In 1971 Emmett Finley released his only album. Possibly it would have had a greater fanfare if his old mate Jimi Hendrix had joined the sessions as he had promised, but Jimi went to London, and Emmett soon decided this was not the path for him. The following year he ended his recording contract with CBS to pursue the study of classical guitar under Leonid Bolotine while maintaining his relationship with Les Paul until Paul died. Since then this album has gained some fame due to its rarity, but it has taken more than 50 years for it to be properly reissued, so the question with something like this is whether this is worth listening to for its musicality as opposed to how difficult it is to get hold of.

Undoubtedly, this is an album of its time, and if someone had to guess the age of release then most would say it was between 1968 and 1972, but no earlier or later than that. Both vocally and style owe a tremendous amount to Neil Young, while the arrangements always have his higher pitched fragile vocals very much front and centre at all times. There is no use of strings, but guitar and keyboards are the main accompaniment of choice, with the rhythm section driving through in classic Americana, while the introduction of gospel trio The Ellington Sisters here and there totally changes the ambience. There is a strength behind the fragility, and the result is something which is powerful and interesting, yet packed full of emotion and innocence. One cannot help but wonder what would have happened if Emmett had stayed in the scene as this is an album which should have provided the groundwork for a fulfilling career as opposed to being sought after mostly due to its rarity. It has taken far too long for this album to be made more easily available, and anyone who enjoys classic singer-songwriter Americana with more than a hint of Neil Young should give this a try.

Rating: 8/10

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