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Dave Mason — Look at You, Look at Me
Album: Alone Together
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3172









Released: 1970
Length: 7:29
Plays (last 30 days): 3
Looking all around me what do I see
Lots of changing faces and lots of things to be
But I'm happy just to be a part of all I see
As I turn round to look at you
And you look back at me

There isn't time to hang around
Anymore
So fill your heart with lovin'
And open up the door
Someone's calling out to you
And that's what love is for
As I turn round to look at you
And you look back no more

I'm feelin' up
I'm feelin' down
My head's been twisted
All around
But now my feet
Are on the ground
For everyone to see

There's many ways to reach you
Though you're far away
All the little things we do
The little things we say
I miss you like I miss the sun
I need you every day
As I turn round to look at you
And you look back my way

Looking all around me what do I see
Lots of changing faces and lots of things to be
But I'm happy just to be a part of all I see
As I turn round to look at you
And you look back at me

I'm feelin' up
I'm feelin' down
My head's been twisted
All around
But now my feet
Are on the ground
For everyone to see
Comments (365)add comment
God, these were the days!
It's very Dave Mason, which (IMO) doesn't really suit the song. That said, the guitar work is killer and *TOTALLY* makes the song. 

Yeah, I miss vinyl and the listening environment/mood. 
Excellent. This predates it but I heard some phrases in the solo that Gilmour uses in the Pigs solo.
An album that’s outstanding start to finish. I never tire of listening to it.  
 Montreal_Mort wrote:

Who else has / had the multi-color vinyl? I did


In the late '70s I was working in a bar in Port Moody, British Columbia. I wasn't old enough to drink but that's another story. I had Look at You, Look at Me on a mix tape I would sometimes put on the house sound system. That song came on and this guy came up and complimented me on my choice of music.  We talked Dave Mason for a bit, he said he'd be back in a few minutes and left. He came back with a coloured vinyl copy of the record to show me. We became best friends for 40 years until Dale passed away. If it weren't for that Dave Mason record we might never have shared our friendship.
It is so refreshing to hear the full solo at the end without it getting cut off or faded out early, which is what most morons on radio do nowadays. It's an epic solo that guitarists have learned from and borrowed from for decades. Thank you so much for that. I was waiting with trepidation after the solo began because it's a rare thing to hear it in its entirety on air nowadays, but you didn't disappoint me. 
I would have sworn that was Peter Frampton playing guitar. Never connected the two stylistically before but I had to check the Wikipedia article for this album just to be sure.
That guitar solo melted my face (and ears).  
 idiot_wind wrote:

It just hit me: I don't think I ever heard anyone else cover this song. 

Perfect song for today, Friday afternoon.

"I'm just happy to be,
Part of all I see".

Now that's a tombstone phrase!  
 




There is a local guitarist here in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered this song on one of his albums. His name is Fred McCarty. He is an excellent guitarist and has a great voice.

https://www.wc-entertainment.c...
 mrgus wrote:

Love this album, especially guitar solo. As an aside, my cat attacked the album once when I was playing it (remember the multi-colored swirl)?




  sounds like something my cat would do, too.
Wow Dave Mason, have not heard him in a long time. Thank you RP!
They don't build them like this anymore!
Love this album, especially guitar solo. As an aside, my cat attacked the album once when I was playing it (remember the multi-colored swirl)?
That was a most excellent slide show with this song.  Nice job photographers and RP!
 kenmo wrote:

Best guitar solo ever IMHO. (at least it is when I'm listening to it; others take the honor when they are playing :-)   
But definitely a contender...



Don't be humble.  You are correct. 

Exclaim it!

And the thing of it is,  this was recorded in 1970.  The technology was primitive  compared to today.   But that sound...so pure,  fidelity is unmatched.

And the other thing:  this album was never really considered a "guitar" album, because it had to compete with albums from: Hendrix,  Clapton,   Zeppelin,  Santana,  Zappa,  Allman, Bloomfield,  etc, etc, etc. 

