Gadfly
1996
Hit Man
About This Album
There's something about singer/songwriters doing their own material, and while Chip Taylor is one of the greats (and produced one of the greats, Neil Diamond), he is in an industry where his legacy puts him a few steps ahead of P.F.Sloan in terms of success, but far short of the name recognition enjoyed by a Carole King (a status she deserves, as does Taylor). This is a great -- but incomplete -- collection of songs that were and still are highly influential. "Try Just a Little Bit Harder" might not be as notorious as "Wild Thing" or "Angel of the Morning" but, being a Janis Joplin signature, it sure got into a lot of homes. When Clive Davis played a rare Joplin performance on The Midnight Special television program, he chose a version of "Try" where Pearl just exploded across the stage. Taylor's version here is more laid-back, but so absolutely essential for two reasons -- because it was so vital to Joplin's solo career, and because it is such a tremendous song on its own. Not the biggest hit in Linda Ronstadt's career, "I Can't Let Go" is one of her more exciting ones, and it's great to hear the creator take it on, as well as "Any Way That You Want Me," a song covered by Evie Sands and the Troggs.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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