Bob Brown - The Wall I Built Myself (1970) [Reissue 2010]

Bob Brown's first LP was not completely overlooked the first time around. As a protege to Richie Havens during the peak of his career, he was able to connect with an audience eager for the dreamy, open-hearted melancholia he perfected on The Wall I Built Myself. The album sold well, but not well enough to permanently fix it in the memories of Brown's own generation. On the other hand, it isn't nearly rare enough to attract the fetishism of the collector's culture. Slowly this is changing, as music lovers identify with his potent voice which calls to mind Tim Hardin, and the discipline and vision which calls to mind Tim Buckley. Luckily, he managed to escape their shared fate and speak with us today about his journey. (Rob Sevier, Numero Group)