Bread

Very good

Brilliant album, one their best.

The original Bread album is by far the best album they produced. It's typical late sixties pop. The late Kenny Everett used to play this on his Saturday morning radio show and said it was almost as good as the Beatles. High praise indeed from the self proclaimed number 1 Beatle fan.I have to agree. I bought the second Bread album and, obviously I've heard the singles but after this album they became a soft, almost country and western type band in the vein of the Eagles, and little more that David Gates backing group.For this album forget that it is by Bread. If you love sixties pop you will love this.

Track for track, this is possibly Bread's worst album - but it's still my favourite. Why? Because it has a unique quality about it - a freshness, a quaintness, & a purity of sound that, in my opinion, they have never equalled.The general theme of the album is LOSS ('an empty, lonely face was staring back at me', 'London Bridge is finally falling down', 'have you seen me anywhere?', 'You can't measure the cost of a woman lost', etc.), a loss that seems to me to reflect their seeming sense of alienation in the psychedelic era - much of the music sounds dated, even for 1969.While David Gates' songs improved from album to album, here, Griffin & Royer more than hold their own, 'The Last Time', in particular, standing out - one of the all-time greatest Bread tracks.The cover is worth a mention - the pure white background matching the pristine production, while the ancient coinage reflects the link to the past evidenced in the music.

Bread got together from a group of session players that included Robb Royer, James Griffin and David Gates who wanted to showcase their songs and make some bread (rather dated now) but that's why they chose the name. The first album lacks the strength of BABY I'M A WANT YOU but it is a good listen, kicking off with both sides of the band's first single, DISMAL DAY and LONDON BRIDGE. The songs as on all Bread albums are either Royer/Griffin songs - and there are some nice ones (COULD I, ANYWAY YOU WANT ME, FRIENDS AND LOVERS) or David Gates songs. My own preference is for the duo, who went on to write FOR ALL WE KNOW for the Carpenters (Shirley Bassey in the UK had the hit) but the star of the band was Gates and LOOK AT ME which finishes side 1 gives an indication of the quality that would eventually produce standards like GUITAR MAN, IF and EVERYTHING I OWN. Also worth checking out is the original version of IT DON'T MATTER TO ME which was subsequently re-recorded as a follow up to the band's only (USA) number 1, MAKE IT WITH YOU. If you have never heard a Bread album, this is a good one to start with. If you liked a time when music was melodic and catchy but still had some heart - then this is your kinda music.