The Brothers Four Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
The Brothers Four's Merry Christmas may be a little predictable -- anyone familiar with their work will know that this record will sound exactly like their other albums, only with holiday tunes -- but that it isn't a bad thing. The quartet has an engaging, pleasant sound which is ideal for good background music, and Merry Christmas -- which consists almost entirely of standards and contemporary classics -- would work well at low-key holiday parties or gatherings. It's not a remarkable record, but it's an enjoyable one nonetheless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'The Honey Wind Blows'
Release Date 1/1/1965
Tracks 12
Label Columbia
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Honey Wind Blows (1965) is a rather unabashed attempt by the Brothers Four to avail themselves of the new horizons in pop music. The effects of radical protest and message-oriented folk-rock -- not to mention the British Invasion -- were beginning to take their toll on the Brothers' decidedly passive material. Collectively, Bob Flick (upright bass/baritone vocal), John Paine (guitar/baritone vocal), Mike Kirkland (guitar/banjo/tenor vocal), and Dick Foley (guitar/baritone vocal) developed a sizable following for their revisions of traditional tunes and interpretations of concurrently popular songs. Despite the Animals' distinct rendition of "House of the Rising Son," the Brothers retain the blues-infused folk spirit of Woody Guthrie or Josh White and the Weavers, yet the upbeat cadence is undeniably influenced by the more modern remakes. The Brothers' cheery jangle on Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" makes their ersatz interpretation irrelevant when contrasted to the composer's own stark rendering or the Byrds' definitive fusion with electric rock & roll. Conversely, there is placidity and striking poignancy to the Brothers' intimate reading of the ballad "Somewhere" from West Side Story. Moving from the stage to the silver screen, as the New Christy Minstrels had successfully adapted "Chim Chim-Cher-ee" from the film Mary Poppins (1964), the Brothers actually one-up the Minstrels with a stunningly affective take of "Feed the Birds." However, those entries are deflated by throwaways such as the vaudevillian nature of "Lazy Harry's." While the spoken word introduction lovingly recalls a Laurel & Hardy sketch, its overall relevancy and tolerability is less than impressive. Similarly, Woody Guthrie's infectiously fun "Cleano" comes off as drivel when juxtaposed with the conspicuous anti-war sentiment of "Little Play Soldiers" -- especially in light of America's increased involvement in Vietnam circa 1965. Interested parties should note that Collectors' Choice Music has issued Honey Wind Blows with their preceding long-player Brothers Four Sing of Our Times (1964) on a single CD. The disc also adds a never-before-available stereo mix of the Brothers' "Hootenanny Saturday Night" -- which was used as the theme to ABC-TV's short-lived Hootenanny musical/variety show. Although a core audience remained for the Brothers Four, their innocuous vibe would quickly become replaced by amplified roots and rock from both sides of the Atlantic. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'The Brothers Four Sing of Our Times'
Release Date 1/1/1964
Tracks 12
Label CBS
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Brothers Four -- Bob Flick (upright bass/baritone vocal), John Paine (guitar/baritone vocal), Mike Kirkland (guitar/banjo/tenor vocal) and Dick Foley (guitar/baritone vocal) -- had already established themselves with a string of well-received (although not exactly hit) albums beginning with their debut Rally 'Round the Brothers Four (1960). A steady diet of cross-country personal appearances and consistently new product kept the Brothers in the public eye. They reached a zenith of popularity in 1963 when ABC-TV used their song "Hootenanny Saturday Night" as the theme to Hootenanny, a short-lived music/variety show. Nearly a dozen long-players later, the quartet continued to produce an All-American, if not overtly acquiescent blend of traditional vocal harmonies, creating a cross between the Kingston Trio and the Four Freshmen. As the title intimates, The Brothers Four Sing of Our Times (1964) is a step toward the slightly edgier and socially conscious derivation that folk had taken in the mid-'60s. Also reflected, though to a lesser extent, is evidence of the British Invasion that was practically hijacking all other forms of popular music. Decidedly more apparent was the impact that Bob Dylan -- the Brothers' Columbia Records labelmate -- was having with protest and politically-charged messages. The Brothers' remake of Dylan's "Long Ago, Far Away" is incongruous as their high-energy, almost unnervingly chipper delivery seemingly downplays the seriousness of the inherent message. Conversely, their empathetic interpretation of "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" stands as one of the finest offerings on the platter. To a similar degree, the stirring Lee Hays-penned "Seven Daffodils" and Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds" are timeless ballads given properly thoughtful and effective renderings. Additional covers of note include the Shel Silverstein tongue-in-cheek talkin' blues "Beans Taste Fine," Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller's equally humorous tall-tale "Monkey and the Engineer" and Albert Wood's frolicking "Dance Me a Jig," rivalling the arguably more familiar New Christy Minstrels' version. In 2003, Collectors' Choice Music coupled Brothers Four Sing of Our Times with Honey Wind Blows (1965) on compact disc with the aforementioned single-only "Hootenanny Saturday Night," which has never been available before in stereo. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Released well into the quartet's history, The Big Folk Hits is a lively, pleasing collection of the Brothers Four's versions of other artists' folk hits -- covers of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," "500 Miles," "Walk Right In," "El Paso," "If I Had a Hammer," etc. The mix of delicacy and exuberance with which they approach the music makes this a worthwhile album for fans of the group, and it's difficult to complain about any record that puts the group's four voices in the service of a dozen beautiful songs, even if the same concept ensures that there are no real surprises. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Arguably the quartet's best studio album, B.M.O.C. offers a rich selection of material, from traditional folk songs to '30s blues ("St. James Infirmary") and then-current country songs ("(Ghost) Riders in the Sky"), all sung in a serious and restrained style. The difference between this and the group's earlier albums is that, as individuals, the members all show a greater depth in their understanding of the songs on B.M.O.C., feeling the lyrics as well as singing them well. Thus, even the movie song "The Green Leaves of Summer" (from the movie The Alamo) is presented with a great deal of emotion that was missing from earlier work by the group, and "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Little Bird" is offered with a fervor and immediacy (and some nice flourishes on the guitars and banjo) that characterized the folk revival at its best. The title, incidentally, is a play on a phrase that would have been well-known in 1961 (though it dates from at least the 1920s) but is utterly forgotten today -- B.M.O.C. meant "Big Man On Campus," a reference usually applied to a male undergraduate of some renown, usually in sports. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As folk revival albums go, this one is tame but very upbeat and well sung, treading a fine line midway between the Kingston Trio and Mitch Miller & the Gang. Side one shows a strong calypso and Carribean influence, and also offers a pair of novelty-style tunes, while side two is weighted more toward traditional American folk material. That material is more beguiling and playful, and serves as a beautiful showcase for the quartet's harmony singing -- rousing, straightforward vocalizing on "Hard Travelin'" (which seems like the template for the New Christy Minstrels' sound) and the melodic sea shanty "Eddystone Light," the gorgeous multi-layered arrangement of "Darlin', Won't You Wait," and the moody chart hit "Greenfields." It's all nicely sung and produced in a restrained style that makes inventive but unobtrusive use of stereo separation. The album seems tame and predictable today but, in 1960, this was what folk music was in the minds of most listeners, and this isn't a bad example of the form. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
