More of the Music of Brewer and Shipley

Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of Brewer and Shipley

This has long been one of our favorite Hippie Folk Rock albums here at Better Records. If you like Crosby, Stills and Nash’s first album or Rubber Soul — and who doesn’t love those two albums — you should much to like on Down in L.A.

In-Depth Track Commentary

Side One

Truly Right

The drumming on this first track is out of this world — it relentlessly propels this track forward, and you can thank top studio drummers for bringing this kind of energy to the song. Also the fuzzed out guitar that comes in toward the end is pure ’60s pop, exactly the kind of thing we love.

She Thinks She’s A Woman

I love the studio chatter at the opening of this song. The transparency should be striking. When the vocals come in they should be smooth and sweet, better than the first track by a wide margin. And I love this song — it’s one of the strongest on the album.

Time And Changes

Another one of the better sounding songs. This one has exceptionally nice bass.

Small Town Girl

This track tends to sound thin and midrangy on even the best copies.

I Can’t See Her

Another one of the best sounding songs. The blend of the voices is perfection on this track.

Green Bamboo

A personal favorite. This may be the best track on the album. It’s a perfect example of what folk rock should be.

Side Two

An Incredible State Of Affairs
Keeper Of The Keys
Love, Love
Dreamin’ In The Shade
Mass For M’Lady

This song has an organ in the arrangement, and it’s the last track on the side, and that means trouble — there’s going to be inner groove distortion, because they certainly would have a hard time cutting that kind of bass into the inner grooves in those days, and turntables had an equally hard time playing those grooves.