Rhino Hi-Five: Fred Neil

All five tracks on this Rhino Hi-Five sampler EP derive from Fred Neil's debut solo album—1965's Bleecker & MacDougal on the Elektra label—when he was a hardscrabble folk and blues singer just starting the artistic leap he'd make upon signing with Capitol Records. (Try The Many Sides of Fred Neil). Neil had already recorded an album with Vince Martin and had been a major presence on the Greenwich Village folk scene when Bleecker & MacDougal summed up his influences. Here, "Little Bit of Rain" is the standout, a deeply emotive piece highlighted by a tremoloed electric guitar and Neil's most effective vocal. "The Other Side to This Life" would become an often-covered tune, receiving a variety of treatments from Jefferson Airplane, The Animals, and Frank Zappa, among many. Neil can also be heard here as a direct influence on Tim Buckley (who'd later make Neil's "The Dolphins" his own). Here, "Candy Man," "Sweet Mama," and "Blues on the Ceiling" deliver the blues with authority.