"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you"
sayeth Jesus in Matthew 7:06. Singer/songwriter Tom Rapp may have taken
these words to heart on City of Gold, as the third Reprise album by Rapp
and Pearls Before Swine is divided into two parts. Side one of this project,
recorded in New York and Nashville in the fall of 1970, is credited to
Rapp, while Pearls Before Swine is the band on side two. The music here
is country-folk with sparse musicianship and vocals by Rapp, Elisabeth,
and David Noyes. Leonard Cohen's soaked-in-harpsichord "Nancy"
is a standout on side one, feeling longer than the close to five minutes
that it is, while opener "Sonnet No. 65" goes as quickly as
it comes, a collaboration between William Shakespeare and Rapp clocking
in at 41 seconds. "Once Upon a Time" is true underground country
with harmonica and horn battling it out under the bandleader's vocals.
"Raindrops" drips with pretty sadness, Elisabeth's voice the
answer to what sounds like it should be a soliloquy. The title track's
poignancy is interrupted by a gunshot sound effect, country-ish folk with
the songwriter's liner notes adding a bit more insight to his mindset
on this deep essay. Side two surprises with a very intelligent reading
of the Jacques Brel/Rod McKuen tune "Seasons in the Sun," which
hit for the Kingston Trio eight years before this version, and four years
later in 1974 for Terry Jacks. Elisabeth takes on Judy Collins' "My
Father," the movement of the instrumentation way behind the vocals.
Four Rapp originals conclude this wandering record, an up-tempo "The
Man" followed by a crawling folk-pop "Casablanca," the
mood shifting from side one's country to a more polished early-'70s FM
approach. "Wedding" is an interesting moment not sounding anything
like the other songs here, while "Did You Dream Of" saves the
best for last. City of Gold may not be the definitive Pearls Before Swine
album, but it is an interesting artifact worthy of a few spins.
(by Joe Viglione, All
Music Guide)
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