Sorry to all those people born after 1980...but you may never understand what it was like to enjoy sooooo  much great music every hour of every day. 

It ain't like that today.  
  


 
Best guitar solo ever IMHO. (at least it is when I'm listening to it; others take the honor when they are playing :-)   
But definitely a contender...
Bill,
The 3 songs you've picked from this album are great, just like the rest of the album - which for me is a "desert island" album. Now if you could just add my favorite song from Alone Together - Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave, to the rotation, that would be awesome.  
 chinaski wrote:

It does indeed have a tinge of all Along the Watchtower by Hendrix because Dave Mason played the twelve string acoustic guitar on the song for Hendrix. Now you know.


It's a similar minor-key, diatonic progression, though "Watchtower" has one more chord in the verses.
its the fidelity of the guitar sound, its crazy

what did they know then, they seem to  have forgotten today

crank it
 nelamvr6 wrote:

Truly one of the best albums every recorded!



and one of the least known
Who else has / had the multi-color vinyl? I did
wow...

playing this after leonard cohen

this s a nice groove on March 18, 2022
One of the few vinyls I refuse to part with. 
Most bittersweet guitar solo of all time, IMO. Always puts tears in my eyes. 10
Played the Vinyl yesterday,still enjoy the old sound a little more.
really close to Stephen Stills vocally… someone tell me its not Stephen singing on this?
This album, and especially this song, rocked my world in 1970 and every time since.
frission!
 geonuine wrote:
Beautiful and not my cup of tea. Born past these guitar solos 


LOOK AT YOU !

Beautiful and not my cup of tea. Born past these guitar solos 
Dave Mason and Joe Walsh. I don't know - they might not be the fanciest guitarists, but they play with feeling. When they play, I have to listen.
Lovely.

just lovely.
Truly one of the best albums every recorded!
Always thought that album cover was strange, even for the 70s, considering the album title and much of the lyrics on the album. It's more the top hat and tails that are weird, rather than that rocky outcrop. Maybe if he was playing a guitar..
Sounds a lot like Alan Price’s album O’Lucky Man from 1973! 👍
 chinaski wrote:
It does indeed have a tinge of all Along the Watchtower by Hendrix because Dave Mason played the twelve string acoustic guitar on the song for Hendrix. Now you know.
 
Ooo, more than a tinge.  Noticed it in the first few bars, way before his guitar started wailing.
 iloveradio wrote:
I can always listen to this entire album.
 
You know, I usually do listen to the whole thing - it all flows together so well.
I frickin' dug that.
Rock and roll at its finest. It really doesn't get any better. Never has and probably never will.!
 ger-man wrote:

Dont´borrow your vinyls or your wife.
 
Borrowing a wife sounds fun, but lending mine (on a permanent loan) might be even more
 Djoy wrote:
Oh how I miss my vinyl Alone Together.  I loaned it to a dear cousin who passed on, and his friends divided his music collection.  I sure hope it is being appreciated.
 
Dont´borrow your vinyls or your wife.
Oh how I miss my vinyl Alone Together.  I loaned it to a dear cousin who passed on, and his friends divided his music collection.  I sure hope it is being appreciated.
And the mottled color of the LP was as trippy as the song.They took us for some good trips, as only you and I know ;). 
Virtuosity!
I can always listen to this entire album.
Outstanding album, the whole thing, this song really "cooks" 
Used listen to this one a long time ago never wears thin always a great tune
One of my favorite tunes. Had the multicolor vinyl record back in the day, played the grooves off of it. Got to meet Dave Mason a the Squaw Creek Inn in Squaw Valley , really nicely and cordial invited us to his gig that night in one of the ballrooms. It was a private party so I asked how we could get in and Dave said “ tell’em you’re Dave’s friends”. When we got to the door this really pair of really big bouncers were outside the door telling us it was a private party so I told them we were friends of Fave. They opened the door and we were in. Turned out to be a SF 49’rs party ended up in BaBa Parish’s suite partying ‘til 3 an.
A VINYL WORTH SEEKING OUT.....very cool pressing from way back
In fact, it was Dave Mason who introduced Jimi to AATW. Then Jimi said, "Awwww, I have to cut this song, man!"


