Description Karen Beth . The Joys of Life . folk/psych . 1969 Decca LP Karen Beth's first album, The Joys of Life, is probably one of the most obscure LPs to make the Billboard Top 200 (where it peaked at number 171) in the late 1960s. In retrospect, it's a little surprising that the record even got that high, not because of any flaws in the music itself, but because the record's not too commercial or radio-friendly, even as it reflected late-'60s trends in folk-rock, the emerging singer/songwriting movement, and psychedelia. Her voice, to start with, is pretty odd, sounding a little like a pinched, more folk-country-influenced, slightly robotic Grace Slick who's deliberately holding back and not opening her mouth or throat too widely. Karen Dalton is a more cult-ish reference point, though the vocals here are more pop/rock-friendly, and the material based in contemporary folk-rock, not traditional folk. It'll be an acquired taste for some listeners, but most of the songs do have an interesting, fairly attractive sad, haunting quality, if kind of detached and observational in tone. In addition to the acoustic guitars common to many folk-rock-based singer/songwriters of the era, there are ghostly tinkles, drones, strings, and electric guitar shimmers in the arrangements, somewhat in the manner of some Elektra Records folk-rock productions of the time (though this came out on Decca, not Elektra). And in the middle of this comes a wholly a cappella performance, "Song to a Shepherd," that's as spooky as anything else on the record, sounding as if it's being sung from an isolated cave. While the record's not up to the best such obscure albums of its style in the era, at times it achieves some genuine downbeat eerieness, and is more interesting than some other neglected records of its type that have gotten much more attention from collectors. (AMG) Artist: Beth, Karen Title: The Joys of Life Label: Decca DL-75148 Made in: USA 1969 Vinyl (visually graded): Near Mint Jacket Condition: considerable ring/corner wear, cut-out hole Side 1 ... Side 2 ... It's All Over Now In the Morning I Know That You Know The Joys of Life Something to Believe In April Rain White Dakota Hill Come December Song to a Shepherd Nothing Lasts Tomorrow's a New Day Shipping (1 record under .500kg) .. prices in CAD to USA:$12 Air Mail .. $16 Tracked Packetadditional item $6 Western Europe: $19 Airmost other international destinations add $3 air Canada: $14each additional item add $1 Wait for seller’s invoice IF combining shipping *** Visual Grading ***(record is spot play-tested if a problem is suspected) SS Still Sealed 9 NM Near Mint records will look like new or almost-like-new, with at worst, a minor surface mark(s). (This is usually the TOP grade for an unsealed album) 8 VG+ Very Good Plus records will be nice and shiny with only minor surface marks which shouldn't affect the sound 7 VG Very Good records will still be nice & shiny but have more pronounced scuffs/scratches which will likely be audible ----------------------------------------------- 6 G+ I don't list many items below VG ... but may do so if it's a desirable title ... so a Good Plus or Good may be acceptable if it's the only condition available ... 5 G these two grades will include records with signs of wear, deeper scratches and pops/clicks during play ... still may be worth keeping until an upgrade is found ... Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution