Shawn Phillips Reviewer: shiloh
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Shawn Phillips is one
of those legends that had been swept up in mystery,
disappeared under the cloak of the sixties, or stripped of
acknowledgement due to dirty management and contracts. Such is
the case with the twelve-string acoustic genius, Shawn
Phillips, one time flat partner with Tim Hardin, who played
the Indian sitar for Donovan on “Sunshine Superman” and
exquisite “Three Kingfishers”. At the age of twenty Shawn
moved to London and became known as a prolific writer,
musician, and vocalist. Not only did he tutor Joni Mitchell at
a very young age, but also this Texas born folk musician was a
regular at the Bleecker / McDougal folk clubs of the early
sixties. Shawn’s vox had reached cathedral level and Andrew
Lloyd Webber handpicked the minstrel to lend his god-gifted
voice to the controversial Jesus Christ Superstar, but Shawn
opted for an Italian sabbatical and was displaced by Ian
Gillian of Deep Purple. The poetry of this troubadour is much
to be admired and his many years of solace in Italy brought
forth some of the most inspiring love ballads to appropriate
the early seventies. It’s a hidden secret fact that he
actually featured on the Sgt. Pepper’s album (“Lovely Rita”)
as a backup vocalist for the Beatles. Shawn’s first song he
wrote “Death Train” reflected the legends of past folklore, a
scenario that would enhance his dimensional future. The early
albums I’m A Loner and Impressions were set in the woody
confines of his Greenwich roots with deliberate versions of
Hamilton Camp’s “Pride Of Man” and Coltrane’s “My Favourite
Things” first heard from the We Five. Shawn also wrote the
Hans Christian Anderson child rhyming “Little Tin Soldier”
which came to light with the noble Donovan plus co -penning
the jazzy “Season of the Witch”. Shawn’s sitar is mystically
seasoned on “Sunny South Kensington” and the full version of
“Sunshine Superman”. George Harrison received his first sitar
lessons from Shawn. Shawn appeared as a folk singer in the
1965 film Run With the Wind and worked extensively with Steve
Winwood, Mick Weaver and Chris Woods during his A&M
contract. The 1972 German film The Pied Piper and Franco
Zeffirelli’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon also featured Shawns’
twelve- string behind Donovan’s tender vox. Well, at least one
aspiring musician recognised his ability, that being Zoot
Money (Big Roll Band). In fact, Zoot covered one of Shawn’s
classics “Look at You Now” which came to surface on a live
album, while further afield Shawn played and sang on Wynder K
Frog’s third album Into The Fire. Mr Phillips nobly applied
most of the crystal twelve strings behind Donovan’s eclectic
“Summer Day Reflection Song”. To describe the music of Shawn
Phillips one would have to be somewhat cautious and the best
description to portray his eclectic style would be progressive
folk. Quite honestly his vocal and guitar ability would have
made him easy prey for the likes of Genesis, the ultimate
replacement for twelve-string guitarist, Anthony Phillips(
Kindred spirit, surname with twelve-string virtuosi).
Quartermass pianist, Peter Robinson, immaculately manipulated
most of the keyboard work on Shawn’s compositions. With
eighteen prestigious albums under his belt Shawn can look back
to his early days with a sense of satisfaction. A worthy
introspection of Contribution with the stellar “L Ballade” and
understated support from Mick Weaver and Eric Clapton showed
promise of greater things to come. Collaboration, (1973)
Faces, (1974) and the 1971 Second Contribution brings eternal
joy. Shawn’s genteel approach was magnificently enhanced by
the string arrangements of Paul Buckmaster. Shawn Phillips’
epic 1972 Second Contribution released some of the finest
acoustic and high vocal soprano of the time. The album is a
spiritual manifestation of harmonics fused with Gregorian
tones and layers of twelve-string guitar. The angelic “Ballad
of Casey Deiss” will long be remembered for the harmonic
soprano and heightened level to which Shawn could reach. Shawn
was a brilliant songwriter who fused electric and acoustic,
creating a spectrum of colours. Not only could he perform live
with no overdubs, but also the mastery of his twelve-string
came forth as intricately as the finesse of Da Vince. Shawn’s
“She was waiting for her mother at the station in Torino, and
you know I love you baby but it’s getting too heavy to Laugh”,
evokes a Christ like atonement, as it shivers through one’s
being, poignant splendour, and his ultimate magna opus. The
1973 Faces, an apt description of the varied styles that
travelled through the album, is very much an about turn for
Shawn Phillips. The session recruitment was an all-star
employment comprising of America’s shadow bass man Leland
Sklar, Sneaky Pete on the steel guitar and Joe Sample on the
piano. Flute was normally blown by Johnny Almond, John
Mayall’s Turning Point star. Shawn picks up the sitar on the
isolated “Chorale”, which paints stellar moments, reflective
of his nature and spiritual state. The ultimate octave is
delivered on his exquisite 13min introspection “Parisian
Plight 11”. “The Plight” was enhanced by Juicy Lucy steel
guitarist Glen Campbell, Traffic roadster Steve Winwood, and
Keef Hartley’s primal wind force Henry Lowther & Chris
Mercer. In hindsight the album has many faces each with its
own expression. Shawn’s 1974 Furthermore release has ex Big
Three / Quartermass bassist John Gustafson ploughing into the
progressive intro “January First”. It is here that you realize
that Shawn was far from folk, but more in the jazzy confines
of intricate Progressive Rock. As if to pacify the mayhem
Shawn paints his brushes through the tranquil “Starbright”
with Peter Robinson etching the canvass with his rippling
keyboards while ex Blue Mink Anne Odell bends the mellotron on
this choral stargazer. Shawn once told me on a 10min radio
interview that Furthermore was his absolute assault and
creation. The album also boasts the ethereal cello of Paul
Buckmaster, a master arranger of note. This album has
dimension beyond the shifting sands of Camel or Caravan such
as the spacey “Cape’ Barras” airlifting Shawn’s yodel vox.
Shawn recruited phase axe innovator Caleb Quaye for the guitar
inquisitions that sprouted out of “Ninety Two Years” and
“Talking In The Garden”.Perhaps the most moistening
deliverance saddles the infectious “Breakthrough”, a master in
it’s own reflection. Each of Shawn’s albums has a dazzling gem
that often blinds the listener, namely Collaborations that
gave us the stirring “Moonshine” and “Spring Wind” while
Furthermore, shimmered through “Talking in the Garden”, and
then there was Bright White and the underrated Rumpelstiltskin
Resolve. Get them all before it’s too late. Shawn Phillips
recently settled in South Africa.
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