It does indeed have a tinge of all Along the Watchtower by Hendrix because Dave Mason played the twelve string acoustic guitar on the song for Hendrix. Now you know.
 

Hey....it's a repeat (see below).
Cool.


Posted 11 months ago by idiot_wind:

It's Friday, the sun is shining, the sky is blue with white puffy clouds, and the beans and corn plants are turning form green to gold.

So...somehow this song makes it all work. Something about the universality of aesthetics...or having a clean window to stare out of.


I love this song, especially that lead solo.
 ciarataylor wrote:
Remember those big widdlywee solos as Frank Zappa always said. Nobody takes the solo  anymore. A good solo is worn  like a banner - and appears to have become unfashionable in this world of slowly devolving musicality.
 
Plenty of contemporary musicians still play solos; perhaps not as much in the top-selling recordings, but they're out there.  You probably know that a lot of musicians from the 1940s and '50s (and their fans) constantly complained about how rock 'n' roll was a decline in musicality as well.  Anyhow, cool song.
Great song, wonderful album, a classic.
Old Dave is a very underrated guitarist.  He delivers here.
You might ask yourself ... “ What is a 10?” For me... this song is the definitive answer to that question... even the vinyl was magnificent in all its opalescent glory
 Dave Mason. No words worthy.
 ciarataylor wrote:
Remember those big widdlywee solos as Frank Zappa always said. Nobody takes the solo  anymore. A good solo is worn  like a banner - and appears to have become unfashionable in this world of slowly devolving musicality.
 
This.
Remember those big widdlywee solos as Frank Zappa always said. Nobody takes the solo  anymore. A good solo is worn  like a banner - and appears to have become unfashionable in this world of slowly devolving musicality.
It does indeed have a tinge of all Along the Watchtower by Hendrix because Dave Mason played the twelve string acoustic guitar on the song for Hendrix. Now you know.
Somebody has to have mentioned this already: there is a strong resemblance to All Along the Watchtower in the cadence and melody during the verse portions.
 
Also, I have to say, I think Traffic at it's best was better after Mason left: John Barleycorn and Low-Spark as my examples.
It's Friday, the sun is shining, the sky is blue with white puffy clouds,  and the beans and corn plants are turning form green to gold. 

So...somehow this song makes it all work. Something about the universality of aesthetics...or having a clean window to stare out of.  
This guitar solo is giving me shivers! {#Bananajam}
if you just listen to the guitar work...it's quite good. And so is the recording; no over production, very clean.   
It just hit me: I don't think I ever heard anyone else cover this song. 

Perfect song for today, Friday afternoon.

"I'm just happy to be,
Part of all I see".

Now that's a tombstone phrase!  
 
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Just a few of the players on this album:
Leon Russell, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, John Barbata, Rita Coolidge, Bonnie Bramlett.
Yep, that's one "mediocre wedding band" for sure!

Proclivities wrote:

Maybe he meant that the wedding itself was mediocre.  {#Wink}

 
No way, if they hired this band.
A great album from start to finish.
Still some of the finest RnR guitar work.

And recorded well.
 sfyi2001 wrote:

p.s.
Mr Mason plays 12 string on Jimi's 'All along the Watchtower'.  {#Smile}

.

 
{#Yes}  yep.

Dave is the real slowhand ...
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Just a few of the players on this album:
Leon Russell, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, John Barbata, Rita Coolidge, Bonnie Bramlett.
Yep, that's one "mediocre wedding band" for sure!

 
Maybe he meant that the wedding itself was mediocre.  {#Wink}
Fantastic music from 47 fucking years ago man still awesome  : )
Yeah baby!

