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Ditto the review by J. Wade.
I would like to add that there is only one Bobbie Gentry album left which Raven has not released, but it is a duet record, made with Glen Campbell. It is the fourth album, between 1968's LOCAL GENTRY and TOUCH 'EM WITH LOVE, from 1969.
This last pairing is fascinating for displaying Bobbie's artistic evolution in one big jump from her first to her fifth record. Although I do see some parallels on TOUCH with DUSTY IN MEMPHIS (the inclusion of Bobbie's version of "Son Of A Preacher Man" invites comparison), the overall quality of this record is rougher and swampier. Unlike Dusty, Bobbie was a real Southerner by birth. MEMPHIS is a polished, sophisticated and reverential homage, whereas Gentry's work is flavored by its authenticity. ODE was and is a startling and unique creation, as were Bobbie's second and third albums. But the stylistic approaches and song selection of these two Bobbie Gentry albums are quite different, which is why their coupling is so interesting. For one thing, the covers outnumber the originals on TOUCH, whereas Gentry's debut contains but one cover. Other differences include a cohesive, vividly individualistic quality on ODE, and more of a pastiche approach on TOUCH. The guitar rhythms on the first album are mostly based on the same figure, which counts toward a unified feel and consistency of mood, even between the fast and slow songs. TOUCH seems to have been a bid for greater commercial appeal, with "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" becoming a huge hit in England as proof of its success. Gentry's followup album, FANCY, would continue in this same vein, but its title song, Gentry's own, harkens back to "Ode To Billie Joe," as it is a "story song" concerning rural people. Gentry's final album, PATCHWORK, would return Bobbie Gentry to her beginnings, being almost entirely self-penned and conceptual, rather than just a collection of songs. PATCHWORK's atmosphere was similar to ODE's, but its instrumentation was broader, as on TOUCH 'EM WITH LOVE, an album which can therefore be viewed as a transitional work.
Bobbie Gentry's evolving career never caught fire with the general public, once the frenzy over the hit single, "Ode To Billie Joe" died down, and that's a pity. After seven albums and a handful of singles, Gentry packed it in. What she left, however, was a singular body of work that withstands the test of time, perhaps even gaining some luster for its author's mysterious disappearing act. Her like will never be seen again. I recommend all three of Raven's Bobbie Gentry "twofers," and am also thankful for the bonus tracks they each contain.
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