Roger Nichols & the Small Circle of Friends
Rev-ola
2005 (Reissue) / 1968 (Original)
Rating: 7.5 coconut queens out of 10
A classic album reissued by the UK reissue kings, Rev-ola, this is California pop at it’s finest. Roger Nichols is probably best known as a songwriter, having penned numerous hits for the Carpenters and a few other performers…but he also performed songs as well. Originally released in 1968, this record teams up Nichols with fellow songwriter Tony Asher (who worked with Brian Wilson on the legendary Pet Sounds, this album coming just after that one), and it’s just as good as you might expect given the pedigree of those involved. Nichols had Murray and Melinda MacLeod help him in performing these melodies, and the ensuing result is some of the best harmonious sunshine pop/easy listening I’ve heard in a quite some time. Van Dyke Parks and Randy Newman also had a hand in this album, as if you need more pop legends mixed into this bag. A lost gem, sure, but highly worth checking out.
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