JUST AN OLD-FASHIONED LOVE SONG - Paul Williams

YEAR: 1972

LABEL: A&M

TRACK LISTING: Waking Up Alone, I Never Had It So Good, We've Only Just Begun, That's Enough For Me, Perfect Love, An Old-Fashioned Love Song, Let Me Be the One, Simple Man, When I Was All Alone, My Love and I, Gone Forever

IMPRESSIONS: Another album that I've heard as long as I can remember from my parents' record collection. Yep, the wood panelling, the lime green bean bag chair and the house on Linwood Avenue are back every time I hear it. This is the one and only Paul Williams album I've ever heard but I've seen it said that's it's his strongest album. . . and that's for sure. The songwriting on here is exemplary; even with the occasionally dated early-70s arrangements and instrumentation. But the songs are strong enough to leave those small worries behind. I'm frankly surprised more songs from this album haven't been covered by other performers. Of course, the Carpenters had a smash with "We've Only Just Begun" as well as covering "Let Me Be the One" and Three Dog Night hit it big with "Just An Old-Fashioned Love Song". However, there are incredible, sometimes shatteringly poignant songs like "Waking Up Alone", "That's Enough For Me" and "Gone Forever" which somebody should've had a hit with. The introspective loneliness of the cover photograph perfectly captures the mood of many (but not all) of the songs here. A classic 1970's singer-songwriter album that nobody's ever heard.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Waking Up Alone, That's Enough For Me, Let Me Be the One, Simple Man, When I Was All Alone, My Love and I, Gone Forever

FACT SHEET: JUST AN OLD-FASHIONED LOVE SONG is Paul Williams' fifth album. This album is so little-known or remembered that I could really find nothing of note about the production or background to the album. It's simply a great listen, that's all.