The End of The Beginning

Freebo is probably best known as the bassist with Bonnie Raitt. In the sleeve notes to this CD he claims to have been influenced by rock 'n' roll, blues, country, jazz, rhythm 'n'blues, classical, Dixieland John Philip Sousa marches, folk, reggae and religious music. So what didn't influence him? Irish music, I guess!

Sadly, this wide ranging mix renders this album confusing at best. John Philip Sousa's ghost, for example, blunders its way through an otherwise cool blues 'Yogi'. No, not 'Yoga' - this is a song dedicated to Yogi Bear, though that's still preferable to 'She's My D.O.G' which, yep, is dedicated to Freebo's dog and ends with what must be one of the greatest lines in the history of rock: "I love you, Garbo, yes I do." Underneath this line on the sleeve is a picture of Garbo, the dog. And she also gets a bark on the track!

'How Do I Say Goodbye' with a

delicious 'answering' vocal from Bonnie Raitt is much better. Freebo's own vocal also is beautifully paced. And the Booker T-like 'Looking Glass' and the jazzy 'It Comes From The Heart' are almost as good.

Maybe this does come from the heart but it's hardly essential listening.