start somewhere and Before the Salt contains Jimmy Buffett's first two albums. Jimmy was yet to morph into his laid-back beach bum persona, so this double album documents his earlier efforts using a folk-rock vibe.

His first two albums were Down to Earth (1970) and High Cumberland Jubilee (recorded in 1971 but not released until 1976). An extra track has been added to the original Down to Earth album (Richard Frost). 

Fans of Harry Chapin and Jim Croce should check this compilation out. Jimmy sounds good throughout, with some strong songs. The first album contains his first go at The Captain and the Kid which he'd return to a few times later on.

Short Cut Draw Blood was Jim Capaldi's third solo album after leaving Traffic. It's a bit uneven, with a range of styles, but Jim's vocals remind me at times of my hero, John Lennon - so I enjoy this album. 

A variety of top notch guests like Paul Kossof, Pete Carr, Chris Spedding and Steve Winwood appear. Plus, it contains a superb version of Love Hurts (which I also have as a single).

Al Di Meola released Tirami Su in 1987 (it joins Electric Rendezvous in my collection). According to AllMusic, this is his best of the three albums he recorded for the Manhattan label. Although there still remains elements of jazz fusion on Tirami Su, he also embraces world music and folk.  

The Sutherland Brothers joined forces with Quiver and had some great success in the seventies. Arms of Mary was a #1 hit and the parent album has more examples of quality soft rock music without hitting the heights of that classic. For the record the whole band on Reach for the Sky is: Iain Sutherland - rhythm guitar, vocals; Gavin Sutherland - bass guitar, vocals; Tim Renwick - lead guitar; Willie Wilson - drums.

Where do they all belong? I think I've drained the $4 bin enough now. There are a few other interesting items there, but they don't look to be in great condition. I'll probably have a punt though the next time I visit.