Nice Christmas/holiday present!

I wish I was driving country roads, around snow covered fields, see Christmas lights in the distance, dotting the landscape. 

Uh oh...I think I'm back into "Along the Watchtower"!      
 colt4x5 wrote:
Good beach band.
Decent bar band.
Mediocre wedding band that nobody would remember the following week.
 
Just a few of the players on this album:
Leon Russell, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner, John Barbata, Rita Coolidge, Bonnie Bramlett.
Yep, that's one "mediocre wedding band" for sure!
How many late 60s songs still sound this fresh in 2017? Clearly this is one listeners' opinion, but this was a staple of FM radio (called underground at the time, which says something about the state of radio at the time!) and still compels a listen. Radio Paradise is the closest entity to the free-form low power radio stations of that era that exists, as far as I know. And I don't need to be within 50 miles or (much) less of the transmitter to listen.
The guitar solo at the end could go on like that for ever. Absolutely outstanding!

p.s.
Mr Mason plays 12 string on Jimi's 'All along the Watchtower'.  {#Smile}



.
Godlike

psd leftover cuties and am rewarded with this Grand Slam, Thank you!  : ) 
 DocStrangelove wrote:
terrible
cliches and horrid vocals

 
What?? Completely disagree. {#Beat}
Absolutely some of the best, most highly-inspired guitar jamming here! Heck, half of Traffic is on this! Really does send my mind aloft!
A perfect remedy for the mind blown 1960s.
Please no more references to Watchtower. 

I just read a freakin essay o the meaning of the song: metaphors, symbolism, who was the joker? who was the thief? The end of the world!!!   
Geez, it's just a freakin song, by a Nobel prize winner.   
And dang, was he good!

stevesaw wrote:
Going to see him next week!

 


i thnk that another david like this too, the final guitar solo is very similar to the one in pigs, at the end of the song too {#Bananajam}7 years later
 RabbitEars wrote:
progression mimics all along the watchtower

 
Dave Mason played rhythm guitar AND bass on Jimi's recording of that Dylan tune.

BTW, it's a VERY common progression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Along_the_Watchtower#The_Jimi_Hendrix_Experience
 
Awesome guitar man
Going to see him next week!
{#Bananajam}
That's a tasty bit of guitar work.
Just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in
There are four drummers credited on Alone Together: Jim Keltner, John Barbata, Jim Capaldi, and Jim Gordon. I wonder who crafted the masterpiece intro to this song. I also wonder why/how Mason used a drummer not named "Jim." I mean, really.
 idiot_wind wrote:
His best song and one of the best 70's song that has great lyrics, tempo changes, and freakin great guitar work; especially at the end of song.  

You should really play it a lot more!  

This guy never gets enough credit.   

 
True That!
 I second that {#War}
RabbitEars wrote:
progression mimics all along the watchtower

 


progression mimics all along the watchtower
And the lyrics are memorable. A sense of sadness...and forlorn....   
Good beach band.
Decent bar band.
Mediocre wedding band that nobody would remember the following week. 
 idiot_wind wrote:
His best song and one of the best 70's song that has great lyrics, tempo changes, and freakin great guitar work; especially at the end of song.  

You should really play it a lot more!  

This guy never gets enough credit.   

 
Agreed!  It just gets rolling at the fadeout. So good.

The whole album is good - and he doesn't get enough credit. The only good thing about his lack of fame is he plays at small venues now (or at least did), which is good for us.
This is new to me. Me likey. Are you sure this isn't Nick Gilmour? {#Smile}
But Koko....the guitar work is nice!
Awesome piece man!   and thank you kurtster for the roster, quite a solid crew!!!
I know they're some better Dave Mason cuts out there. This one was just a bit too long.
 thewiseking wrote:

never much of a fan of this guy

this one a straight riff on All Along The Watchtower, no?



