West Coast Diaries, Vol. 1

Description

West Coast Diaries Vol. 1 is the first installment in the three piece West Coast Diaries series by the American singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer Charlie Peacock, originally self-released on cassette only in June 1988. The series was re-issued by Sparrow Records in 1990 on both cassette and CD, featuring new cover artwork. (In 1992, Sparrow did as well release the series as a 3-CD/3-Cassette Box Set.) The album track “This Is How The Work Gets Done” was covered by Philip Bailey on his 1989-release, Family Affair.

After the dissolution of both his band and his contract with Island Records, singer/songwriter Charlie Peacock went out on the road with a guitarist, a singer, and a truck full of tapes. The tape in question was little more than a collection of demos from the Charlie Peacock Group, a tape he called West Coast Diaries. What is found here are songs devoid of the quirkiness that characterizes his earlier records. Some of the songs are jazzy («Hiring a Worker», «Big Man’s Hat»), others are early-’80s synth pop («I Will Listen», «The Way of Love»). Two strong ones here are «Tears Rolling Down», influenced by South Africa’s Juluka, and «My Mind Played a Trick on Me», a passionate guitar-and-vocal plea for forgiveness. Also of note is the extended live version of «Whole Lot Different, Whole Lot the Same» (a song originally released on 1984’s Lie Down in the Grass), a lush, beautiful ending to this recording. While not so polished as Peacock’s other recordings (he himself is fond of describing his dissatisfaction with it), this one has an innocence about it that captures a spark of creative energy that turned many people on to his music; it is very likely this second-hand recording that caused his popularity to spread. [Mark W. B. Allender, AMG]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/west-coast-diaries-vol-1/716034038)

Cassette tracklist:

Side One
A1. “This Is How The Work Gets Done” – 3:49
A2. “Come On, Come On” – 3:15
A3. “Hot Night Downtown” – 3:23
A4. “One Thing” – 4:25
A5. “Tears Falling Down” – 3:01
A6. “The Last Hurrah” – 3:42
A7. “The Way Of Love” – 3:45
A8. “I Will Listen” – 3:02

Side Two
B1. “Hiring A Worker” – 3:49
B2. “Big Man’s Hat” – 4:22
B3. “My Mind Played A Trick On Me” – 4:40
B4. “Only Love Will Hold Fast” – 4:56
B5. “Whole Lot Different” – 7:13

Note: Re-issued on cassette and CD by Sparrow in 1990, featuring new cover artwork.