Here’s another LP I found in the dude’s collection last week. I imagine it to be a pretty obscure (but no the valuable kind of obscure, as far as I know) folk-rock record by a Canadian fellow named Joe Probst. It was released by Daffodil Records in 1973. The private label was created by Blossom Dearie after several unsuccessful attempts to garner interest from other record labels. The label is responsible for releasing a valuable psychedelic record by Christmas, and some lesser-known psychedelic titles by Dillinger, Fludd, and Klaatu.
The Lion And The Lady is, as far as I can tell, a concept album with two distinct sides: Side A tells the story of the lion, Side B tells the story of the lady. Maybe it’s all one story with a central theme of loneliness, but I’m getting the impression that each side is from a different perspective. That might be complete conjecture, and if I’m wrong I’ll go fuck myself. Each side begins with a spoken-word introduction by a guy whose surname is Proby, but I’m guessing it is most definitely not PJ Proby. Probst’s main instrument is a 12-string guitar, and he is backed by drums, bass, organ/piano, flute, harpsichord, accordion, violin and mandolin. There are some electric instruments contributing the occasional guitar solo or lead part, but not really enough for me to call this a rock record. The best song, in my opinion, is the albums final track, “Love.” Maybe because it’s the most hopeful? No, that’s probably not it. I love downer tunes. In fact, this album isn’t depressing enough for me. Too bad I don’t own a copy of that Bob Desper album…
According to one website, the song “Kingston” was a minor hit when it was released in ’73, and that song is about life in jail. A random blog entry by a Canadian man who actually knew Probst states, “Joe was a mail carrier who had a humble third-floor apartment in the town of Brampton, just outside Toronto. When we got to the apartment, Joe lit a couple of candles and mounted them on the horns of a moose head which hung on the wall. We talked, played guitar, and sang most of the evening. Joe was a very decent guitar player who had recently released an album entitled The Lion and the Lady, and his record producer dropped in for a while later in the evening. We drank Oktoberfest beer, perhaps a little late for the season but ice cold and illicitly good nevertheless. When we turned in for the evening, Joe instructed us on how to operate the electrical appliances the next morning so as not to blow a fuse (he would be off to work by the time we awakened). Joe Probst was a sincere, funny, and talented guy, and although his album was never a commercial success, it remains as one of the most listenable in my collection. If you are a fan of Harry Chapin or the softer ballads of Bruce Springsteen, you will probably like Joe’s music. I wish him well and hope that wherever he finds himself tonight, there are candles on a moose head close at hand.”
Joe Probst
The Lion And The Lady
MediaFire Download Link
Tracklist:
01. The Lion In The Zoo Is An Aristocrat / Kingston
02. Lovin’ You
03. Sad Sad Story
04. I Ain’t No Angel
05. So You Have The Lion You Have The Lady… / Someday
06. (Isn’t It) Just Like A Story
07. You And Me And Someone
08. Love
