MORNING COMES QUICKLY (RSO RECORDS- 1977)
(Record Mirror, 16th July 1977)
Barbara Dickson's Nashville album sounds totally unlike anyone else's Nashville album. She hasn't allowed the atmosphere of the place to over-power her own style, and that's saying something because the flavour of Nashville is so strong, and sometimes so irresistible, that it has overcome people I'd have thought stronger.
I wasn't keen on the use of the string section in her songs - it's not overdone, but it just made the material a bit more schamltzy than it need have been. The horn section was excellent though. I'd like to have seen her be more ambitious; the songs here would be very suitable for 'The Two Ronnies' TV show, where she did so well, but that base is too wide to appeal to the people who actually buy records.
Although the songs here are pretty and sometimes wistful, they are very MOR. With Mentor Williams as producer - he wrote 'Driftaway' which isn't on this album but which Barbara sings superbly well - it would have come out with more guts. As it was I felt it was a pleasant album, but somewhat neutered.
This has come out sounding much harsher than I intended; on the plus side, Barbara has a very attractive voice and her own treatments of other people's songs is original and sometimes stunning. There, I hope that's balanced it out a bit.
(Rosalind Russell)
MORNING COMES QUICKLY (RSO RECORDS- 1977)
(Sounds, 16th July 1977)
For her second solo album Barbara Dickson has hightailed it down to Nashville and availed herself of the production and composing abilities of Mentor 'Driftaway' Williams. While this has given Barbara the kind of production she needed, it has also resulted in some rather lacklustre material at times. Ironically this is a complete reversal of her first album, 'Answer Me'.
The songs that Mentor Williams has had a hand in - usually with guitarist Troy Seals who adds some deft instrumental touches on the album - tend to be pretty, poppy, but rather innocuous. That goes for 'Lover's Serenade', the single choice, as well as 'There's A Party In My Heart' and 'Stolen Love' which meander inconsequentially. He redeems himself with 'When You Touch Me This Way' which swings with more purpose, but Barbara seems more at ease with her three self-penned numbers - 'High Tide', which she tackles with conviction, 'Who Was It Stole Your Heart Away' which echoes the country-rock flavour she hints at on the cover, and the slow but sensitive 'I Could Fall' with its neat harmonies and gently phased guitar. It makes you wonder why she didn't try a few more of her own songs.
One thing Mentor Williams has got right, however, is how to place Barbara's voice on record. In general she's upfront and comes across with clarity but the arrangements are never far behind and Williams makes intelligent use of the Muscle Shoals Horn Section on several tracks.
(Hugh Fielder)
MORNING COMES QUICKLY (RSO RECORDS- 1977)
(Luton News, 30th June 1977)
One of my favourite albums this summer has got to be Barbara Dickson's 'Morning Comes Quickly' on RSO. It is lovely, happy music both played well and sung well.
Barbara is a former civil servant who only turned professional in 1968 and this record also shows her great potential as a song writer. Three tracks are written by her and one of them, 'Who Was It Stole Your Heart Away', is my favourite, although it was a difficult task to choose from ten excellent new numbers.
