Biography by Bruce Eder
This off-shoot of McGuinness Flint, rechristened momentarily in the wake of the departure of songwriting members Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, left behind one major cult item, Lo and Behold, the best album of Dylan covers ever done by anyone. McGuinness Flint themselves played blues-based roots rock, close in spirit to but less jazz-inspired than the group from which Tom McGuinness had come, Manfred Mann; drummer Hughie Flint was an alumnus of the lineup of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers that everyone heard, featuring Eric Clapton. Dennis Coulson fronted the group vocally, and Dixie Dean joined up on bass after Gallagher and Lyle's departure. They later became known simply as McGuinness-Flint (Mark 2).
Review by Bruce Eder
This is one of the finest records of its era (originally issued on DJM and Sire) and, amazingly, as a record of cover versions, had lots of rock press credibility as well. It should have fared about as well as the Hollies' venture into Dylan territory, except that Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, Flint were more suited to the Dylan material, and the Dylan songs they chose were a deliberate effort to delve specifically into material that Dylan had not released (as of that time) in any official versions -- this was stuff that was known either only as compositions, or from various white-label bootlegs that were around then. The result was a record as good as anything the Band ever turned in, a gorgeous, haunting electric/acoustic mixture with impassioned vocals, impeccable musicianship, and what were then revelations about some of Dylan's best and least-known songs. (Remember, he was off the road then, and releasing maybe an album a year.) The numbers include "Eternal Circle" (added to this reissue in an alternate mix version as a bonus track), "Lay Down Your Weary Tune," "Open the Door Homer," "Don't You Tell Henry," "Get Your Rocks Off," "Tiny Montgomery" (a bonus track previously available only as a single B-side), "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "Let Me Die In My Footsteps," "Lo And Behold," and "Sign On the Cross." The sound is stunningly clean, and the new historical notes by Tom McGuinness are cool.
24bit Remastered & Expanded
1972 DJM Album
*plus 3 Bonus Tracks
Limited Edition Packaged in
Miniature Gatefold LP Sleeve
Air Mail (JP)
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