Nancy & Lee Again

Albumbeschreibung

From the outset, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood were a match made in heaven. Their pop hit These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (1966) was so huge that it occasionally overshadows their other incredible creations, such as Jackson, Sand, Summer Wine and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin’ (songs which would later feature on Nancy & Lee, the incredible album that brought together the brilliant Oklahoma producer and Frank Sinatra’s daughter). It was a winning combination: his baritone voice that mixed rock, country, jazz, pop and easy listening, and her sexy, wide-ranging vocals, full of charisma. However, the duo’s momentum was cut short when Hazelwood suddenly moved to Sweden without explanation… When the pair finally returned to the studio in 1972, the world had moved on; nobody was expecting anything from them anymore. The charts were now obsessed with electronic sounds, making Lee Hazelwood’s baroque-esque symphonies seem out of touch, even antiquated. Despite this, Nancy & Lee Again (finally reissued and remastered by the label Light in the Attic) remains a masterpiece that desperately deserves to be (re)discovered. It’s got all the duo’s signature sounds; they’re just more luxurious, more spectacular and more dramatic. This reissue is proof that more really is more! From the opening track Arkansas Coal, Hazlewood creates a stunning cinematographic setting with meticulous and fascinating arrangements. Even the lyrics display real ambition, tackling the suffering of single mothers (the beautiful cover of Dolly Parton’s masterpiece, Down From Dover), and the uneasiness felt by veterans of the Vietnam War, which was still raging at the time of the initial release (Congratulations). With its magnificent orchestral arrangements featuring Larry Muhoberac (a member of Elvis Presley’s band TCB, who also worked with Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Lalo Schifrin) and Clark Gassman (who worked with Hazlewood on the 1970 album Cowboy in Sweden), Nancy & Lee Again will age like fine wine. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz