- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Seventies'
- Release Date: '29.5.26.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1238'
Our Rating:
Half Baked was Jimmy Campbells second album recorded at Trident Studios. Jimmy was backed by Pete Clarke, Tony Crane, Billy Kinsley, Phil Chittick, Joey Molland, The Orchestral arrangements were done by Nick Ryan and Donald Fraser at Chapel recordings Studios on New Bond Street. with Don Paul producing it.
The album opens with Green Eyed American Actress who once tried to seduce Jimmy, does she remember him, or has her life taking other turns now she is back on Broadway, the harmonica has a very Bob Dylan edge to it, while the backing has a lazy hazy folk rock edge to it.
Loving You Is All I Do is about as soppy as you can get, while being sweet loving chamber pop for a lover you are infatuated with, despite her fleeting nature, he hopes she comes home tonight, but he knows really she is off with another.
So Lonely Without You sounds like it could be by Wings, it has a hard driving edge, while he lets us know how he feels now you've gone, the brass section have a rave up and somehow it sounds like a party, on easily the catchiest song on the album, this could easily have been a hit.
In My Room that apparently had posters of Hitler, John and Paul and books by Somerset Maugham that hints that Jimmy might have been to the right of centre, while having gentle strings and a rather fragile edge to his description of his bedroom in Kirkby, he doesn't tell us your reaction on seeing the room he wants to share with you. The instrumental coda is quite wonderful and needs hearing by itself.
That's Right, That's Me is the song from this album I heard the most on John Peel back in the 70's and 80's this has plenty of groove to the Small Faces style piano, describing his friend Mad Jack and Judas like he really in the Tyrannosaurus Rex realm, so you better do what your told and give him your money, great to hear this song again and hear the inspiration behind Nikki Sudden's classic Judas Iscariot that steals tune and lyrics from Jimmy Campbell.
I Will Not Mind is sparse acoustic folk full of declarations of undying love, while telling you if you don't return his love he will go and find another, which sounds like a normal thing to say in the early 70's, while claiming that it's you who spurn him, he might even go back to his Mother or his brother, what kind of family is he from!
Dulcie (It's December) has a forlorn edge to his descriptions of what Dulcie does for him, including the things that no longer bother him, with the gentle strings adding a romantic air musically.
Forever Grateful is thanks and appreciation for all the love you give to him, shimmering strings and a semi classical air add to the baroque splendour.
The title song Half Baked has a super hushed opening, explaining his situation before the band explodes into a psychedelic rock band, he explains that he is indeed Half Baked. Closing Down The Shop is chamber pop led by the violins for this sad story of life after your shop has gone out of business.
Don't Leave Me Now is the begging and pleading for the relationship played out over sumptuous strings and plaintive guitar, he will do anything if only you'll stay with him. How can you resist such wonderfully over the top begging.
Lonely Norman is an upbeat rocker taken from the compilation Heads Together, First Round. Telling us all about Norman and all he gets up too, he appears to no longer be a gambler or drive around in a rambler, but he takes money from the rich and poor while dodging Tax like a true Englishman while the guitar really goes to town.
Jimmy's session for Disco 2 on the BBC on October 17th 1970 opens with In My Room with a very resonant acoustic guitar, for his description of his Kirkby bedroom with his own poetry books and his posters, while he hopes on seeing his room you might understand him better, the string section add minimal beauty. The Disco 2 BBC version of Closing Down The Shop is sparse acoustic guitar with some cool reverb making this sad song seem even more forlorn for the aftermath of losing his shop.
Forever Grateful has that gorgeous chiming resonant acoustic guitar for Jimmy to give all his thanks to those that deserve it most. That's Right, That's Me is somewhere in the region of Tyrannosaurus Rex on the cusp of going glam but mixed with early Small Faces on the John Peel favourite.
So Lonely Without You on this session sounds more like a barrelhouse blues rocker, that a huge crowd should be singing along with, long before the wailing guitar solo, while he keeps on chain smoking his despair away and Bob Harris joining in on the outro.
Don't Leave Me Now is almost a bar room blues interpretation, apart from the strings in the background, Jimmy begs you to stay and not run off with all his mates. Towards the end the guitars really go for it, while the vocals swell and you hope she finally gets how in love he really is.
The album closes as it opened with Green Eyed American Actress on this Sounds Of The 70's version, which is much more folk-rock Mungo Jerry, for his memories of that day when she came onto him and how he missed his chance.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/format/1922611-half-baked-2026-remaster https://www.facebook.com/tlakmusic
The recording of this video is completely re-mastered and pristine on the album.
