The Left Banke - There’s Gonna Be A Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966-69 (1994)

Published by Ice Zero | Filed under Pop

This 26-cut compilation rounds up virtually everything ever recorded by the Left Banke, the awesomely talented pop band best known for the classically-influenced 1966 hits “Walk Away Renee” and “Pretty Ballerina.” Songwriter/pianist/guiding light Michael Brown composed some of the loveliest melodies of the era, which were typically fleshed out with complex contrapuntal harmonies and string arrangements; “Barterers and Their Wives” sounds almost medieval, while the soaring “Desiree” is positively majestic in its epic sweep. Brown left before the recording of the band’s second album, which means that the quality level dips slightly near the end of the disc. Despite this, any ’60s pop collection is woefully incomplete without it.

Though it’s missing a few rarities — namely the Steve Martin single for Buddha that reunited him with Michael Brown — this is the most definitive Left Banke compilation. It features the entirety of their two late-’60s albums, as well as a couple of singles that didn’t make it onto LPs at the time (though they later appeared on Rhino’s History) and a previously unissued cut, “Men Are Building Sand.”

Their debut 1967 LP, “Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina”, is an underrated classic of the time, matching smart harmonies and pop hooks to baroque orchestration. Its brilliance casts a bit of a shadow over the rest of this collection. The group’s 1968 album, “Too” suffered from bloated production and, more importantly, the absence of chief songwriter/arranger, Michael Brown. In turn, the 1967 single Brown cut under the Left Banke moniker with singer Bert Sommer suffers from the absence of lead vocalist Steve Martin. By the time Brown and Martin tenuously reunited for a late-1969 single, some of the spark had gone. All of the aforementioned highs and lows of this prodigiously talented but strife-ridden group are on this disc.

Personnel: Michael Brown (keyboards), Steve Martin (lead vocals), George Cameron (vocals, drums), Steve Finn (vocals, bass), Jeff Winfield (guitar, 1965-1966), Richard Brand (guitar, 1967), Tim Feher (guitar, 1968-1969)

Track List:

01 Walk Away Renee
02 I Haven’t Got The Nerve
03 Pretty Ballerina
04 She May Call You Up Tonight
05 I’ve Got Something On My Mind
06 Barterers And Their Wives
07 Let Go Of You Girl
08 What Do You Know
09 Evening Gown
10 Lazy Day
11 Shadows Breaking Over My Head
12 Ivy Ivy
13 Men Are Building Sand
14 Desiree
15 Dark Is The Bark
16 My Friend Today
17 Sing Little Bird Sing
18 And Suddenly
19 Goodbye Holly
20 In The Morning Light
21 Bryant Hotel
22 Give The Man A Hand
23 Nice To See You
24 There’s Gonna Be A Storm
25 Pedestal
26 Myrah

Download includes small front cover