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2LP pn 1 CD: CHER/WITH LOVE, CHER. Personnel: Donald Peake, Mac Rebennack (guitar); David Cohen, Mike Post (12-string guitar); Gabriel Mekler (piano); Michel Rubini (harpsichord); Cliff Hills (upright bass); Lyle Ritz (electric bass); Gene Estes (percussion). Audio Remasterer: Andrew Thompson . Liner Note Authors: Sonny Bono; John Tobler. Recording information: Gold Star Studios, Hollywood, CA. Arranger: Harold Battiste, Jr. Beat Goes On goes to one of its inspirations here, packaging two Imperial albums by Cher, from 1966 and 1968 respectively. Both were produced by Sonny Bono, her husband at the time, but things were looking rocky at this point, as evidenced by the first song on the latter album, the single "You Better Sit Down Kids" written by Bono. The first set -- Cher's solo debut -- features a ton of hits by the great songwriters of the day, from Goffin & King ("Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"), Paul Simon ("Homeward Bound"), Donovan ("Catch the Wind"), Bob Dylan ("I Want You") and from the latter album's closer, "The Times They Are A Changin'," Bobby Hebb ("Sunny"), and more. Another fascinating thing about these records are some of the session players involved with them: guitarist Mac Rebbenack (Dr. John), arranger Harold Battiste (also from the Crescent City), guitarist Mike Post ("Hill Street Blues Theme"), Steppenwolf's organist, pianist and producer Gabriel Meckler, percussionist Gene Estes, and others. Musically this is what Cher does now and did then. She has only one voice and one way to use it, so if you dig that voice, over-emoted as it is, with no sense of timing -- and there is beauty in that -- you will dig this hard. ~ Thom Jurek
