Gary Lewis and the Playboys “Listen” and “New Directions”

While these two albums will probably not be featured in Mojo anytime soon, they are very good unsung sixties soft-pop albums with that unmistakable and straightforward Gary Lewis voice (that you either enjoy or makes you cringe) encased in some vibrant and lush embellishments--resulting in the most listenable long players of his career. The visionary arrangement of Jack Nitzsche takes these songs into depths and realms beyond the standard pop buoys to make “Listen” Gary’s "Save for a Rainy Day."  Case in point, “Listen,” arguably offers his most ambitious song “Jill,” which still floats up like a yellow balloon with its climbing vocals--long after his records have been dumped overboard by the ex-teeny boppers under the misguided concept of relevancy and rolled off the gang plank by most critics. “New Directions” includes songs from Tim Hardin and Bonner/Gordon (songwriters for the Turtles, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Mojo Men and Gandalf), which contribute to widening Gary’s breadth and scope. Never really promoted because of thee son’s tour of duty in Vietnam, New Directions is teeming with should have been hits like the bass-anchored “New in Town” and “Let’s Be More Than Friends” which sunbursts so optimistically during such a dark and tumultuous time in his life and this country.