Karen Dalton is another artist I’ve heard about on the internet in my discovery of folk artists in the Greenwich Village scene. Though Karen didn’t produce a studio album until this album, It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going to Love You the Best (1969), she was closely associated with artists like Fred Neil, the Holy Modal Rounders, and Bob Dylan. I am a huge fan of both Fred Neil and Bob Dylan, and ought to listen to the Holy Modal Rounders soon. Dalton was late in terms of releasing a studio album, and this is in large part because she refused to play her own songs, and opted to reinterpret folk standards instead. I’m pretty excited to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Little Bit of Rain” starts with a somewhat desolate sounding bass notes. Holy smokes, her voice is amazing, producing a super soulful folksy sound, with a touch of twangy southern drawl. There’s an acoustic guitar that gently seems to roll into the soundscape behind Dalton’s vocals. Oh wow, the electric guitar comes in for some gentle accentuations, adding a bit of twang in the process. Wow, this song is awesome. I really dig the bluesy lick on the acoustic guitar at the end. Great track, and an awesome way to start out the album.
“Sweet Substitute” starts out with a bit of a grooving acoustic guitar that seems to gradually get things moving. Oh wow, the gentle twang of the acoustic guitar seems to have this strange quality where the resulting sound is blissful while still not being overtly such at first glance. Wow, great tune.
Oh wow, “Ribbon Bow” starts out with some bluesy acoustic guitar and some super soulful vocals, with a gently moving bass line in the background to give the tune a sort of platform to stand on. Wow, so far Dalton reminds me a ton of Tim Buckley in the vocal approach, with a soulful folksy combination that seems to take a bit of a bluesy inflection at times. Wow, awesome song.
“I Love You More Than Words Can Say” starts out with some bluesy acoustic guitar that seems to feel around the soundscape for a moment, before the other instrumentation and vocals come in for some late night blues club acoustic performance feel. The drums produce a light and airy rhythm, while the bass guitar seems to gently and slowly walk the tune forward. I really dig the sound of this tune: acoustic, folksy, and bluesy; there’s something about that combination that just has a timeless sound to my ears. Wow, I’m really digging this album so far, to the point that I’m already searching to see if I can pick it up on vinyl somehow. Great track.
“In the Evening (It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going to Love You the Best)” starts out with some acoustic guitar that seems to have a folksy feel that almost seems to linger on some notes in a bit of a bluesy, raga-influenced way. I’m sort of reminded a bit of Joni Mitchell in a roundabout way, with a totally different vocal style, but the kind of voice that you don’t easily forget. Wow, great tune.
Oh wow, “Blues On the Ceiling” seems to have some electric guitar in it, which almost immediately catches my ear. Oh wow, the guitar parts combine for a sort of gentle, largely acoustic, and very folksy sound. The track sort of makes me think a mellow song on the folk/folk rock Dave Van Ronk album with the Hudson Dusters, Dave Van Ronk and the Hudson Dusters (1967). Oh wow, this tune seems to gradually and very naturally pick up momentum as the music continues. Great track.
“It Hurts Me Too” starts out with some somewhat drone-like, bright, folksy acoustic guitar in the background. Oh wow, a really bluesy acoustic guitar part comes into the soundscape and brings a ton of flavor. Holy smokes, I really dig this song. The tune makes me think of Pigpen and the Grateful Dead’s version of the classic blues tune written by Mel London. Oh wow, Dalton’s vocals keep pulling me further into the album. There’s this strange, bluesy, soft-spoken, southern quality to Dalton’s voice that I can’t help but be enamored with. Great tune.
“How Did the Feeling Feel to You” has a bit of a mysterious sounding acoustic guitar part in the background, which seems to continually shift around without ever seemingly resolving, or at least taking a meandering, rambling path to resolve. Oh wow, I really dig the bass line in this track, which seems to stand out really nicely and make the song sound huge with a gentle approach from behind Dalton’s vocals. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Right, Wrong or Ready” starts out in a style that sounds like the tune will gradually build up to something in an epic, folksy style. Oh wow, Dalton’s vocals seem to be as intense as ever in terms of how loud her voice gets in the album, bringing a ton of flavor to the track as those notes seem to resolve tension I didn’t even realize had built up. Wow, great tune.
“Down On the Street (Don’t You Follow Me Down)” starts out with some super interesting, delicate folksy acoustic guitar that seems to linger on some strange-sounding notes, and the resulting sound gets me even more interested in the track and the album. Holy smokes, another, much more bluesy acoustic guitar comes into the soundscape on one side, while a bluesy, sort of punchy electric guitar comes into the other side of the soundscape. Wow, this track really seems to get into a super flavorful, folksy and bluesy groove by the end of the tune. Awesome track and a super sweet way to finish the album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. Karen Dalton’s voice is not one I’ll forget anytime soon, as she brings a sort of soft-spoken, southern, soulful, bluesy, folksy sort of feel with her delivery of the lyrics, and these lyrics are typically accompanied by instrumentation of a similar flavor. I really want to pick up this album on vinyl. If you dig country, folk, and acoustic blues, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this one a listen, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A