itle:  Bittersweet
Company: Invictus
Catalog: ST-9801
Year: 1972
Country/State: Detroit, Michigan
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Eddie Custis was the odd man out on the first two Chairmen of the Board album. It wasn't that Custis lacked talent, rather his middle-of-the-road pop tendencies seemed ill suited to the group's overall sound and audience. That disconnect combined with Custis' increasing erratic behavior probably explain why he was gone by the time the group released their third studio set.

Co-produced by General Johnson and Greg Perry, 1972's "Bittersweet" found The Chairmen of the Board paired down to a trio consisting of Johnson, Harrison Kennedy, and Danny Wood. In spite of the personnel downsizing, the overall sound wasn't drastically different from their earlier catalog. Yeah, Custis' MOR ballads were absent, but it seems doubtful that anyone really noticed, or cared. That left chief songwriter Johnson to focus his attention on a mixture of social and political commentary ('Men Are Getting Scarce'), 'Patches'-styled country-soul ('Elmo James'), and more commercially oriented soul (''). The results were still entertaining, but on a song-for-song basis the collection wasn't quite as likeable as the first two. Part of it was clearly tied to the group's interest in becoming 'serious' musicians willing to stake out their positions on social and political ills, but in doing so, this time around Johnson didn't churn out as many of his patented incideously memorable pop-soul masterpieces.

- Opening up with a nifty staccato segment and an anti-war vamp (that hasn't aged all that well), 'Men Are Getting Scarce' actually sounded like something an acid soaked Eric Burden and the late inning Animals might have recorded. The song was quite interesting, but an off choice for the album's lead off single. rating: *** stars
- An atmospheric mid-tempo rocker, 'So Glad You're Mine' was a weird tune. Musically it sounded like two separate ideas that had been haphazardly stitched together - the chorus exhibited a catchy hook that was typical for Invictus products, but the rest of the song had a darker, more serious feel. Interesting, though again not particularly commercial. rating: *** stars
- Exhibiting an almost Gospel-like intensity, 'Working On a Building of Love' was the first truly commercial offering. Sporting an up-tempo, breezy melody that immediately crept into your head, it was easy to see why this one was tapped as the second single. rating: **** stars
- Opening up with some nice fuzz guitar and a growling Kennedy vocal (he really did growl on this one), 'I'm a Sign of the Changing Times' offered up another stab at non-too-subtle social commentary. Wrapped in a Sly and the Family Stone-styled slab of funk, lyrically this one was actually pretty funny ("hair, hair - I love hair, I hate bald, but I ain't scared ... "). One of the standout performances. rating: **** stars
- Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but to my ears 'Elmo James' sounded like Johnson was reaching back into the 'Patches' songbook. True, it wasn't a direct clone of the former (something the Holland-Dozier-Holland team had turned into an art form), but the overall feel and subject matter was certainly similar. Mind you, that didn't detract from the song's pleasures. rating: *** stars
- Johnson's quivery voice has always fascinated me and it was seldom as interesting as on side two's 'I'm On the Way To a Better Place'. In fact, it actually sounded like it had been subjected to some sort of production effects. Musically and lyrically the song featured a distinctive gospel feel complete with references to Jesus Christ. Definitely different, but the song's secular orientation certainly limited it's commercial potential. rating: **** stars
- Tapped as the album's third single, the title track ballad was okay, if nothing special and the unexpected switch to a big band jazzy segment simply left you wondering what the hell was going on. Certainly wouldn't have been my choice for a single. rating: ** stars
- 'Saginaw County Line' found Johnson returning to his 'Patches' style country-soul singer/storyteller well. While I liked the harpsichord accompaniment, the rest of the song didn't do a great deal for me. It really sounded like a retread. rating: ** stars
- A straightforward and completely pedestrian blues number, 'Weary Traveler' sounded totally out of place on this album. I guess it was nice to know they could pull off something like this, but it wasn't particularly original, or enjoyable. (I think Kennedy was handling lead on this one.) rating: ** stars

Invictus released a series of three singles off the album:

- 1972's 'Working On a Building of Love' b/w 'Try On My Love for Size' (Invictus catalog number IS 9099)
- 1972's 'Men are Getting Scarce' b/w 'Bravo, Horoay' (Invictus catalog number IS 9103)
- 1972's 'Bittersweet' b/w 'Elmo James' (Invictus catalog number IS 9105)

Probably the least impressive of their four albums for Invictus, this one just lacked the commercial tinge of their earlier releases.
"Bittersweet" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Men Are Getting Scarce (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 5:21
2.) So Glad You're Mine (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 4:19
3.) Working On a Building of Love (Brian Holland - Lamont Dozier - Eddie Holland) - 3:55
4.) I'm a Sign of the Changing Times (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 5:42
5.) Elmo James (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 4:18

(side 2)
1.) I'm On the Way To a Better Place (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 4:04
2.) Bittersweet (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 5:08
3.} Saginaw County Line (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 4:09
4.) Weary Traveler (General Johnson) - 5:12