Paul Pena - Paul Pena (1971) (Korean Remaster, 2018)

Artist: Paul Pena
Title Of Album: Paul Pena
Year Of Release: 1971/2018
Label (Catalog#) : Big Pink [BIGPINK592]
Country: USA
Genre: Folk Blues Rock, Soul, Classic Rock
Quality: Flac (image + cue,log)
Bitrate: Lossless
Total Time: 00:40:06
Total Size: 304mb(+3%)(covers)

AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger
Paul Pena eventually became known as an unlikely virtuoso of Tuvan throat singing, especially after he was profiled in the documentary Genghis Blues. Yet in his prior musical lifetime, before literally finding a new voice, he was a soul-blues-rocker who managed to issue one self-titled LP in the early '70s. Paul Pena is a respectable album in that style, but it's a fairly ordinary journeyman effort, albeit without serious flaws. There's a little bit of an early-'70s folky singer/songwriter looseness à la Van Morrison involved as well, though occasionally he gets into a funky groove that was more explicitly Southern soul-influenced. Only "One for the Lonely" comes close to getting a really hooky blues-rock riff into the mix, however. Some of the other tracks have some modest pleasures as well, like the expansive organ of "Something to Make You Happy," which gives the brooding number a San Francisco acid rock tinge. The folk-bluesy "Lullaby" is another of the stronger tracks, with its galloping going-down-the-road feel and unexpected addition of steel guitar (by Jeff Baxter) and harp.

Tracklist
---------
1. Woke Up This Morning - 4:56
2. I'm Gonna Make It Alright - 4:13
3. The River - 6:08
4. One For The Lonely - 4:50
5. Something To Make You Happy - 7:07
6. My Adorable One (Ida Irral Berger, Clara Thompson) - 3:44
7. When I'm Gone - 4:37
8. Lullaby - 5:16

Personnel:
------
Paul Pena - Guitar, Keyboards, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals
Jesse Raye - Bass, Background Vocals
Jim Wilkins - Drums
Ed Costa - Keyboards, Background Vocals
Jeff Baxter - Steel Guitar
Jumma Santos - Congas, Maracas
Betsy Morse - Harp
Clarice Taylor - Background Vocals
Ellis Hall - Background Vocals
Gil Thomas - Background Vocals
Earl Frost - Background Vocals
Ronnie Ingraham Concert Choir - Background Vocals

All thanks to original releaser