by Terrance Miles
With the reissue of Margo Guryan's 1968 album Take a Picture, interest quickly mounted about this mysterious and reluctant performer. And with bootlegs of the album selling several thousand copies in Japan, it was only a matter of time before somebody unearthed these other songs. Comprised mainly of demos for her publisher Dartmoor Music, the majority of these songs were written in the late '60s, but there are a few from the '70s and, interestingly, her first song written in 1966 has finally been recorded here, 34 years later. This final song does prove that Margo Guryan's romantic pop style has a somewhat timeless quality, maintaining a contemporary sound right along side indie pop royalty like Louis Philippe and Bertrand Burgalat. Having been covered by Glen Campbell and Spanky and Our Gang, among others, the classic "Sunday Mornin'" is presented here in its demonstration form. Guryan is possessed with a seductive, breathy vocal style, and anyone interested in a pre-Take a Picture Guryan, or in a melodic snapshot of that period, devoid of any major label trends or trappings, would be well advised to give Thoughts (or Changes, as it has been titled in some territories), a listen.