Having arrived in the Golden State via Detroit and Amarillo, Texas, John David Souther became one of the architects of the Californian soft-rock sound. It didn't hurt that he shared an apartment with future Eagle Glenn Frey and lived upstairs from Jackson Browne. Souther never became a superstar in his own right, but thanks to his high-profile collaborations with assorted luminaries, his songwriting royalty cheques must have been artefacts of many-zeroed beauty.
Natural History is a collection of songs from the Souther catalogue, tastefully recorded with a skilful chamber-rock ensemble using mostly piano, guitars and a smattering of brass. Souther's voice is a mellifluous croon with a hint of huskiness round the edges, perfect for drifting ballads like the opener, "Go Ahead and Rain", or the plaintive "You're Only Lonely" (Souther's big 1979 solo hit).
Of chief interest will be the songs made famous by the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and others. The most revealing of these is "The Sad Café", which was the closing track on the Eagles' The Long Run but somehow never sounded quite like an Eagles song. Souther's treatment of it is subtle and soothing, but shot through with an infinite wistfulness that the celebrated aerial predators didn't quite capture. Similarly, "Best of my Love" benefits from having its Eaglish gloss stripped away. On the other hand, the Eagles made a ferociously accomplished version of "New Kid in Town", and while Souther treats the song like a dusty border ballad with pinging Spanish guitar, you find yourself wishing someone would fill in the little details and harmonies from the group's version.
From the Ronstadt years there's a late-night version of "Prisoner in Disguise" built from voice, guitar, sax and clarinet, and a lucid interpretation of "Faithless Love" which displays a distinct tincture of Jackson Browne. To be honest, much more of Souther's midnight mellowness might make you want to throw up, but he accomplished what he set out to do, as he reveals in a sleeve note to his producer, Fred Mollin: "Thanks for helping make a crooner album that is proud to call itself thus."
Watch a video about the making of Natural History
