DESCRIPTION:
A Lost Classic

Album Title : Aaron Lightman
Label: Poppy
Number : PSY 40,010
Year : 1969

Arranger: Dean Christopher.

Personnel: Sal DiTroia (classical guitar); Gene Bianco (harp); David Rothschild, Manny Green, Louis Stone, Gene Orloff, Irving Spice (violin); David Saxon (viola); George Ricci (cello); Joe Grimm, Irving Horowitz, Phil Bodner, George Berg, Léon Cohen, Romeo Penque (woodwinds); Joe DeAnglis (French horn); Al Rogers (drums).

Recording information: Bell Sound Studios, New York, NY

Review:
This rare album was originally issued on Poppy records, an independent label distributed by MGM and of which some artists became more known afterwards (like Townes Van Zandt) and who sometimes got offered contracts by labels like United artists. Aaron Lightman's record did not seem to have attracted such attention, while musically it offers something much more serious than the average hit single potency in songs, even when some of his songs could have easily been suggested as such.
The album hangs for the most part well together as a musical concept, combining songs to larger sections, and with nice variations of arrangements and orchestrations, sometimes filmic, sometimes poppier. It was produced by Ronald Frangipane & Dean Christopher. If the first one is Ron Fragipane, I should mention that he also produced albums from Melanie, Janes Ian, The Monkees, John Lennon, Dusty Springfield, Rolling Stones and many more artists, while also Dean Christopher was in demand, so their talents must have been noticed.
There is a certain range in the songs, which, with the arrangements, brought me Pearls Before Swineto mind on "Note For Me". Elsewhere the song is expressed with a certain light fantasy in the expressions, which could recall Donovan, although this sounds more serious, and still is American alternative pop. Even country is associated once, while the orchestrations bring this to some different world. A small fun chamber arrangement session near the end of the album distracts a bit, so that the last song accompanied only by a gypsy violin gives a slightly different than expected conclusion, slightly distracted and away from the ambitions of the musical concept.
An album that deserves recognition.