Kooper wrote (or co-wrote) most of the songs on this one, the exceptions
are Richard Parker's 'OOWee Baby I love you', Elton John's 'Come Down in
Time' and Bo Diddley's 'Dearest Darling'.Kooper adapted the traditional
'500 Miles'
This is an interesting album. It's as if Kooper was at a crossroads
and wasn't sure in which direction to go. All the songs are good and some
very good but, I don't know, I can't quite put my finger on it. It's as
if there was something missing.
The album starts well enough with the excellent title track which is
subtitled 'Excerpt from "New York City:6am to Midnight" - A symphony in
progress.' What a shame the symphony never saw the recorded light of day.
On the basis of this it would have made a great album! The track here is
classic Kooper.
The next track is very interesting. Having split from BS&T after
their first album, he was replaced by David Clayton-Thomas as lead vocalist.
(How the rest of BS&T could imagine that the wooden voiced Clayton
Thomas would replace their main singer, songwriter, arranger and keyboardist
is beyond me!) yet, at the same time as 'New York City' came out, BS&T
brought out BS&T4 which includes their version of 'John the Baptist'.
Clayton -Thomas struts through it but their version pales besides Kooper's.
An odd choice for BS&T! (I wish I'd heard him sing songs from 'Child
is Father to the Man' Now that would have been interesting!
Koopers updated version of '500 Miles' follows before we come to 'The
Ballad of the Hard Rock Kid' which has some lovely slide guitar from Sneaky
Pete.
Side 1's closer is the first 'strange' track on the album - 'Going
Quietly Mad'. Sung in a odd little voice, the track features two lead guitars,
played by Kooper and Caleb Quaye and is all about, well... going quietly
mad! Delicious!
Following an unusual choice of songs for side 1, side 2 starts off
in typical Kooper manner, the medley and 'Back on my Feet' are archetypal
Kooper white soul with lots of brass. These are followed by the subdued
'Come Down in Time' and then a quick return to the brassy style with Bo
Diddley's 'Dearest Darling'.
'Nightmare #5' and 'The Warning' are the two 'strange' tracks which
close the album. 'Nightmare...' is a story song regarding meeting the devil
and 'The Warning...' is the antithesis.
Altogether an unusual album from Kooper and one that, 26 years later,
I still haven't made my mind up about!