After a nominal success with the album
I'm Easy (1975) -- which contained a remake of his Oscar-winning title track --
Keith Carradine (guitar/vocals) was tapped for a follow-up. That effort,
Lost & Found (1978), is notably more organic and has less of a slick and overly produced feel. Another prominent difference is the infusion of cover material, such as the affective reading of
Tom Waits' "San Diego Serenade" and a mid-tempo folksy version of
the Beatles' "Rain." The latter truly stands out for its distinct, free-flowing acoustic guitar lead. Of lesser appeal is the opening remake of
the Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue," as it somewhat labors under Brooks Arthur's plodding arrangement. Among
Carradine's originals of note are the introspective and whimsically nostalgic "Smile Again, Laugh Again," or the thoroughly funky and freewheelin' "Chance Blues," which is marked by some loose and limber contributions from
Jim Horn (saxophone). Arguably the best is the earthy ballad "Homeless Eyes," which was inspired by E. L. Doctorow's novel The Book of Daniel -- according to James Ritz's liner notes essay in the CD release of
Lost & Found and
I'm Easy onto a single CD. Once again, the top-shelf musicians who accompany
Carradine provide ample support under the direction of the aforementioned Brooks Arthur, whose work with
Janis Ian,
Tim Hardin, and
Van Morrison yielded some of the best engineered recordings of the 1970s. Other featured instrumentalists are Jim Keltner (drums), Ray Neapolitan (bass), and Steve Porcaro (synthesizer). Upon release,
Lost & Found quickly disappeared into relative obscurity and
Carradine returned to acting; however, his vocal prowess was assuredly beneficial in garnering him a Tony nomination for his landmark title role in the Will Rogers Follies during the 1990s. As alluded to above, Collectors' Choice Music has reissued both of
Carradine's mid-'70s long-players,
Lost & Found and
I'm Easy, onto a single compact disc, making them available after several decades out of print. ~ Lindsay Planer