***The album that initially prompted Clint Simonson of Destijl records to track down MICHAEL YONKERS and get this whole legend thing on wheels was 1973’s Borders of My Mind, recorded in the living room of JIM WOEHRLE, Yonkers’ former bandmate in MICHAEL AND THE MUMBLES and the MICHAEL YONKERS BAND. Woehrle had to quit the MYB shortly before Microminiature Love was recorded, because of his school and work schedule, but the two were fortunately able to make this privately-pressed LP a little ways down the line. The songs were recorded at Jim’s apartment using a full-track mono, one quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape recorder, using only one bi-directional ribbon microphone. Mic placement was extremely critical, because only this microphone was used to capture Woehrle’s transcendent piano, Yonkers’ plaintive guitar playing, and the two’s arcing vocal harmonies. Plus, one can hear the very real sounds of the phone ringing and natural reverb, along with the occasional post-production psychedelic flourish—making this an unjustly-unheard classic for lovers of homespun astral folk. Fans of Ed Askew, Fred Neil, Mij, Tim Buckley, and Bill Fay, take note! The original art and labels have been faithfully reproduced and with a similarly sensitive remastering job, the tracks shine brightly.
LP $20.85
01/21/2014