Projections (The Blues Project album)


Projections is the second album by the American blues rock band the Blues Project. Produced by Tom Wilson and released by Verve/Folkways in November 1966, the album was their first studio release and examined a more rock-based sound. Jim Marshall was credited as the photographer of the album cover.
Soon after the release of this album, Al Kooper left the band in the spring of 1967 to form Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Chart performance

The album peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Top LPs, during a thirty six-week run on the chart. On Cashbox the album peaked at No. 28 during a twenty two-week stay on the chart.

Recording

Keyboardist and vocalist Al Kooper was the most prominent member of the band, having recently played on Bob Dylan's seminal album Highway 61 Revisited. However, Projections was very much a group effort, developing the band's unique style that drew upon blues, jazz, folk, soul, and psychedelic influences.
According to Danny Kalb, the record company was not interested in the band's artistic merit and "just wanted to make a few bucks". The band was disappointed by this lack of creative input and did not see the album cover or hear the mix until the record was released. Kooper believes the band's albums were poorly recorded, saying that Projections "has a lot of weird echo on it, and that was our best recording."

Track listing

Side one
  1. "I Can't Keep From Crying" – 4:25
  2. "Steve's Song" – 4:55
  3. "You Can't Catch Me" – 4:14
  4. "Two Trains Running" – 11:20
Side two
  1. "Wake Me, Shake Me" – 5:15
  2. "Cheryl's Going Home" – 2:35
  3. "Flute Thing" – 5:58
  4. "Caress Me Baby" – 7:12
  5. "Fly Away" – 3:30

Personnel

Musicians

Technical