Together Alone single released Oct.1972-Neighborhood

Unknown Source:
Together Alone (Neighborhood NRA 4207). I've probably mentioned it before but one of my most enduring memories is of the day when, lying a bed with jaundice, I was entertained for an hour by young Melanie. She sat on the end of my bed and sang and played with as much power and intensity as she would if she were playing for ten of thousands. In fact the power and intensity were such that I was a little embarrassed, although grateful and touched, because l didn't really know how to react. It would have been absurd to have applauded and shouted "more, more" so I sat and nodded and blushed beneath my hideous yellow skin. For this reason I've been happy to watch Melanie's rise to super-stardom while retaining misgivings about her music.

Much of what she has done before has been too twee, too "instant," for my personal taste. However this single seems to bring us a woman to replace the little girl and I like that a lot better. It's the first release here from Melanie's own label and the actual label itself is so colourful you're going to have trouble sorting out information from the waves of greens, reds yellows and purples. It looks nice revolving on the turntable-and sounds nice too.

The song itself is wistful but optimistic, telling of the joys of growing up and together with someone else. The colours of life shift from bright to pastel and this is depicted with strings, added voices and a very strong production. The record develops with a gradual increase in the power and numbers of the backing forces. Melanie gets quite soulful and the backing ladies wail away to great effect. There are as is the convention in such records, odd little harmonica lics to depict loneliness and isolation. It's a good record, a mature record. I hope it does well "We're believers, hurt by believing," Melanie - I know just how you feel.


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