- Format: MP3
Hailing from the Springfield area of Massachussetts the band formed out of an outfit called The Esquires and also operated under the moniker Steve Walker and The Bold.
The album was a Bill Szymczyk production recorded at "Hit Factory". It's a decent experimental soft rock album with a nice blend of covers (All I Really Want To Do, For What Its Worth and It's All Over Now Baby Blue) given the group's own unique re-interpretation and originals. Among the better originals are Free Fugue, Child Of Love, Words Don't Make It and Friendly Smile, which has some nice organ work. Worth a listen.
Gotta Get Some with its raw vocals and driving beat is a fine punker, also featured on Pebbles, Vol. 9 (LP), Pebbles Vol. 10 (CD), Pebbles, Vol. 1 (ESD) (CD) and Mindrocker, Vol. 11 (LP). It became a fave with The Fuzztones and duly appeared on their Lysergic Emanations LP - Latterly compiled again on Songs We Taught The Fuzztones (Dble LP & Dble CD). Their superb rendition of Train Kept A Rollin' can be enjoyed on Pebbles, Vol. 10 (LP) and Pebbles Vol. 10 (CD), preferably at full volume. It's a very loose version delivered at breakneck speed. Other groups to cover the song included The Cynics, Precious Few, The Rogues, and The Scotty McKay Quintet.
The Bold were an important act locally and actually quite popular. Many of their fans thought the production on the ABC album was weak, and so refused to buy it at the time. They were apparently a way better band live than any of their recordings, although very 'East Coast' in their sound. Bob La Palm and Timothy Griffin went on to found a band called Clean Living whose records are worth checking out if you can find copies. Tim Griffin also played drums in James Taylor's road band very briefly.
Every now and then a record is released that is so amazing that you'll never forget it. 'Gotta Get Some' released way back in '66 on Cameo-Parkway by The Bold is definitely one of these rare beasts. I recall hearing it on Mindrocker #11 when I was about 14 and being absolutely blown away by it… no, let's say, actually obsessed by it, living out the "sittin' in class / waitin' for the time to pass" lyric! It was the perfect disc to sum up visceral teenage heavy-balled angst!!! A classic! The Bold soldiered on after cutting that disc and released an album in 1969 for ABC. The garage-edge had gone, as had the gnarly attitude. Like many others of the time they had learnt their instruments, stopped dressing up and got a bit hippyfied and serious. Similar to Ted Munda's post-Enfields act Friends Of The Family the Bold shared a jazzy vibe that is present across much of the album. But whereas Neil Young, David Crosby and the ilk of "happening dudes on the scene" could write strong material Steve Walker couldn't compete, and the jazzy musical passages are commonplace in songs that lack direction. But let's not pass this album off as tripe, as it ain't. Perhaps best is the pastoral 'Changing Seasons', which is anthemic in that drugged-out "changing my life" kinda way - it has great orchestration, acoustic guitars, harmony vocals and backwards ala 'Mind Gardens' bits too. Closer 'Words Don't Make It' offers a dope-infused response to 'Gotta Get Some', but rather than being pissed-off the guys are now quite happy to give up arguing and say nothing…. musically the cut is high-octane pop with some interesting flourishes. Elsewhere they rock, get psychedelic and even a bit countryish - all good too. But there're too many cover versions that, although imaginatively approached, are clearly filler. Nevertheless Lullaby Opus Four is a decent album. It comes with The Bold story by our man in San Diego Mike 'Don't Call Me Ugly' Stax, some neat pictures and good sound. As I know us SDers aren't just a bunch of farfisa-wielding fuzzed-out caveteens I'd advise you all to get this - besides you get the early Bold stuff tacked onto the end in order for the CD to finish with a bang!