Raven [Australia]
2001
Joy To The World / Country Anthem
About This Album
Raven Records from Australia has released exemplary discs by Ronnie Spector, the Joe Perry Project, Scott McKenzie, and a brilliant What Goes On boxed set of the Velvet Underground prior to Polygram's release of Peel Slowly and See. Here they take two Hoyt Axton 1971 Capitol albums and add a bonus track, "It's Been Fun," which really is fun as well as keyboard-heavy with uplifting backing vocals. What this single disc does not have is the usually excellent liner notes found with Raven's other releases. The music is worthy of additional notation, but credits for all the tracks except the bonus are included, as well as what appears to be the liner notes from one of the Capitol discs. The lyrics to Axton's biggest hit, "Joy to the World," are inside the booklet with Reverend W. Stevens' words to "Farther Along" printed inside the tray cover under which the CD is placed. Hoyt Axton's arrangement of "Farther Along" has his voice out front in the mix, with wonderful gospel vocals surrounding him and the simple bass guitar accompaniment. The son of the woman who wrote Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" had more than a couple of hits in him and this document speaks volumes about the environment that nurtured a creative force.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,16,17,18 and 19)

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