On My Side
By The Cowsills
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Track listing
- A1 On My Side
- A2 Once There Was a Time
- A3 If You Can't Have It - Knock It
- A4 Contact Mae
- A5 Can You Love?
- A6 The Mystery of Life
- B1 Heather Says
- B2 There Is a Child
- B3 Dover Mine
- B4 Cheatin' on Me
- B5 Down on the Farm
- B6 Good Ole Rock & Roll Song
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
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3 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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On My Side [p]
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On My Side 33 rpm
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On My Side (Expanded) Bonus Tracks, Remastered
4 Reviews
Released in 1971, this was their last record until 1998's Global although they did record an album called Cocaine Drain in 1978 but that never saw the light of day until 2008. It's much in the same vein as IIxII with the band conciously shedding their old family pop band image to provide a record of mature psych tinged folk rock. It has that nice, hazy Californian vibe to it and is very well written. Very Beatles-esque in spots too. It's their best material until the B side, which features songs that don't match the style or quality of the other side. Overall, it balances out to a good effort.
Published
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The Cowsills, by this point, have completely thrown off their gee-whiz family-band image, and now finally get to make Cool Music. And what they make is... one of those early 70s records, you know? It's kind of hard rock, it's kind of psych, it's kind of folk, it's kind of country, it's even a little tiny bit prog, it's very California. Buffalo Springfield is the gold standard for this kind of thing, and the Cowsills have joined the ranks of bands who want to be them.
And, like... the thing that has always held the 'Sills back is that there just never was a genius songwriter in the band. So they can't managed Neil Young here--but they can just about get to the level of Stephen Stills, and hey, that's pretty good! As is this album. Side A is mostly rockers, Side B is mostly folk songs, and all of them are good (except the dopey country songs "Cheatin' On Me" and "Down on the Farm"). Best tracks are the mellotron anthem "Can You Love?"--which is apparently a gay rights anthem, written after Bob Cowsill watched The Boys in the Band--and the super-creepy prog-folk number "Heather Says", with vocals by a now-eleven-year-old Susan.
And, like... the thing that has always held the 'Sills back is that there just never was a genius songwriter in the band. So they can't managed Neil Young here--but they can just about get to the level of Stephen Stills, and hey, that's pretty good! As is this album. Side A is mostly rockers, Side B is mostly folk songs, and all of them are good (except the dopey country songs "Cheatin' On Me" and "Down on the Farm"). Best tracks are the mellotron anthem "Can You Love?"--which is apparently a gay rights anthem, written after Bob Cowsill watched The Boys in the Band--and the super-creepy prog-folk number "Heather Says", with vocals by a now-eleven-year-old Susan.
Published
Half a great album. A-side is wall to wall great songs with great harmonies - one can easily see this band as the one that went on to make "Cocaine Drain". B-side unfortunately gets bogged down in dumb genre exercises, though "Heather Says" and "Dover Mine" are both up to the par of the A-side songs. Well, at least this doesn't close with a gorgeous paean to their abuser like the last one did.
Underheard.
Underheard.
Published
Probably my favorite release by these guys, this one follows in the less commercial orientation of it's predecessor, though with not as dark mat'l. How refreshing to hear them without the overproduction of their earlier albums. Decent pop doesn't need all of that crap! Grades - 4 B-'s, 5 C+'s, and a C.
Published
PS 587 Vinyl LP (1971)
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Catalog
27 Sep 2023
24 Apr 2023
14 Apr 2023
-
A1
On My Side
-
A2
Once There Was a Time
-
A3
If You Can't Have It - Knock It
-
A4
Contact Mae
-
A5
Can You Love?
-
A6
The Mystery of Life
-
B1
Heather Says
-
B2
There Is a Child
-
B3
Dover Mine
-
B4
Cheatin' on Me
-
B5
Down on the Farm
-
B6
Good Ole Rock & Roll Song
10 Mar 2023
27 Nov 2022
17 Nov 2022
1 Dec 2021
16 Oct 2021
6 Oct 2021
19 Sep 2021
25 Mar 2021
28 Aug 2020
29 Jul 2020
3 Jul 2020
-
A1
On My Side
-
A2
Once There Was a Time
-
A3
If You Can't Have It - Knock It
-
A4
Contact Mae
-
A5
Can You Love?
-
A6
The Mystery of Life
-
B1
Heather Says
-
B2
There Is a Child
-
B3
Dover Mine
-
B4
Cheatin' on Me
-
B5
Down on the Farm
-
B6
Good Ole Rock & Roll Song
10 Apr 2020
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