Described as having a 100 megawatt smile, you can absolutely see why in the picture inside the sleeve with the picture taken alongside Jimmy Spheeris (killed senselessly in his 30’s) in the back of a camper van. Can I turn the clock back 30 years, but only in a minor way (none of us can condone what went on in those days), and just say how stunningly beautiful this lady was, only matched by some of the compositions on here.
By being around the San Francisco music scene in the late 60’s and hanging out with Jackson Browne; Pamela Polland and Jim Fielder (Blood Sweat and Tears) amongst other it is no surprise there is a hippy aspect to this LP at times. But to me, the highlights are the stripped down songs featuring Kathy, little more than a guitar, and her mesmerising voice. It is a mystery as to why she only released 2 LP’s but take advantage of this one as there are some classy numbers on here.
The Pamela Polland tracks, especially ‘If I could touch you’, alongside ‘What Nancy knows’ and the two acoustic based tracks in the middle of Side 2 show off Kathy’s vocal excellence to the fore. Flawless can only begin to describe her vocal talent.
A little hippy, very folksy, very San Franciscan of that era, this LP has depth and meaning and should have heralded a talent which, with direction and backing, would have given us so much more in the years ahead. Sadly this is a small snapshot of what maybe could have been. On saying that, and knowing nothing about the artist, maybe the spirit of free enterprise from the west coast in that era lives on as it was meant to be. Commercialism sucks, long live artistry and freedom.
Wherever you are Kathy, you left a proud legacy behind.
