Track Listings
1. River Deep, Mountain High
2. I'm An Animal
3. I'm Dying Or Am I?
4. Ring Of Fire
5. Coloured Rain
6. To Love Somebody
7. As The Years Go Passing By
8. Gemini
9. Madman (Running Through The Fields)
Product Description
Limited digipak reissue of this 1968 album, including Ike & Tina Turner's 'River Deep, Mountains High' & 'the old Johnny Cash hit 'Ring Of Fire'. Repertoire. 2004.
The Repertoire label has just released a remastered version of this album and the sound quality is truly amazing, obviously taken from the first-generation master tape - makes the out-of-print versions by One Way and Polydor of Japan sound thin and weak in comparison.
A cursory glance through other reviews for these earlier releases show the potential buyer that this was an album you either loved or hated. No question that there are some filler tracks here - my advice is to program out "I'm Dying, Or Am I?", "Gemini" & "The Madman". What you're left with is one of the great unsung and underappreciated albums of the psychedelic era. Andy Summers' solo on Traffic's "Coloured Rain" alone is worth the price of admission. Add in a unique interpretation of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and a soulful take on the Bee Gee's "To Love Somebody", among others, and you've got an indespensible relic of the late '60's.
By the way, Repertoire also issued Eric & the Animals' penultimate album, "Every One of Us", at the same time - another strong recommedation. (George A. Zaninovich)
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The Sixties zeigeist, at least on the face of it, was one of peace, love, and freedom. Love Is, originally released as a double vinyl album was Eric Burdon & the Animals' most ambitious effort and very much epitomizes that period. It's a recording that truly reflects its times with equal amounts of great musicianship and inspiration but a good deal of pretentiousness and overkill as well. River Deep, Mountain High is one of the most energetic cuts on the album as Eric pays tribute to the lovely Tina Turner with a great rendition of the song that she made famous. I'm an Animal is fun in a sort of dumb bar song type way while I'm Dying or Am I is basically a throwaway. I love Eric's version of Ring of Fire. It doesn't sound at all like Johnny Cash's original but Eric more than does justice to the tune even though there's some sloppiness (the harmony vocals don't always sound in tune and Barry Jenkins comes in a tad too early on drums on one of the choruses). Some reviewers have dumped on Coloured Rain but I have to disagree. This is a great version with an outstanding guitar solo (apparently by a pre-Police Andy Summers) and cool horns. The only negative note on it is again the harmony vocals. Although I've never particularly liked Eric's version of To Love Somebody, it's a sweet production job complete with soulful singers in the background and mellow guitar lines. As the Years Go Passing By is Eric's heartfelt tribute to the blues, "the ball and chain around every musician's leg." This minor key blues has it all: powerful vocal, smoking guitar solos, and real feeling. Whether you like Gemini and Madman or not depends on your personal taste. I have loved them since I first heard them on the vinyl release with all the psychedelic effects and trippy choruses. So this album is a mixed bag but I think that most of these "double-album" efforts during the Sixties tended to be part inspiration and part filler. George Martin once said that he felt that, looking back at the Beatles' White Album, the really good material would have made one great album. There is definitely one great album within the grooves of Love Is. You just have to be patient and stick with it. (R. A. Burke)
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