If You Go Away : The RCA Years 1965-1970

With ears firmly on the pulse of the collector and hardcore enthusiast, the German-based Bear Family Records has gathered seven CDs worth of material from lyricist, vocalist and spoken word artist Rod McKuen's mid- to late-'60s stint on RCA Records. The albums covered on If You Go Away: The RCA Years 1965 -- 1970 (2007) are Rod McKuen Sings His Own (1965), The Loner (1966), Other Kids of Songs (1966), Through European Windows (1967), Listen to the Warm (1967), and The Single Man (1968) -- all of which had largely been out of print in North America for decades at the time of this box set's release. However that is a mere fraction of the contents as there is an overwhelming 111 -- of the 195 selections -- that have never been available before. That category would include a host of McKuen's demos -- that were meant not only for himself but for other artists -- alternate takes and unissued songs. The package likewise draws upon duets and other similar associations with McKuen's contemporaries Glenn Yarbrough, Don Ho, Anita Kerr, Chet Atkins, Henry Mancini, and Nelson Riddle, many of whom were also on RCA Records' roster. After a variety of careers that embodied the American spirit -- ranging from lumberjack and ranch hand to rodeo cowboy and even Beat poet, McKuen had already become a luminous figure both in his native United States and in France. It was there that the artist began working with Jacques Brel, translating his lyrics into English. When Stateside, McKuen would hold court in a variety of settings, as a narrator, singer, but most of all as a poet. Hardcore enthusiasts are the obvious and primary audience for this mammoth box set. And while they will undoubtedly have their respective favorites, standouts are the author's own interpretations of "If You Go Away," "The World I Used to Know," "A Cat Named Sloopy," "I'm Strong But I Like Roses," and of course "Seasons in the Sun." The over two-dozen selections on the seventh disc -- which is subtitled "I'll Catch the Sun" -- may provide the greatest cache of rarities. Of particular note is the military parody "Soldiers Who Want to Be Heroes," an instrumental with Henry Mancini titled "Portuguese Bend," several tracks recorded live at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, namely "Children One and All" and "Things Bright and Beautiful" (Live at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium), and the Chet Atkins collaborative demos for "I Never Will Marry" and "River, River." Accompanying the CDs is a 12" hardcover book. Inside the 101 pages are essays by producer/compiler Todd Everett, song-by-song annotations from McKuen himself, and in excess of 200 photographs and reproduced pieces of vintage memorabilia -- some of which has never been published before. ~ Lindsay Planer