Paul Siebel is a musician I just learned about recently, and was active in the folk/singer-songwriter community around 1968 to 1978. Though I hadn’t heard about Siebel until less than an hour ago, Siebel has had some of his songs covered by many of my favorite musicians, such as David Bromberg, Bonnie Raitt, Leo Kottke, and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and has been covered by other artists that I haven’t listened to yet (though I ought to do so soon) such as Waylon Jennings, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Emmylou Harris, and even more musicians. This album, Woodsmoke and Oranges (1970), is Siebel’s debut album, was released under Elektra Records, and is in the style of folk rock and country rock (according to Wikipedia, at least). The record seems to have been well-received, but didn’t necessarily sell as well as one might expect. I’m pretty stoked to give this one a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
Holy smokes, “She Made Me Lose My Blues” start off hot with some super twangy country guitar that comes in the form two pedal steel guitars and a jangling acoustic guitar. Wow, I’m already hooked into this tune. Siebel’s vocals are reminiscent of early to mid-1960s Bob Dylan with that nasally style. Holy smokes, this is awesome. There’s some super sweet keys in there too, with the drums and bass coalescing together with the acoustic guitar to form a super tasty rhythm section that grooves the song forward. Wow, great tune and a great way to start the album.
Oh wow, “Miss Cherry Lane” has such a tasty sound at the beginning, with an almost bluesy sort of country sounding tune. The drums keep driving the tune forward, creating a really flavorful feeling of movement in the tune, while the fiddle gets some bluesy notes into the soundscape. Oh wow, there’s a super tasty jam section where the band almost goes double time for a bit before returning to that folksy bluesy country sound in the soundscape. Wow, Siebel’s vocals have a really flavorful sound in this tune. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Nashville Again” returns to that groovy country rock sound again. Wow, this is sweet; both this song and the album so far have reminded me a fair deal of The Byrds, especially their Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) days. Holy smokes, the piano picks up a bit of a blues-inflected rollick for a moment during a jam, which is nearly echoed by the pedal steel guitar. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “The Ballad of Honest Sam” has a really tasty west Texas bluesy saloon sort of sound between the country sounds in the rhythm section, the pedal steel guitar, and the fiddle. Holy smokes, the organs add such a flavorful accentuation to the soundscape whenever they come on. Oh wow, Siebel really mixes the nasally country vocals with a nearly narrative style in this ballad that seems to blur lines between country and folk to some extent. Oh wow, the accentuations from the acoustic guitar are super flavorful, evoking a sound that makes the tune feel like some sort of soundtrack to an honest cowboy in the old west’s life, without even taking into account the lyrics. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Then Came the Children” starts out with some really folksy acoustic guitar that is quickly joined by a super flavorful harmonica that chirps out some high notes that seem to blend together bluesy and country flavors, creating a bit of a melting pot of a tune. Oh wow, this tune makes me think a bit of both Roy Harper and Kris Kristofferson with the mix of folksy and country flavors. Wow, the feeling in Siebel’s vocals creates a nearly optimistically bittersweet country sort of sound. Super sweet track.
“Louise” is a track that was recorded and covered by a number of artists, including Bonnie Raitt and Leo Kottke. Holy smokes, the bluesy piano lines really add to the ambiance of this country folk tune, which is created through a combination of an earthy acoustic guitar and a pedal steel guitar that seems to paint a country sunset in the soundscape. When you add in the slow bopping groove of the bass guitar with the airy drums, you get a super tasty country folk soundscape, which is the line that Siebel’s vocals seem to blur and walk across, the line being that between country and folk. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Bride 1945” starts out with some super tasty acoustic guitar parts, one bringing a jangling chord progression, while the other one adds some country accentuations through creating a pleasant melody. I really dig the way this tune sounds; all of the instruments sound as though they were recorded from a distance inside of a concert hall, such that there’s almost a mystifying space heard within that reverberation. Wow, another great track.
“My Town” starts out with some acoustic guitar, and is soon joined by Siebel’s vocals, which combine to form a sort of folksy ballad sound, and nearly reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan’s early work. Oh wow, there’s some twangy dobro that comes into the soundscape seemingly out of nowhere, which introduces that country element that has been present in many of the previous tracks. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. Super sweet track.
“Any Day” starts out with some super flavorful country bluesy rollicking piano, and a jangling rhythm section made up of some earthy acoustic guitar, a sturdy drum beat, and a bopping country bass line. Oh wow, the melodic work from the piano is super flavorful, as the different lines seem to blend together country and blues with style and ease. Oh wow, the pedal steel comes on to paint that country sky backdrop again, super flavorful. Super sweet tune.
Oh wow, “Long Afternoons” seems to start out with a bit more of a folksy feel with the acoustic guitar at the start, though Siebel’s vocals nearly have a bit of a twang to them at this point. Oh wow, the accentuations by the second acoustic guitar seem to increase both the presence of a folksy feel and a country feel in the soundscape, while Siebel’s vocals seem to carry a feel of longing in their sweetness. Oh wow, both of the guitars have such a delicate sound, which only seems to add to the sweetness in the tune. Great track, and a super sweet way to end the album.
Wow, this album is super sweet, and is one I’m going to look into getting on vinyl. I can hardly believe I hadn’t heard of Paul Siebel until just a couple of hours ago. This album was filled with a ton of different country and folk flavors, that were both written and performed well throughout the album. Paul Siebel’s discography isn’t very large, but I’d like to listen to the rest of it fairly soon. If you dig flavorful country folk music, which verge on country rock at times, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A