Kris Kristofferson Album: “Kristofferson”

Kristofferson's debut LP is particular interesting among those in his catalog - not just for being first, but for the circumstances surrounding its release. Not only is the album filled with gem perfect songs, but many of them were already on the charts or on their way (as hits for others) before the album was even released in 1970. Perhaps even more unusually, with Janis Joplin's version of "Me and Bobby McGee" heading up the chart the following year, this LP was retitled with the hit and reissued concurrently with his second LP, "The Silver Tongued Devil & I."

From day one, Kristofferson's impressive is idiosyncratic and personal, while at the same time, universal and convincingly voiced by others. A song like "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" lends itself equally to Kristofferson's interpretation and the hit single by Johnny Cash. Same for Sammi Smith's rendition of "Help Me Make it Through the Night" (not to mention the dozens of covers that followed), and Ray Price's career-defining interpretation of "For the Good Times." Kristofferson often sounds more weighed down and wearied by the songs - like a country version of folk poet Leonard Cohen. Many of these early songs are mood siblings to Cohen's work in the film "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," for example.

Few debut albums show off such masterful, fully-fashioned songwriting. Except for two co-writes ("Me and Bobby McGee" and "The Lady's Not For Sale") all sixteen tracks are solo works. The four previously unreleased bonus tracks sound to be from the same early era (the session info isn't given). "Come Sundown" was released later by Kristofferson on 1979's "Shake Hands with the Devil" (and eventually covered by the George Jones and Sammy Davis, Jr.). "The Lady's Not For Sale" was the title track of Rita Coolidge's 1972 LP, and "Shadows of Her Mind" was recorded by Ed Bruce in the early 80s. Kristofferson's original versions are all worth hearing, and make this debut just a notch sweeter.

Notes include the original liners from Johnny Cash and producer Fred Foster, and newly penned words from Foster, Billy Swan and Al Bianculli. The original and reissue cover art are both included.

Kris benefits more than anyone I know with the remastering of some of his recordings. The origional hits on this album sounded flat but now sound fresh and clean. This is not a greatest hits package of course, yet some of his early hits are included, eg, 'Help Me Make It Through The Night', 'Me and Bobby Mcgee' among others. There are also 4 songs never released before this album all well worth a listen. If you're a Kris fan and have his origional albums, you might want to go for the remastered versions , they're certainly worth it.

This is a unique, one-of-a-kind album, a landmark recording by a tremendous artist at the peak of his creative genius.

You better have some affinity for the down and out, however, as this record is populated with drunks, junkies, bums, losers, hippies, the loved and the loveless. Kris' narrative focus is on the underdog, the marginal, the other left out or kicked out by society. His characters are on the road, bumming drinks and cigarettes, singing songs and landing in jail.

The recording is spare, emphasizing Kris' lyrics, guitar, and voice. That voice. His off-key tone, over time, is mesmerizing, perfect for the characters he is singing about -- I wouldn't change a thing.

His debut album (which he released when he was in his mid-30's!) shows his songwriting talent. With huge hits for others like Me And Bobby McGee, Help Me Make It Through The Night, For The Good Times and Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down this could be a greatest hits for some people. It also contains two great song titles, Blame It On The Stones and The Junkie And The Juicehead,Minus Me. Plus four bonus tracks that were previously unreleased

If I had to compile a list of the top 100 songs ever written, 9 songs from this album would appear on that list. To beat the Devil, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Casey's Last Ride, and Just the Other Side of Nowhere, would likely make the top 20. The 4 bonus tracks on this album are all great. Junkie and the Juicehead is a the highlight. (...)Albums worth having are: Kristofferson (AKA Me and Bobby McGee), Silver Tongued Devil, Jesus was a Capricorn, and Borderlord. The remaining albums stink, and he knows it.