Emmett Finley - Emmett Finley (us 1971, Poison Ring 2241)

Emmett Finley - Emmett Finley (us 1971, Poison Ring PRR-2241)

- Released on the small Connecticut based Poison Ring label.

Members:
* Emmett Finley - Lead vocals, Acoustic & electric guitar
* Hans Peter Schulle - keyboards & supporting vocals
* Dan Zellman - Bass, supporting vocals, engineering
* Ray Monte - Percussion, supporting vocals
* Ellington Sisters - Supporting vocals

Tracklisting:
side 1
1. So Easy   (Emmett Finley) - 4:44
2. Where He Cried Last Night   (Emmett Finley) - 3:35
3. Gospel   (Emmett Finley) - 2:54
4. Paula's Song   (Emmett Finley) - 1:57

side 2
1. Saturday Morning   (Emmett Finley) - 3:09
2. Monster   (Emmett Finley) - 6:07
3. Without You Now   (Emmett Finley) - 3:07
4. Sky King   (Emmett Finley) - 3:01
5. My Friend   (Emmett Finley) - 3:04

Reviews:
This LP offers up a decent mix of acoustic singer/songwriter material ("So Easy", "Where He Cried Last Night" and the pretty ballad "Paula's Song") with an occasional nod to more rock oriented numbers ("Gospel"). While Finley turned in a couple of nice guitar licks (check out "Monster"), the set's most interesting feature is probably Finley's voice. It took a couple of spins before we could place the resemblance, but then it struck us. Finley has a kind of nasally/echo clad delivery that sounds like "Walls and Bridges" era John Lennon. Nothing monumental, but certainly worth a couple of spins and better than a lot of the higher priced rarities being hyped by so many dealers. Noted CT area producer Doc Cavalier handled this one, as with several Poison Ring releases. [SB]
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Yes, check this one out. It's a fairly obscure entry in the underground sounds arena. You'll hear this described as killer folk rock (it is) with lost, atmospheric vocals (huh?), amazing, soaring, backing vocal harmonies (they're there), with facile acoustic/electric mix (check) and overall dark, spooky vibe that'll run chills up and down your spine (nah!). I'll describe it as soft, dreamy, psych influenced folk rock. A recent analogy to a friend was: like "Imagine" era John Lennon singing vocals for Kaleidoscope (UK) with material written by Syd Barrett. This is a very subtle album, that doesn't get your full attention first time around. But after a second listen, you really pick up on all the hidden surprises. "Sat. Morning Monster" is my fave, but there are plenty of other winners on tap. The original vinyl is rare, and I'm not sure if it's been reissued on CD, but however you prefer, it's worth seeking out.
   Addendum: The more I hear this the more I like it. It just grows and grows on you. Since this is not normally the type of record I get excited about, the fact that I am excited about it means that much more. It really is a great record! Grades - 2 B+'s, 2 B's, 3 B-'s, and a C+.
 ~ tymeshifter (RYM).
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Here's a real buried treasure that has never really had much in the way of florid hype.A real deep trip that has more in common with something like D.R. Hooker, than the burgeoning proliferation of singer-songwriters from the period.Might some close attention before you sit back and shake your head in wonderment.
 ~ wonkywhy (RYM).
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A true gem!

When you find an LP like this it makes all of those countless hours of searching and listening to obscure albums worth the time and effort. This is an outstanding psych rock record with some serious depth and beautiful Billy Nicholls-like vocals. A bit of a headscratcher as to why it was overlooked all of these years when the truth of the matter is that it blows half of the records in the Acid Archives out of the water.
 ~ foreverisadream (RYM).
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Okay, we bought this one without any idea who Emmett Finley was.  Why?  Well, we recognized the Poison Ring label as a Connecticut-based outfit that released some interesting 1960s efforts including an album by Pulse. 
Since we still don't know anything about Finley, let us tell you a little about this album.  Produced by Thomas 'Doc' Cavalier, 1971's cleverly-titled "Emmett Finley" offers up a decent mix of acoustic singer/songwriter material ("So Easy", "Where He Cried Last Night" and the pretty ballad "Paula's Song") with an occasional nod to more rock oriented numbers ("Gospel").  While Finley turned in a couple of nice guitar licks (check out "Monster"), the set's most interesting feature is probably Finley's voice.  It took a couple of spins before we could place the resemblance, but then it struck us.  Finley has a kind of nasally/echo clad delivery that sounds like "Walls and Bridges" era John Lennon.  Nothing monumental, but certainly worth a couple of spins and better than a lot of the higher priced rarities being hyped by so many dealers ...
 ~ RDTEN1 (RYM).

Download Link:
Emmett Finley - Emmett Finley (us 1971, Poison Ring 2241).rar

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