Someday Man

When fledgling singer/songwriter Paul Williams was given a record deal by Reprise, the inexperienced artist hastily assembled the psych-pop band The Holy Mackerel for his 1969 debut release, rather than occupy the spotlight alone. Both the band and the album that bore its name fizzled out quickly, but afterwards, Williams still had another album to deliver. With writing partner Roger Nichols, who also provided a sizable chunk of the instrumental backing, Williams crafted his first solo album, 1970's Someday Man. The Williams/Nichols title track had already been cut by The Monkees, and was Williams' biggest claim to fame thus far. With accompaniment by crack L.A. sessioneers The Wrecking Crew, Williams and Nichols served up what seems in retrospect like the swan song of L.A. pop's golden age. Someday Man channels the sunshine-pop spirit of acts like The Association and The Mamas & The Papas (though without the harmonies) as well as the era's mastermind composer/producers Curt Boettcher, Gary Usher and Brian Wilson. The album would eventually achieve cult-classic status, but it sold no better than the Holy Mackerel record. That didn't matter much to Williams, though: by the time it came out, he'd already become a songwriter-to-the-stars with the Carpenters smash "We've Only Just Begun." Someday Man's long-awaited 2010 reissue on the estimable Now Sounds imprint sweetens the pot appreciably, with extensive liner notes and a raft of bonus tracks.