West Coast Diaries, Vol. 2

Description

West Coast Diaries Vol. 2 is the second 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 January 1989. 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.) Recorded live in just a few days at Exit Studios and Moon Studios in Sacramento, California; Volume 2 accurately reflects the improvisational quality of Peacock’s music in an intimate and honest setting. It is elegant, simple, sparse and in a category by itself. It is short, only eight tracks, and basic, just vocals with acoustic guitar on six tracks, piano on the other two. (Peacock later said that part of the reason that WCD-2 was unplugged/acoustic was that was all they could afford.)

The West Coast Diaries series began in 1988 when Charlie Peacock compiled a collection of previously unreleased songs from his days with Exit Records as a way of fulfilling a promise of new material to fans at the Cornerstone Music Festival. Peacock says that he and guitarist Jimmy Abegg (a.k.a. Jimmy A.) “loaded up our families in a thirteen passenger van and headed east for six weeks of touring…We packed that plastic bubble to the roof with everything from diapers to fishing rods. We traveled with four adults, five children and six hundred and fifty of the very first West Coast Diary tapes.” This second volume was an attempt to recreate that 1988 summer tour, featuring stripped down renditions of eight songs performed by “the Charlie Peacock Acoustic Trio,” which consists of Peacock on lead vocals and piano, Abegg on acoustic guitar and Vince Ebo singing background vocals. The result is not only the best of the West Coast Diaries but probably the best Charlie Peacock album ever. The Trio’s versions of «Big Man’s Hat» and «The Way of Love» are funkier, fresher and more honest than the fully produced recordings of those songs on the 1990 album The Secret of Time. The same is true of this «Down in the Lowlands», as compared to the versions on the 1986 record Charlie Peacock or Russ Taff’s self-titled 1987 effort. Ebo’s powerful, soulful vocals and Abegg’s crisp, snappy guitars breathe new life into Peacock’s songs, as does Roger Smith’s rumbling piano on the beautiful new song «Don’t Have the Power». Highly recommended not only for Peacock diehards, but for those fans who never quite got into his studio albums. [Evan Cater, AMG]

Not many artists have a chance at a “second life,” but Charlie Peacock has had quite a year. A Grammy and Dove-nominated new album of some older songs (The Secret of Time), producing responsibilities (Margaret Becker), studio work and a new video, has given his career unlikely legs and a whole new set of ears exposed to his music. For this reason The West Coast Diaries is an important CD reissue, reviving work that uncovers a wealth of talent and gives old music to new ears.

Chronicling the post-Exit years, WCD were born out of Peacock’s nomadic adventures on the festival circuit. Without a record deal and looking for the means to provide his growing fan base with some recorded product, Peacock went underground in 1988 with the first in a series of three cassette-only products to be sold through mail-order and at concerts. A prolific writer, Peacock had over forty finished songs with no means of distribution and these tunes were to become The Diaries.

Written during the years 1983-1989, WCD was organized into and is now being sold as three separate entities (WCD II features the acoustic, live-recording of the trio-Peacock, Vince Ebo, vocals and Jimmy Abegg on guitar). Remastered, it features new line notes by Peacock and artwork by Abegg to allow for collectible quality of the original cassette releases. Not everything here is polished perfect, but that’s the charm of it. It is rare to get such a detailed look at the development of songs and of an artist through the musical phases of his life. «Down in the Lowlands», «Psalm 51», «Unchain My Soul» – these songs are all classic Peacock and will take you deeper into his musical psyche.

For those of us that want more of a good thing or a deeper look at a true poet and musician, West Coast Diaries is an important piece of work. Sometimes fun, sometimes funky – often cathartic and painfully truthful – it speaks of the human condition as only Peacock can paint it. For new ears or old friends, West Coast Diaries is a welcome visit with a man who has chronicled his love of life, God, and especially the music in exquisite pain and wonderful joy. I guess this is how the work gets done. [Kathleen A. Ervin, CCM, March 1991]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/west-coast-diaries-vol-2/716117111)

Cassette tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Nobody’s Gonna Bring Me Down” – 3:45
A2. “The Way Of Love” – 4:06
A3. “Down In The Lowlands” – 4:30
A4. “Psalm 51” – 3:59

Side Two
B1. “No Place Closer To Heaven” – 2:27
B2. “Don’t Have The Power” – 4:53
B3. “Unchain My Soul” – 4:53
B4. “Big Man’s Hat” – 4:54

Note: Released on both cassette (1990) and CD by Sparrow Records, featuring new cover artwork. Re-issued as a digitally Remixed and Remastered 20th Anniversary edition in 2008 featuring slightly different cover art. It has an extended version of “Down in the Lowlands” – an additional 60 seconds of Charlie and Vince riffing. Released on 180g 12-inch vinyl for the first time in 2018 trough a Kickstarter campaign, featuring a gatefold jacket with gold foil stamping (emulating the original indie cassette artwork including original David Dobson photographs and original Jimmy Abegg illustrations). Limited to 316 pressings.