Commitment in Bloomington, MN

Bobby Darin
had done some
folk-rock
before this 1969 album, most notably on his hit cover of
Tim Hardin
's
"If I Were a Carpenter."
Commitment
, however, was his most out-and-out
album, or at least his most folk-rockish album. That was apparent not only in the music (which
Darin
wrote in its entirety), but also in the packaging, with his billing changed to "Bob Darin," and a photo of the singer with a moustache and jean jacket on the back cover. It's a pity, therefore, that the album wasn't too good. The backup playing is only functional and perfunctory in a generic late-'60s
folk-country-rock
fashion, and the songs are neither too melodic nor too incisive in their lyrics, even as
was obviously striving for meaning. It's not strictly
.
"Light Blue"
has some period trippy lyrics and pseudo-sitar.
"Hey Magic Man"
has some orchestral, occasionally vaguely psychedelic embellishments, and is a little more memorable and
pop
-friendly than most of the other tunes. Certainly the influence of another "Bob,"
Bob Dylan
, is to the fore, whether blatantly, as in the bluesy harmonica-driven
"Mr. & Mrs. Hohner,"
or more subtly.
, it must be pointed out, was not a
folk
dilettante: he'd recorded some
material throughout his career, and given big breaks to players like
Roger McGuinn
and
Jesse Colin Young
before their entrance into
. In spite of its consistent sound and vision, in the context of
's entire career it's a curiosity, and not something he did nearly as well as he did
,
rock & roll
swing jazz
, or
standards
. ~ Richie Unterberger