I'm Back and I'm Proud

AMG Review of I'm Back and I'm Proud

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Was this particular comeback record something to be proud of? Not really. Recorded in 1969 for famed British DJ John Peel's Dandelion label and released the following year, it did feature some notables of the late-'60s Hollywood ock scene, including Skip Battin of the Byrds (on bass), Red Rhodes (on Dobro), Mars Bonfire (rhythm guitar), Jim Gordon (drums), and Linda Ronstadt (backing vocals), with Kim Fowley producing. But there was something of a rehash feel about the whole enterprise, which was short on new quality material, and heavy on reworkings of oldies like George Jones' "White Lightning," Dion/the Drifters' "Ruby Baby," and Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin." There were also remakes of Vincent's own '50s hits "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and "Lotta Lovin'" that couldn't hope to displace the originals. The heavier late-'60s ock feel of the arrangements doesn't jibe well with Vincent's style, though some cuts boast a countrified touch (particularly the ones featuring Rhodes), and Vincent himself often sounds a little shaky and nervous on the vocals. The entire album has been reissued as the dominant part of the 2003 Hux CD White Lightning, which adds four tracks from a 1971 BBC session.