A few days later, though, I got an e-mail from an old chum who said he'd found the following missive recently at another download site that actually had posted the aforementioned albums (but then pulled them, for obvious reasons):
"This is Tony Poole from Starry Eyed & Laughing here: We never made any money from these recordings originally, and to have them available to steal here feels like being kicked again while on the floor. I hope you will take them down -- my thanks in advance ..."Oy gevalt. I actually interviewed Poole (for STEREO REVIEW) back in the day, and he was an absolutely lovely guy (which is why I shlepped out to Roslyn to see his band in the first place). So you can imagine how lousy I felt about having even suggested Willard put up the albums. So lousy, in fact, that I bit the bullet and -- despite my current Dickensian poverty -- ordered the aforementioned CD reissue over at Amazon.
That said, there's a previously unreleased bonus track I don't feel too guilty to share. From 1974, please enjoy Starry Eyed & Laughing's absolutely splendid cover of The Byrds' cover of Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom" (a song whose lyrics provided the band with their name)...
...and then get over to Amazon and order the CD for yourself.
And Tony -- if you're out there, please forgive me.
[h/t Eric C. Boardman]
