Michael Franks / My Father’s Place (1CDR)

1. Introduction ~ When The Cookie Jar Is Empty
2. Lady Wants To Know
3. Chain Reaction
4. When It's Over
5. Satisfaction Guaranteed
6. Eggplant
7. Sanpaku
8. Underneath The Apple Tree
9. Antonio's Song (The Rainbow)
10. Bass Solo ~ Monkey See-Monkey Do ~ Band Intro
11. Popsicle Toes ~ B'wana-He No Home

My Father's Place, Roslyn, NY, 21st March 1979

Michael Franks released "Sleeping Gypsy," an AOR masterpiece that dominated the world of pop and soft rock from the late 70s to the 80s, in 1977. This CD contains broadcast recordings from the tour following the release of "Tiger in the Rain" two years later. While he's well-known for his Latin-flavored AOR, he's perhaps best known as the original "skillfully clumsy" singer. Technically, there's certainly nothing particularly remarkable about him, but this strange calmness and sense of reassurance must have made him a unique presence among the jazz-fusion-leaning singer-songwriters of the time. His studio recordings featured young, now-famous musicians like Stuff, Steps, Brecker Bros, and Seawind—a truly impressive lineup in retrospect—and his sales were phenomenal. However, there don't seem to be many memorable live performances by him, making this recording quite rare. Aside from Bruno Carr on drums, there aren't any other famous musicians in this live recording, but this doesn't affect his presence at all. Listening to the second track, "Lady Wants to Know," always brings me a sense of relief. "The dad playing with the ashtray is Coltrane, the crying baby is Miles, yet she still needs a reason to part ways." But perhaps you don't need a reason to listen to his music. It brings a moment of peace.