Rod McKuen - If You Go Away: The RCA Years 1965-1970 [7CD Box Set] (2007)

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Review

With ears firmly on the pulse of the collector and hardcore enthusiast, the German-based Bear Family Records has gathered seven CDs worth of material from lyricist, vocalist and spoken word artist Rod McKuen's mid- to late-'60s stint on RCA Records. The albums covered on If You Go Away: The RCA Years 1965 -- 1970 (2007) are Rod McKuen Sings His Own (1965), The Loner (1966), Other Kids of Songs (1966), Through European Windows (1967), Listen to the Warm (1967), and The Single Man (1968) -- all of which had largely been out of print in North America for decades at the time of this box set's release. However that is a mere fraction of the contents as there is an overwhelming 111 -- of the 195 selections -- that have never been available before. That category would include a host of McKuen's demos -- that were meant not only for himself but for other artists -- alternate takes and unissued songs. The package likewise draws upon duets and other similar associations with McKuen's contemporaries Glenn Yarbrough, Don Ho, Anita Kerr, Chet Atkins, Henry Mancini, and Nelson Riddle, many of whom were also on RCA Records' roster. After a variety of careers that embodied the American spirit -- ranging from lumberjack and ranch hand to rodeo cowboy and even Beat poet, McKuen had already become a luminous figure both in his native United States and in France. It was there that the artist began working with Jacques Brel, translating his lyrics into English. When Stateside, McKuen would hold court in a variety of settings, as a narrator, singer, but most of all as a poet. Hardcore enthusiasts are the obvious and primary audience for this mammoth box set. And while they will undoubtedly have their respective favorites, standouts are the author's own interpretations of "If You Go Away," "The World I Used to Know," "A Cat Named Sloopy," "I'm Strong But I Like Roses," and of course "Seasons in the Sun." The over two-dozen selections on the seventh disc -- which is subtitled "I'll Catch the Sun" -- may provide the greatest cache of rarities. Of particular note is the military parody "Soldiers Who Want to Be Heroes," an instrumental with Henry Mancini titled "Portuguese Bend," several tracks recorded live at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, namely "Children One and All" and "Things Bright and Beautiful" (Live at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium), and the Chet Atkins collaborative demos for "I Never Will Marry" and "River, River." Accompanying the CDs is a 12" hardcover book. Inside the 101 pages are essays by producer/compiler Todd Everett, song-by-song annotations from McKuen himself, and in excess of 200 photographs and reproduced pieces of vintage memorabilia -- some of which has never been published before.

Tracklist

1-1 The Summer's Long 2:48
1-2 Channing Way 2:54
1-3 Each Of Us Alone 3:55
1-4 I've Been To Town 3:07
1-5 Yes 3:01
1-6 The Hunters 3:13
1-7 One Day Soon 2:14
1-8 Summer In My Eye 2:43
1-9 Times Gone By 3:11
1-10 Looking Back At 30 3:46
1-11 So Many Others (Remake) 2:32
1-12 The Lovers 5:58
1-13 Rusting In The Rain 2:28
1-14 The Plains Of My Country (Ballet Suite In 3 Movements) 7:40
1-15 Alamo Junction 2:24
1-16 The Summer's Long (Alternate Take) 2:44
1-17 The House Upon The Hill 2:37
1-18 Stanyan Street Revisited 3:07
1-19 We Have Only Love (Demo) 2:31
1-20 On My Own 2:01
1-21 The Tamarack Tree 2:37
1-22 Take Me Home Again 4:25
1-23 Sleep Now Love 1:59
1-24 Trashy 2:30
1-25 So Many Others (Alternate Take) 2:31

