Bleecker & MacDougal is the debut solo studio album by the American folk musician Fred Neil. It was released in May 1965 by Elektra Records.[4] The recording, which unlike many folk albums at the time featured electric guitar backing, had an influence on the folk rock movement.
| Bleecker & MacDougal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1965 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:09 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | Gordon Anderson | |||
| Fred Neil chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Guest musicians included Felix Pappalardi on bass, a young John Sebastian playing harmonica, and Pete Childs on dobro and electric guitar.[3]
Except for two tracks, all of the songs on the album were written by Neil.[3] Bleecker & MacDougal was reissued as Little Bit of Rain in 1970.[5]
The album is named for the intersection of Bleecker Street and MacDougal Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. A picture of the intersection featured on the album cover. The San Remo Cafe can be seen in the picture, a gathering spot for writers and musicians for decades. Both streets were locales for folk and rock music of the period.
Track listing
editAll songs are written by Fred Neil, except where noted.
Side one
- "Bleecker & MacDougal" – 2:14
- "Blues on the Ceiling" – 2:24
- "Sweet Mama" – 2:35
- "Little Bit of Rain" – 2:23
- "Country Boy" – 2:27
- "Other Side to This Life" – 2:56
- "Mississippi Train" – 2:14
Side two
- "Travelin' Shoes" – 2:18
- "The Water is Wide" (Traditional) – 4:18
- "Yonder Comes the Blues" – 1:52
- "Candy Man" (Neil, Beverly "Ruby" Ross) – 2:29
- "Handful of Gimme" – 2:15
- "Gone Again" – 3:13
Personnel
editAccording to Richie Unterberger:[4]
Musicians
- Fred Neil – guitar, vocals
- Pete Childs – guitar, resonator guitar
- Douglas Hatlelid – bass guitar
- Felix Pappalardi – bass guitar
- John Sebastian – harmonica
Production and additional personnel
- Gordon Anderson – producer
- William S. Harvey – artwork
- Jac Holzman – production supervision
- Paul Rothchild – recording engineer
- Mort Schuman – photography
- Skip Weshner – liner notes
References
edit- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Great Moments in Folk Rock: Lists of Author Favorites". Richieunterberger.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Stern, Harold (June 26, 1965). "For the Record". The Macon News. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Bleecker & MacDougal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Unterberger, Richie (2002). Bleecker & MacDougal (Liner notes). Fred Neil. Collectors' Choice Music. CCM-275-2 – via RichieUnterberger.com.
- ^ Curd, Zach. "Little Bit of Rain". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2024.