Black Rose (J. D. Souther album)

Black Rose
Studio album by J.D. Souther
Released	1976
Genre	Rock
Label	Asylum
Producer	Peter Asher
J.D. Souther chronology
John David Souther (1972) Black Rose (1976) You're Only Lonely (1979)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Black Rose is the second album by American singer-songwriter J.D. Souther, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music).

In a review of the album for Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden wrote, "John David Souther’s second solo album benefits from a beautiful, all-star Peter Asher production. More sophisticated than either his first album or the two Souther-Hillman-Furay albums, Black Rose underscores Souther’s melodic writing, his strongest point, with some genuinely innovative arrangements by David Campbell, the classically trained musician who scored “Prisoner in Disguise” for Linda Ronstadt. “Silver Blue,” much of which Campbell has scored as a duet for voice and plucked double pass and violas, is a starkly arresting production, while setting “Faithless Love” into a semiformal piece for voice, acoustic guitar and chamber ensemble transforms a prettier-than-average country-rock ballad into an eloquent one. “Doors Swing Open,” a complex tune based on ninth and minor sixth chords, boasts an elegantly lush arrangement that both gives it shape and highlights its lovely chromaticism."^[1] "Midnight Prowl" was a minor hit in Boston in 1976.

Track listing

All songs by J.D. Souther.

1. "Banging My Head Against the Moon" – 3:41
2. "If You Have Crying Eyes" – 5:05
3. "Your Turn Now" – 3:48
4. "Faithless Love" – 3:33
5. "Baby Come Home" – 3:47
6. "Simple Man, Simple Dream" – 1:49
7. "Silver Blue" – 4:15
8. "Midnight Prowl" – 5:09
9. "Doors Swing Open" – 4:42
10. "Black Rose" – 3:56

Personnel

• J.D. Souther – acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar, vocals, background vocals
• Peter Asher – percussion, piano, electric piano, vocals, background vocals, cabasa, shaker
• Jimmy Bond – bass
• Michael Botts – drums
• Donald Byrd – flugelhorn, horn
• David Campbell – arranger, conductor, viola
• Stanley Clarke – bass, double bass
• Ronald Cooper – cello
• David Crosby – vocals, background vocals
• Vincent DeRosa – horn, french horn
• Ned Doheny – guitar, background vocals
• Chuck Domanico – bass
• Robert Dubow – violin
• David Duke – horn, French horn
• Earl Dumler – flute, oboe
• James Dunham – viola
• Kenny Edwards – bass
• Glenn Frey – guitar, electric guitar, electric piano, background vocals
• Art Garfunkel – vocals, background vocals
• Lowell George – guitar, slide guitar (on "Midnight Prowl")
• Andrew Gold – guitar, piano, electric guitar, keyboards, tambourine, vocals, background vocals
• Pamela Goldsmith – viola
• John Guerin – drums
• Don Henley – vocals, background vocals
• Dennis Karmazyn – cello
• Ray Kelly – cello
• Jim Keltner – drums
• Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar – guitar, electric guitar
• Russ Kunkel – drums
• Kathleen Lenski – violin
• Don Menza – flute
• Roy Poper – flugelhorn, horn, French horn
• Linda Ronstadt – vocals, background vocals, harmony vocals, gut string guitar
• Sheldon Sanov – violin
• Harry Shlutz – cello
• Haim Shtrum – violin
• Paul Stallworth – bas
• Charles Veal – violin
• Waddy Wachtel – electric guitar
• Joe Walsh – guitar, slide guitar
• John Wittenberg – violin^[2]

Production

• Producer: Peter Asher
• Engineers: Val Garay, Greg Ladanyi
• Mastering: Doug Sax
• Arranger: David Campbell
• Direction: Elliot Roberts
• Art Direction: Jimmy Wachtel
• Design: Jimmy Wachtel
• Photography: Lorrie Sullivan

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

References