Linda Bruner - Songs For A Friend

Year of Release: 2010

Label: Numero / Numerphon

Genre: Folk

Music: 4

Sound: 3
Format Reviewed:LP


LISTEN

This is another gem accidentally discovered by the stand-up people at Numero.  Recorded around 1970 in the back of Nielson's Music Store, Rockford Illinois aka Nowheresville, this is the only known solo recording of Linda Bruner (She also provides vocals on Numero's Pisces: A Lovely Sight released this year and I'm sure I'll review at a later date).

The record is presented in it's original context - transferred from tape with hiss, talking in between and other imperfections. It was never intended to be released and there are only 6 tracks, with the opening track - ampted informally titled "Song Linda Wrote Herself" - being the only original composition.  

Accompanied only by Pisces guitarist, Jim Krein's accoustic, Linda's haunting voice cries out from the American Midwest, full of pain, loneliness and yet strength and hope;  the fragility of her delivery is tempered with inner strength, both products of what I can only assume comes with the difficulty of her 17 year old life, of which she was at the time of recording.

For me the highlight of this album is Linda's cover of The Beatles "Don't Let Me Down", which I think she unintentionally fills with meaning far beyond the lyrics;  I often remark to doubting friends that the beautifully simplistic of the music of the Beatles betrays their true genius.  As evidence, I ask them to recall an instance in which in a covered version of their music is superior to the original and their response is usually an um or and ah or a maybe.  Is Linda's delivery better than John's.  Quite possibly.  It certainly hits harder.


Songs For A Friend, documents Linda's raw gifts and we can only wonder what she may have gone on to given the chance.  We learn that following the mishandling of her debut release, she became disillusioned and abandoned hope of a career in music and subsequently dropped off the map.  The last news of her is that she's currently on the run for some fraudulent checking scheme.  We know nothing of the years in between, nor after.


I feel this is an important release not because of the music, but in what it captures;  like a photograph it captures a fleeting moment in time, of circumstances and of people we know little about.  

As I listen to the music, I find myself staring at the cover - Linda is resting her chin in her hands, her unkept hair covering her face and on the back she's standing unpretentiously on the back in a simple floral dress.  I can't help but wonder if this is really the girl that I'm listening to laying her heart out there so completely, with such dignity.  But before I can wonder any further, the recording comes to an abrupt ending -  like any dreams Linda Bruner may have had.