Rosebud - Rosebud (Reissue, Remastered) (1971/217)

Rosebud's sole album was an eclectic but erratic venture. It veered between psychedelic-tinged, poetic tracks reminiscent of Henske-Yester's Farewell Aldebaran ("Le Soleil," "Lullabye II (Summer Carol)," "Lorelei"), ornately orchestrated, tuneful art-pop ("Flying to Morning"), pedestrian-period L.A. singer-songwriter music, and country-rock. It seems no coincidence that the four tracks praised in the previous sentence were penned by Henske and Yester, while most of the remaining ones on the LP were not. The record was at its best when it attained that oddball mystical, ethereal air characteristic of Henske-Yester's best collaborations, retaining accessibility via their almost pseudo-classical melodies. When they weren't aspiring to this level, Rosebud was just an ordinary, laid-back, early-1970s, California rock band. It might be misguided to criticize the record for what it wasn't, and for not featuring Henske more as the lead vocalist, since the other singers in the band couldn't match her at all. Rosebud was a group project, not a duo one like Henske-Yester, which might be why she and he are more subdued on this effort. Still, it seems like there's half of a good album struggling to become a whole one.