2-1 Some Trust In Chariots 2:31
2-2 People Change 2:33
2-3 How Deep Is Down? 1:58
2-4 When Flora Was Mine 2:55
2-5 If You Go Away (Ne Me Quitte Pas) 4:03
2-6 So Long San Francisco 2:51
2-7 The Loner 2:24
2-8 Solo 2:23
2-9 The Lonely Things 2:41
2-10 She 2:53
2-11 The Good Times Is All Done Now 2:13
2-12 Truck Stop 2:56
2-13 Thank You 2:47
2-14 I Turn To You 2:23
2-15 Church Windows (Instrumental) 2:47
2-16 Flowers 2:51
2-17 Me And The Cat 2:09
2-18 For Silence Is Golden (Demo) 2:18
2-19 Watching You Sleep / Thank You 3:09
2-20 My Old Man 2:47
2-21 Darlin' Don't You Know [Featuring – Glenn Yarbrough] 1:59
2-22 The Girls Of The Summer [Featuring – Glenn Yarbrough] 2:46
2-23 Happy Birthday Ernie (Bon Anniversary Ernie) 0:42
2-24 Flowers 2:51
2-25 My Mother's Eyes 2:23
2-26 The World I Used To Know (Rejected Version) 2:48
2-27 Gee It's Nice To Be Alone (Demo) 1:49
2-28 If You Go Away (Alternate Version) 4:06
2-29 So Long San Francisco (Alternate Lyrics) 2:46

3-1 The Hurtin' 2:15
3-2 You 2:36
3-3 Before The Monkeys Came 2:11
3-4 The Summertime Of Days 2:27
3-5 The Women 4:04
3-6 Zangra 3:01
3-7 Down At Mary's Old Time Bar 2:19
3-8 Meantime 2:28
3-9 Open The Windows And See All The Clowns 1:41
3-10 I'm Strong, But I Like Roses 3:26
3-11 The Statue 3:33
3-12 Ain't You Glad You're Living', Joe 2:10
3-13 Loneliness In Crowds 2:24
3-14 Nouveau Fleur (Instrumental) 2:13
3-15 Me And The Cat 2:44
3-16 Something More 2:09
3-17 Meantime (Alternate Take) 2:27
3-18 Open The Windows And See All The Clowns (Alternate) 1:45
3-19 Don't Forget To Bring Her A Rose 2:31
3-20 Ain't You Glad You're Living', Joe 2:10
3-21 The Habit 2:00
3-22 The Habit 2:00
3-23 My Old Man 2:47
3-24 You (Take 2) 2:43
3-25 I'm Strong, But I Like Roses (Alternate Take) 3:23
3-26 Meantime (1st Version) 2:03
3-27 Kill The Wind 1:53
3-28 Don't Forget To Bring Her Roses (Alternate Take) 2:33
3-29 Open The Window And See All The Clowns 1:49
3-30 Loneliness In Crowds (Alternate Take) 2:21
3-31 Something More (Demo) 2:10

4-1 I'll Say Goodbye (Je Partirai) 2:41
4-2 La Mer Sans Soleil (Sea Without Sun) 3:03
4-3 Le Bourgeois 3:16
4-4 Through European Windows 3:52
4-5 Song Without Words (Chanson Sans Paroles) 2:54
4-6 Paris (Mon Arbre) 2:34
4-7 Baby Be My Love (L'amour Avec Toi) 2:38
4-8 The Ever Constant Sea 2:34
4-9 Like A Child 2:49
4-10 On The Road Again (Qu'est-ce Que Tu Attends) 2:36
4-11 Nathalie 3:21
4-12 The Far West (Le Plat Pays) 3:06
4-13 Pushing The Clouds Away 1:57
4-14 Do You Like The Rain? 2:41
4-15 Gifts From The Sea 2:45
4-16 Some Day We'll See Spain (Concerto For Guitar & Orchestra, Extract From 2nd Move) 7:46
4-17 Seasons In The Sun 2:58
4-18 Capri In July 2:08
4-19 Je Vien De Loin (French Vocal / 1st International Issue) 3:03
4-20 A Kind Of Loving 2:49
4-21 I'm Only Me 3:49
4-22 Chasin' The Sun 3:34
4-23 The Money Boys Of Cannes (Demo) [Featuring – Glenn Yarbrough] 2:37
4-24 Bon Soir Mademoiselle 3:03
4-25 Through European Windows (Alternate Take) 4:12