 
Yah, there's certainly a relationship there. But to be fair to Dave, he does play the acoustic guitar part on "Watchtower". 

I love this song, though still haven't bumped it up to 10. Not sure why not.
Great stuff! I missed this one when I was a youngster, but am glad I discovered it a few years ago!
 Proclivities wrote:

I believe you are correct.  While Clapton and Mason have worked together (with Delaney & Bonnie),I don't believe Clapton is on this record at all.  Mason is a very capable soloist.

 
One of my desert island discs.  Mason is the real slowhand.

Here's the album lineup.  Quite a group.

 Credits and personnelDave Mason - guitar, vocalsBonnie Bramlett - vocalsLeon Russell - keyboardsCarl Radle - bassChris Ethridge - bassLarry Knechtel - bassJim Capaldi - drumsJim Gordon - drumsJim Keltner - drumsMichael DeTemple - guitarDon Preston - keyboardsJohn Simon - keyboardsJohn Barbata - drumsRita Coolidge - vocalsMike Coolidge - vocalsClaudia Lennear - vocalsLou Cooper - vocalsBob Norwood - vocalsJack Storti - vocals
 bwanab wrote:

Do you have a source for that? Clapton isn't listed as a contributor to the album Alone Together. Dave Mason used to play lead, I thought it was him.

 
I believe you are correct.  While Clapton and Mason have worked together (with Delaney & Bonnie),I don't believe Clapton is on this record at all.  Mason is a very capable soloist.
 gjeeg wrote:
Monster Lost Gem for the 70's.
Timeless and ahead of it time.
Alone Together stands up today without pause.
Melody, wisdom, production, guitar/arrangement genius.
Thank you RP.

 
I agree wholeheartedly!
An all-time favorite album with no real weak points IMHO.
His best song and one of the best 70's song that has great lyrics, tempo changes, and freakin great guitar work; especially at the end of song.  

You should really play it a lot more!  

This guy never gets enough credit.   
 NWNative wrote:

Screw waterboarding. Just keep playing this constantly looping Dave Mason song and Al Qaeda will give up every secret they have.



 
Seriousl. the guitar solo is good. But the res, meh. 
With Leon Russell's unmistakable piano.
Great surprise!  I loaned my album about 30 years ago and couldn't get it back.
Wow. Those are some craptastic lyrics. Must have spent a whole 3 minutes on them. 
 trek_29er wrote:


that was senor Clapton

 
Do you have a source for that? Clapton isn't listed as a contributor to the album Alone Together. Dave Mason used to play lead, I thought it was him.

never much of a fan of this guy

this one a straight riff on All Along The Watchtower, no?


Monster Lost Gem for the 70's.
Timeless and ahead of it time.
Alone Together stands up today without pause.
Melody, wisdom, production, guitar/arrangement genius.
Thank you RP.
 CinnamonGirl wrote:
So is this Dave Mason on the lead solo or someone else?

Just saw him in concert and he only played rhythm guitar (acoustic 12-string). He had an awesome guitarist named John McKuen (I think that was his name), for the set.

Mason played with many great guitarists — so I'm wondering who that was.
 

that was senor Clapton
 whizzo wrote:
 Yep. Just present in iTunes. Too bad there isn't a PSD button there. The iOS app is acting wonky as well - the streams are stuck on "connecting..."

bodyschool wrote:




 



 
It's not just iTunes. I have the same problem using winamp...  Dave's still going strong... The mp3 file at the CDN is mucked up. 

Screw waterboarding. Just keep playing this constantly looping Dave Mason song and Al Qaeda will give up every secret they have.


 Yep. Just present in iTunes. Too bad there isn't a PSD button there. The iOS app is acting wonky as well - the streams are stuck on "connecting..."

bodyschool wrote:




 


 bodyschool wrote:
You're right, I switched to the website player and it's moved on. The ghost of Steve Jobs kicking the turntable??



 


That does it. I want my $10 back!