''Lazarus'' is the self-titled debut studio album by Texas band Lazarus. It was produced by Peter Yarrow and

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business part ...

, released in 1971 on the

Bearsville Records Bearsville Records was founded in 1970 by Albert Grossman. Artists included Todd Rundgren, Elizabeth Barraclough, Foghat, Halfnelson/Sparks, Bobby Charles, Randy VanWarmer, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Lazarus, Jesse Winchester, and N ...

label, and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. " Warmth of Your Eyes" was released as the first single in 1972. The album is considered one of the early albums of the Contemporary Christian movement. ''Lazarus'' was released in the US, UK, Canada, Australia in 1971 and in Japan in 2016.

Background

According to Peter Yarrow's

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...

, Lazarus band members Billie Hughes, Gary Dye and

Carl Keesee Carl Keesee is an American recording artist, songwriter, and musician. He was born in Oklahoma but moved to Canada. He is best known as a bassist, but has also performed as a clarinetist and vocalist. He has been a member of the bands Lazarus (wi ...

attended a

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repe ...

concert in Abilene, Texas, after which they met Peter Yarrow and asked him to listen to their tape. They drove 20 minutes outside Abilene to a small farm house where, sitting on the floor with a single candle light, the band played their tape for Peter. Yarrow invited Hughes, Dye and Keesee to

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

, New York, where they lived in his cabin and worked on their self-titled ''Lazarus'' album over a period of two years, with Phil Ramone joining them. ''Lazarus'' was one of the first releases on Albert Grossman's Bearsville record label. In April 1972, a launch celebration in London with Albert Grossman in attendance, was hosted by Kinney (WEA), set to distribute the Bearsville label in the UK, with initial album releases by

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band U ...

, Lazarus and Foghat.

Milton Glaser Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929June 26, 2020) was an American graphic designer. His most notable designs include the I Love New York logo, a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan, and the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University and Brooklyn Brewery. In 19 ...

, designer of the poster for '' Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits'' and covers for Peter, Paul and Mary albums, designed the ''Lazarus'' album cover.

Critical reception

Neal Vitale, '' The Tech'' wrote: "Lazarus comes off as one of the freshest, most pleasant albums released in quite awhile. Such cuts as the truly beautiful 'Looking Through,' ' Eastward,' and the hauntingly dark 'Rivers' all add up to an excellent first effort."

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple ...

: "filled with gorgeous vocal harmonies and understated yet stirring acoustic instrumental work. Lead singer Bill Hughes’ high, pure tenor serves as a perfect vehicle for the yearning and reverence embodied in his lyrics." '' RPM'' wrote: "A find of PP&M's Peter Yarrow, Lazarus is a highly talented folkish trio very much in the strain of Crosby, Stills et al. Group has a quality of presence, unsurpassed. "River", "Baggage" and "Circuit Rider" get the nod."

Track listing

Personnel

Lazarus * Bill Hughes – vocals, guitar, violin * Gary Dye – vocals, piano, organ * Carl Keesee - vocals, bass Production * Cover (Design) –

* Musical Director – Peter Yarrow * Engineered, Mixed by

* Photography – Benno Friedman * Producer – Peter Yarrow,

* Liner Notes – Peter Yarrow * Recorded at A&R Studios, New York City

Cover versions

In 1974, the Lettermen released " Eastward" as a single, reaching number 16 on the Billboard US

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

. "Blessed" is included in ''The Giant Book of Christian Sheet Music'' published by Alfred.

References

{{Authority control 1971 debut albums Bearsville Records albums Albums produced by Phil Ramone Folk rock albums by American artists Contemporary Christian music albums by American artists Warner Music Group albums Pony Canyon albums