Leon Russell - 1972 - Carney

Leon Russell 
1972
Carney



01. Tight Rope 2:59
02. Out In The Woods 3:35
03. Me And Baby Jane 3:53
04. Manhattan Island Serenade 3:26
05. Cajun Love Song 3:08
06. Roller Derby 2:22
07. Carney 0:45
08. Acid Annapolis 2:51
09. If The Shoe Fits 2:23
10. My Cricket 2:56
11. This Masquerade 4:22
12. Magic Mirror 4:54


Chuck Blackwell Drums
Joey Cooper Guitar, Vocals
Jim Keltner BassDon Preston Guitar, Vocals
Carl Radle Bass
Leon Russell Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals


"Tight Rope" leads off Carney, and it's not just his biggest hit, it offers an excellent introduction to an off-kilter, confused, fascinating album. In a sense, it consolidates his two extremes, offering a side of fairly straightforward roots rock before delving headfirst into twisted psychedelia on the second side. On the whole, the second side deflates the first side, since it's just too fuzzy -- it's intriguing, at least in parts, but it never adds up to anything. Besides, the first side is already odd enough, but in a meaningful way; here, his fascination with Americana sideshows is married to songs that work, instead of just being vehicles for tripping in the studio. Of course, part of what makes Carney interesting is that it contains a bit of both, but interesting doesn't equal compelling, as the whole of Carney bears out.