1977 SWING CHARLEBOIS CANADA LP + INSERT FRANK ZAPPA GUITAR ON PETROLEUM ROBERT

$

30

1977 - ROBERT CHARLEBOIS - SWING CHARLEBOIS SWING - 12" VINYL RECORD LP MADE IN CANADA - INCLUDES THE SONG LYRICS INSERT - FRANK ZAPPA PLAYS GUITAR ON THE SONG PETROLEUM - SOLUTION LABEL - SN-939. THIS ALBUM WAS ONLY MADE AND RELEASED IN CANADA AND FRANCE AND HAS NEVER BEEN REISSUED ON CD. HERE IS WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THIS ALBUM:
The LP cover says a lot: Robert Charlebois, once a groundbreaking psychedelic rock star, is photographed in canary shirt and powder-blue pants playing golf on the lanes (that's what the "swing" stands for, no jazz here). This album, Charlebois' 12th studio LP, eschews the national Quebecer and Native American themes that graced previous records to settle in a family mood, talking about how he prefers summer over winter, or addressing social issues like divorce ("Mom and Dad") and the half-boy, half-man awkwardness that comes with the age of 13 ("13 Ans"). Even lyricist Réjean Ducharme's contribution, "Je l'Savais" (I Knew), sounds halfhearted. To hide his lack of inspiration, Charlebois put to music two poems by 19th century French icons Charles Baudelaire ("Le Léthé") and Arthur Rimbaud ("Larme"). Although among this album's best moments, neither tops "Ma Bohème" (another Rimbaud poem) from the 1974 Robert Charlebois [aka Je Rêve à Rio]. The best two tracks come in last. "Rhapsodie pour Victor" is a beautiful ode to the birth of a child. Of almost epic proportions (even though not even seven minutes long), it features good orchestral arrangements and some of the singer's best lyrics. The case of "Petroleum" is very special. First, the song dates from Charlebois' psychedelic period (the turn of the '60s and '70s), but was left unfinished. Second, it is sung in English. Finally, it sounds like a Frank Zappa song, including silly lyrics, sped-up vocals, and the general mood and type of arrangements found in Over-nite Sensation. But this curiosity doesn't salvage what remains a disappointing album.  ALL OF THE SONGS ARE SUNG IN FRENCH EXCEPT ON PETROLEUM. I PUT THAT REVIEW UP THERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS GUY AND WHAT IT DOESN'T GO INTO DETAIL IS WHAT THE SONG PETROLEM IS ALL ABOUT. IF THERE ARE ANY GEEZERS STILL KICKING AROUND WHO REMEMBER THE GAS CRISES IN THE USA, THEY JUST MIGHT REMEMBER WHAT HAD BEEN GWINE ON BACK THEN. JIMMY CARTER WAS PRESIDENT AND HIS REDNECK BROTHER BILLY STARTED MAKING HIS OWN BRAND OF BEER CALLED BILLY BEER TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SITUATION. YOU CAN READ THE SONG LYRICS IF YOU PLACE YOUR PROTRUDING NASAL APPENDAGE IN FRONT OF PHOTO #3. I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO WHY THERE WAS A GAS SHORTAGE, BUT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TIME WHEN GAS WAS IN SHORT SUPPLY HERE. THERE WERE LINES OF CARS FOR MILES AT SOME GAS STATIONS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET GAS. IN FACT IT GOT SO BAD THAT GAS HAD TO BE RATIONED. YOU COULD ONLY BUY GAS ACCORDING TO WHAT THE LAST NUMBER ON YOUR LICENSE PLATE WAS. EVEN NUMBERS ON EVEN CALENDAR DAYS AND ODD NUMBERS ON ODD CALENDAR DAYS. ZAPPA'S ALBUM ZOOT ALLURES HAD BEEN RELEASED THE PREVIOUS YEAR WITH THE SONG "WIND UP WORKING IN A GAS STATION" ON IT. IT WAS A PUT DOWN OF PEOPLE GETTING AN EDUCATION AND WIND UP WORKING IN A GAS STATION ANYWAY. HOWEVER THE VERY NEXT YEAR WORKING AT A GAS STATION AND ESPECIALLY KNOWING SOMEBODY WHO WORKED AT ONE WAS A GREAT BENEFIT. YOU COULD GAS UP YOUR CAR BEFORE THE STATION OPENED OR IF YOU HAD THE KEYS GO THERE LATE AT NIGHT TO GASS UP YOUR CAR AND YOUR FRIEND'S CARS. YEAH, MANY GAS STATIONS ACTUALLY DID CLOSE AT NIGHT BACK THEN. ANYWAY THE RECORD LOOKS AND PLAYS GREAT. I SEE A FEW TINY SURFACE MARKS ON THE 3RD SONG ON FACE A. THEY'RE NOT ON PETROLEUM AND I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT WHEN I PLAYED IT. NO SPINDLE MARKS ON THE LABELS. SOME VERY LIGHT RING WEAR AND A FEW SMALL CREASES ON THE ALBUM COVER. AN INCH OR TWO SEAM SPLIT THAT LOOKS FROM THE INSIDE HASN'T SPLIT COMPLETELY THRU THE CARDBOARD IN THE CENTER OF THE SPINE. INSERT LOOKS GREAT. THE RECORD COMES IN A HIGH QUALITY COLLECTOR'S TYPE OF INNER SLEEVE TO PREVENT SCUFFS FOR THE NEXT 44 YEARS. BUT WAIT...., THERE'S MORE...., BECAUSE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WEEZE TIGHT, I'M GONNA GIVE YEZ A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE ABSOLUTELY FREE. SO WADDA YEZ WAITIN' FOR, HUH?  

FACE A CONTAINS: GARDE-MOI - JE L'SAVAIS - 13 ANS - LE TANGO A CARREAUX - MOM AND DAD. 

FACE B CONTAINS: L'ETE PASSE - LE LETHE - RHAPOSODIE POUR VICTOR - LARME - PETROLEUM.

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HEY LARRY, YOU STILL HANGING AROUND WAY DOWN HERE? WELL SINCE IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO TONITE SIMPLY CHECK OUT MY OTHER FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND, LARRY "WILD MAN" FISCHER , ALICE COOPER , STEVE VAI PLUS MORE FRANK ZAPPA / CAPTAIN BEEFHEART RELATED ARTISTS AND GROUPS THAN YEZ CAN SHAKE YER STICK AT AND AS IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH I'VE ADDED SOME COOL PSYCHEDELIC / HARD ROCK ARTISTS FOR YOUR DANCING AND DINING PLEASURE SUCH AS: CAPTAIN BEYOND, KING CRIMSON. JETHRO TULL, JIMI HENDRIX, PINK FLOYD, THE TUBES, BULL ANGUS, BLUE CHEER WITH THE LEGENDARY DICKIE PETERSON,TIM BUCKLEY, MOUNTAIN WITH THE PORTLY LESLIE WEST AND THE EXTREMELY COOL FELIX PAPPAPARDI AND MANY OTHERS IN MY E-BAY STORE: SIR RICHARD PUMP A LOAF'S BAKERY WHERE THE BUNS ARE ALWAYS HOT AND THE MUFFINS JUST MIGHT BE PERSUADED INTO REMOVING THEIR ROSETTAS FOR A GEEZER. THE ADMISSION REMAINS ABSOLUTELY FREE. . SO WADDA YEZ WAITIN' FOR, HUH?