A Possible Projection of the Future / Childhood's End

This album was issued in 1971 and, most probably I bought my copy at my friends at Disc 'n Tape in Bristol This seemed to be a concept album where Kooper gave up the idea of a concept after a few minutes. The cover art is a picture of Kooper, made to look about 90 years old, in a Welfare overall sitting in a wheelchair with his trusty guitar on his lap. The centre spread is another collage of Kooper pics including some showing different stages of the make-up required for the cover art. There is the obligatory Kooper/Bloomfield photo and one of Clive Davis presenting Kooper with a gold(?) disc. There is also a photo of British pop group Blue Mink (although I fail to see a Kooper connection there. )

Side 1

1 A Possible Projection of the Future
2 The Man in Me
3 Fly On
4 Please Tell me Why
5 The Man in Me

Side 2

1 Let Your Love Shine
2 Swept For You Baby
3 Bended Knees (Please Don't Leave me Now)
4 Love Trap
5 Childhood's End

Kooper contributed 6 of these songs. The remainder were written by Dylan, Smoky Robinson, Curtis Mayfield and Jimmy Cliff.
At a time when 'concept' albums were the thing, this was Koopers. The idea was fine - an old man looking back over his life in music but... Kooper seems to have given up the idea after recording just the two title tracks and sitting for the cover photo. The remainder of the songs ie all those between the first and last, to these ears at least, have no connection with the concept. Maybe, for all these years I've believed it was a concept album and it never was?!

Whatever, whilst 'New York City' may have been a pause in Kooper's solo career, this album marked the start of the decline.
Again recorded largely at Air in London, the album again used Herbie Flowers on bass and I assume most of the other musicians are British too.There's even a thanks to Bell Records for Flowers, Barry Morgan and Alan Parker...... Bell Records? .... Having looked closely at the picture of Blue Mink I recognize Flowers there so I assume that said musicians are those who accompany Roger Greenaway and the lady singer in Blue Mink!!
(There are also thanks to Harry Nilsson and Richard Perry (his producer) for keeping Kooper company and of course, thanks to CBS for Al Kooper!
If you take away the (very poorly) spoken introduction from 'A Possible Projection...) you're left with a great track. A look back over Kooper's career to date and the immortal line 'no-one gives a fuck what I'm thinking, which makes it even harder to say' was quite strong for it's day! Unfortunately, the song also seemed to anticipate Kooper's solo demise.
The remainder of the album are routine filler tracks. Kooper adds nothing to the original versions of 'The Man In Me' and 'The Monkey Time' (although it would indeed be difficult to improve on either!) 'Bended Knees' and 'Childhood's End' would have been good tracks on another, better album. Here, they just seem to accentuate the mediocrity of the album. I'd say 'contract-filler' but there was still another Columbia album to go.

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