Jim Sullivan - U.F.O (REVIEW)

In 1975 the musician Jim Sullivan vanished in the New Mexico desert. He had been travelling from LA to Nashville hoping to start a residency there. His car was found abandoned on a remote ranch, but he himself was never found, nor any trace of him.

All he left behind as an indication that he’d existed was his family, the memories of his loved ones, and more crucially, his two studio albums, 1969’s U.F.O, and 1972’s Jim Sullivan. And it is U.F.O. that has most captured the attention of people in the years since, not just because of its obscurity, but because its ethereal songs seemed to almost parallel Jim’s mysterious disappearance 6 years later.

Recorded in 1969 with Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew (who’d been one of the most prolific backing bands in the late 60s, even working with the Beach Boys at one point) and released as a private pressing on an actor’s vanity label, it was essentially destined for obscurity. Which is a massive shame, as it is arguably one of the greatest lost classics in the late 60s Acid Folk movement.

Jim’s guitar playing has a distinctive jangly plucking to it, not quite like many artists that I’ve heard. His voice is deep, but powerful, and able to hit every note that comes its way. But it’s the songs themselves that have gained the album its reputation. They are filled with strange, supernatural imagery, whilst also staying slightly in reality, which creates an interesting almost uncanny feeling in places. 

Album opener “Jerome” makes this clear right away, with its strange, almost science-fiction-esque strings at the beginning and end, making it truly sound out of this world, literally. It’s a song about a ghost town, loosely based and named after the town his sister-in-law was born In, but some of the lyrical passages are quite abstract, almost with a drug undertone to them, especially with the line “If you take your magic slow, maybe you can find Jerome”.

Another rather overt example of this is in the title track, “U.F.O”. Title notwithstanding, it appears to have quite a biblical setting (Jim was supposedly a spiritual man), with some of the imagery seeming to directly reference the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the bible, especially with the line “Only man I know that got up from the dead”. It appears Jim, in the song, is waiting for him to return, his second coming if you will, as he ponders if he’ll arrive by UFO. 

U.F.O. essentially came and went after its release, and no one noticed it at the time. All of Jim’s attempts to find success also failed, and his spirit was crushed as it seemed like no one really cared for his songs. Even his attempt to reignite his career ended in tragedy and mystery. So perhaps it’s perfect that his albums have been rediscovered, and rereleased, so that people may finally enjoy what he tried to show to the world, even if it’s a little delayed.

(note: this review was originally written back in 2021 as part of an assignment and I somehow forgot I had written it, but happened to find it while going through my University files and so decided to post it.)