Genre: pop
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title:  Carl Sings
Company: Guinness
Catalog: GNS 36012
Year: 1977
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): NM / NM
Comments: sealed
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 5671
Price: $250.00

Another tax scam obscurity with little, or no information on the artist ... Good luck finding another review of this one.

Like most Guinness label releases 'Carl Sings" carried a 1977 release date. Judging by the overall sound, that's probably close to the actual release date, though I'd guess it was actually a couple of years older. This one didn't do much for me the first couple of times I played it, but luckily I put it aside and came back to it a couple of months later. Good thing 'cause the second time around the album's multiple charms started to sink in. Thinman had one of those chameleon like voices that was perfectly suited for a number of genres - he would have been a great jingle singer. Musically most of the album had a commercial pop edge, but the ten tracks (most penned by the team of M. Cavender - D. Burnside) were diverse enough to make the whole album engaging. That diversity also made you wonder if the album was composed of multiple artists ... see comments below.

- 'Why Do I Care' got off to a slow start, but once it hit cruising speed wasn't a half bad ballad with some nice Beach Boys-styled vocal harmonies.
- Kicked along by some excellent Duane Allman-styled guitar fills '27th Day of September' was a nice country-rocker that kind of worked its way into your memory and wouldn't let go. Would have made a nice single if Guinness had shown any interest in sales.
- An atypical performance, 'What Do You Want From Me' was a full tilt rocker that bore a passing resemblance to something The Buffalo Springfield might have recorded in the late-1960s. Great guitar solo and a first rate rocker that may have been the standout performance! Also made you wonder if this was the same act, or perhaps another group that was added to the track listing to pad the collection.
- 'If There Were No Tomorrows' was a pretty, but stark piano-based ballad that was saved by another set of mesmerizing Beach Boys-styled harmony vocals.
- 'Holiday' was another mid-tempo track with multiple time shifts that have always reminded me a little of an American version of 10c.c. I'm a 10c.c fan so that's a positive trait to my ears; though probably not so much for some of you.
- Side two started with a surprisingly enjoyable slice of AOR - 'I Told You So' would have sounded right at home alongside the likes of early Journey, Pablo Cruise, Styx, etc. Yeah, that sent some of you running for the doors, but it really was meant as a compliment.
- It took me awhile to figure out what band 'Honestly' reminded me of - Badfinger. Another very commercial effort.
- 'Long Ago/Far Away' found Thinman returning to a country-rock stance; this time out the results sounded like something Pure Prairie League might have done. Nice chorus and great guitar solo ...
- 'Kingdom Come' opened with a cool bass pattern (would love to learn it) and some nice fuzz guitar. Another isolated rocker and one of the stronger tunes on the album.
- Another atypical effort, besides having one of the dumbest titles I've seen in awhile, 'Feels Good To Feel Good' sounded like a slice of bubblegum pop - Complete with horn arrangement it wouldn't have been too hard to picture this one on an Archies album. Like a rash it was catchy in an irritating fashion.

Couple more rockers like 'What Do You Want From Me' and this would have been a big dollar ticket item (not that its cheap now). As it is, this is still one of the better tax scam releases. Worth checking out for pop-rock fans.

"Carl Sings" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Why Do I Care (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
2.) 27th Day of September (M. Cavender - T. Burnside - R. Thames) - 
3.) What Do You Want From Me (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
4.) If There Were No Tomorrows (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
5.) Holiday (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 

(side 2)
1.) I Told You So (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
2.) Honestly (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
3.) Long Ago/Far Away (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
4.) Kingdom Come (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) - 
5.) Feels Good To Feel Good (M. Cavender - D. Burnside) -