Charlie Louvin — Less & less & I don't Love You anymore/ Lonesome i
Charlie started off his musical life way back in 1956 as one half of the successful American roots,country & close harmony duo the Louvin Brothers with his brother Ira, the pair released together nine records between 1956 to 1963 . Less & Less & I don’t Love You Any More came about a year after the duo had split up and shows Charlie going for a lot more Nashville meets 60’s pop sound than often the smooth bluegrassed albums of the Louvin Brothers sound. The album features 12 tracks of memorable yet bitter sweet country music with a fairly simplistic yet effective backing of strolling to buoyant acoustic and mellowed twanging electric guitar; western bar room piano and of course Charlie’s often warbling yet earthy country singing. The tracks are all kept fairly upbeat and never get too gloomy or slow with the bands drummer keeping a fairly constant rhythm running through the songs; all told a very pleasing and worthwhile collection of 60’s country pop.
Lonesome Is Me followed two years later and saw Charlie’s sound become even more 60’s pop atmospheric guitar based- through still keeping country in the songs hearts. The album featured another 12 tracks with a slightly dense and dramatic production in place with a fairly heavy uses of deep male harmony backing and a Charlie's vocals often having added on a fair bit of echo effect. It’s all enjoyable enough though the tracks don’t really come across as memorable or likable as his first album; it seems he’s concentrating too much on production values and harmony backings and too little on writing good honest good country pop songs. Never the less it's interesting to see the progression in his sound between his first and second album & by no means is Lonesome is me a bad record; it just lacks the spark and charm of his first solo album
After been rather taken by Charlie Louvin recent gospel album I thought it time to check out some more of the great mans work and this reissue is a wonderful introduction to his early solo days. With the reissue booklet featuring a interesting write–up about Charlie’s early solo career and of course both albums, as well as full lyrics and reproductions of the original album covers.