Buddah never did forgive Melanie for this and continued to dog her career by releasing old, in-the-can songs right around the time she'd release new songs on Neighborhood. The only time I felt good about myself when I was in front of you, and we were together, and I could see and sense that all was well.

When they signed Melanie they were high on Bubblegum Music, having struck gold in 1968 with groups like the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Co. And of course, there's "Brand New Key" - Safka scholars aren't supposed to like it, because of the Wurzel connection and the way it stereotyped her in people's minds as a novelty act, but resistance is futile. The Southern Appalachian folk-hymn What Wondrous Love is given an appropriately simple treatment with mostly Melanie's voice and guitar. The inside lists musicians and the production crew and that's it except for the track listing on the back. After I finish recording, I never listened back maybe if I had I might’ve known but I was on to the next thing I was working on.

I have a very well-worn vinyl copy of this album, and I have a feeling I’ll be spinning the digital version just as much. Interestingly, the album with her catchiest little pop hit was more folk oriented than the hit single would suggest and only Some Day I'll Be a Farmer is a "cute" song like Brand New Key.

The only negative being the lyrics with Melanie at times, explaining what a great person she is, which can be a little irritating. I'm convinced it's a bit of a mickey-take - a metaphor has to make sense on one or both levels, but this can only be read (with difficulty) as, nothing more and nothing less than, a "hymn" to a night on the town. However, this is a great album beyond the popular "I've got a brand new pair of roller-skates" song, and the quality of the vinyl was excellent.You could debate whether Candles In the Rain or Gather Me was Melanie's best album but I think fans would agree that they are together her best albums.

To his credit, label head Neil Bogart promoted her relentlessly and also left her style be her own rather than trying to make her a bubblegum princess.If Melanie has always been anxious not to be defined by her religious affiliation (which has changed over the years), and in later years has regarded herself as a secular humanist first and foremost, you'd never know it from listening to this! It opens with Little Bit of Me a sincere explanation of why she can't be constantly touring and recording. My personal favorite is the melancholy Railroad, an intimate, confessional song with a nice arrangement of strings, guitar and winds.