J.D. Souther - Natural History

Any history of the 70's and 80's now-classic Southern California country-rock scene would be incomplete without the inclusion of influential singer and songwriter J.D. Souther. After co-writing songs like "Best of My Love" and "New Kid in Town" for the Eagles, "Prisoner In Disguise" and "Faithless Love" for Linda Ronstadt and his own Top 10 pop hit "You're Only Lonely", Souther decided after the release of Home By Dawn in '84 to leave the studio and concert stage behind. Fortunately, he returned 25 years later with the well-received "If the World Was You", a critically praised album that took his country-tinged folk/rock into broader stylistic territory. Now in a retrospective look back at his long and formidable career, putting a new spin on some old favorites -- he calls them "hits that other people had with songs I wrote" -- Souther releases his Natural History (May 31).

Produced by Fred Mollin and featuring an impressive band of Nashville players, Natural History reconfirms Souther's skills as both a sophisticated and intelligent songwriter and singer as the eleven songs (including the five aforementioned hits) sound even stronger now thanks to arrangements that keep the sound intimate while mixing in reeds and horns into the occasionally jazzy mix. “Music, for me is like language, fluid," says Souther, " and if it doesn’t change, it becomes rigid and dull. This was a great opportunity to intimately explore these songs with the exceptional musicians who play with me now, and to do so in small ensembles, sometimes no more than three or four players."

J.D Souther - "Go Ahead and Rain" (from the album Natural History)