5-1 Prologue: A Cat Named Sloopy 4:14
5-2 To Share The Summer Sun 2:27
5-3 Round, Round, Round 2:57
5-4 I'll Never Be Alone 1:53
5-5 The Ducks On The Millpond 2:45
5-6 Midnight Walk 2:08
5-7 Listen To The Warm 2:11
5-8 It's Raining 2:41
5-9 Weekend 1:23
5-10 Brown October 2:39
5-11 Where Are We Now? 4:09
5-12 The Singing Of The Wind 1:27
5-13 Dandelion Days 2:16
5-14 I Live Alone 2:20
5-15 Epilogue: One Day I'll Follow The Birds 1:23
5-16 Entre Act: Listen To The Warm (instrumental) 4:51
5-17 Listen To The Warm 2:08
5-18 I Have Loved You In So Many Ways 1:59
5-19 We Touch Shoulder To Shoulder 1:56
5-20 Sunday In November 1:26
5-21 Beyond This Wall (The Phoenix) 2:25
5-22 The Warm And Gentle Girls 2:42
5-23 Be Gentle, Please 0:58
5-24 Hurry 1:47
5-25 Round, Round, Round (Reprise) 2:38
5-26 Conversation After 1:AM 2:52
5-27 I Have Loved You In So Many Ways (Theme) 3:05
5-28 Me And The Cat 2:25
5-29 After The Toll Beach 0:35
5-30 Listen To The Warm (Alternate Vocal) 2:08
5-31 Twenty-Nine 1:20
5-32 Midsummer 2:28

6-1 The Single Man 3:13
6-2 Leave Me Something 2:50
6-3 I Never Go There Anymore 3:08
6-4 The Phoenix 2:25
6-5 The Last Of The Wine 4:31
6-6 Elegy #1 1:34
6-7 The Girls Of The Summer 3:06
6-8 Where Would I Be? 2:32
6-9 Elegy #2 1:38
6-10 I've Saved The Summer 2:04
6-11 In Passing 1:51
6-12 Some Of Them Fall 2:21
6-13 Elegy #3 1:38
6-14 The Importance Of The Rose (C'est La Rose) 2:25
6-15 The Ivy That Clings To The Wall (instrumental) 2:24
6-16 Inside Of Me 5:24
6-17 The Voyeur 2:42
6-18 Home To See Maria 2:29
6-19 The Lovers Of December 3:35
6-20 Things To Come (Gymnopedes #1) 3:52
6-21 Home By Water (Gymnopedes #3) 2:52
6-22 Sometimes 2:48
6-23 And To Each Season 5:29
6-24 The Wind Of Change 5:03
6-25 The Girls Of The Summer (Alternate Vocal) 3:05
6-26 The Ivy That Clings To The Wall (Vocal) 2:56

7-1 Up 2:07
7-2 I'll Catch The Sun 2:12
7-3 Glad Rag Doll 2:21
7-4 The Women (Alternate Take) 4:49
7-5 We Have Only Love 2:57
7-6 Soldiers Who Want To Be Heroes (Parody) 2:15
7-7 The Waltz Goes On (Demo) 2:15
7-8 To Die In Summertime (Demo) 2:33
7-9 Seasons In The Sun (Alternate Vocal) 2:57
7-10 So Many Others 4:04
7-11 Ain't You Glad You're Livin', Joe (Alternate) 2:33
7-12 Simple Gifts (Demo) 2:00
7-13 If You Go Away 4:04
7-14 Love And Let Love (Demo) 1:40
7-15 Don't Forget To Bring Her A Rose 2:30
7-16 Some Of Them Fall (Alternte Vocal) 2:27
7-17 When The Green Berets Come Home 1:50
7-18 The New Words 2:29
7-19 Portuguese Band 2:39
7-20 El Monte 1:57
7-21 Children One And All 3:01
7-22 We 3:09
7-23 I Never Will Marry (Demo) [Featuring – Chet Atkins] 1:42
7-24 River, River (Demo) [Featuring – Chet Atkins] 2:20
7-25 Things Bright And Beautiful 4:42
7-26 One By One [Featuring – Don Ho] 3:08
7-27 All Of Me Is Mine (Demo) 1:54

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