Stonehenge
I was tempted to make a post today about that recurrent feature of the UK pop charts, the novelty single. Then I listened to a couple and decided that life is too short. Instead, I had a listen to an album I’d never heard before, Richie Havens’s Stonehenge. This is another one of uncertain release date but, judging by its recent entry onto the Billboard charts at the end of March 1970, was likely February 1970.
It turned out to be quite difficult because I don’t own a copy, and it isn’t on Spotify and nor is it on YouTube in a consistent form. When I did listen to it (as linked below) I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
Havens, by 1970, was an experienced and respected performer who’d been thrust into the spotlight at Woodstock in August 1969. I had high hopes for this album, but… It’s not that great. It doesn’t really take off until the final track Shouldn’t All The World Be Dancing. Havens’s voice is fine throughout, and the record is solid, professional, competent, but also quite dull. The production choices, like strings on a couple of tracks, are strange too, notably on Minstrel From Gault, which is one of his best known songs.
Were the album all like that final track this would be a classic of its time; I’ve already added that track to a Spotify playlist I’m slowly putting together ( this one ). Unfortunately, there’s not much else to grab the attention, let alone hold it. And that’s a shame.
The whole album is available as a YouTube playlist.
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