Rick Stanley's musical presence in the late 60s was ethereal at best, with his most prominent recording garnering no less than three of Pokora's coveted stars. The Gentle Soul's (Rick Stanley and vocalist Pamela Polland) self-titled release boasted an association with Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Terry Melcher, and secured its place in the annals of flower-power folk by combination of beauty and idealism.
In 1970 Stanley recorded his first solo effort, "Song of Life". The album was produced by Henry Lewy at A&M records and featured Paul Horn on flute. Unlike The Gentle Soul (or Stanley's current Celtic harp recordings), "Song of Life" marked a temporary (three album) shift towards Eastern philosophy in his work. After recording The Gentle Soul, Stanley traveled to India, as was the custom for young, radical musicians at the time, to study under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in a program designed to train teachers of transcendental meditation. Upon completing the course, Maharishi convinced Stanley to record an album of songs preaching the guru's teachings. "Song of Life" is the result.
This album contains seven original folk songs written and performed by Rick Stanley. Five of those six are followed by narratives explaining the relevance of each song's lyrics, respectively. The music displays Stanley's respectable talents as a songwriter, and although he often comes off as didactic, the overall feeling is peaceful and pleasant. I don't know if I would want to meditate to "Song of Life", but, at the very least, this album is quite conducive to letting your mind wander.
Filed under: Folk
I think you are the coolest guy ever.
Thanks, Douglas. I love you too.