Top 102 Albums. No 99
Link Wray - Link Wray
For many years Link Wray was defined for me by his early instrumentals, particularly the mighty Rumble, an instrumental so suggestive of its subject matter that it was banned form some radio stations (I'm too lazy to look this up, if you want to know you know what to do).
That was until I found a double cd called Wray's Three Track Shack which included this album and two others recorded in Link's titular shack in 1970/71. This compilation is probably the easiest way to get these albums today and all are worth having but the Link Wray album is my favourite.
This album is entering this 'chart' way earlier than it should. As I said I'm just picking the albums that jostle their way to the front of the queue.
And now, here's three tracks from the shack. Every time I start listening to this album I find it hard to stop.
Seamus - I'm really enjoying the fact that so far your top choices have got me listening to stuff i wouldnt have picked up in a milion years !!
ReplyDeleteI'm probably picking stuff I feel is underrated because that's the stuff I harangue people about. I haven't put any order on my list and just pick whichever one seems to want to be written about. I'll probably veer towards more familiar ground as I go on. But you never know!
DeleteI love the scale of these recordings; big and brash and confident as hell.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing Wray on Whistle Test way back; suited in black leather playing a cherry red SG I thought that he was pastiche.
Seems I was off the mark. I totally get the Exile on Main Street line; I think I might prefer his voice over Jagger's effected drawl...
Hi Trevor - For a long time I thought that he wss defined by his early, essential singles and that after that the law of diminishing returns set in as he recycled the hits. Then I found this seam of work which reminds me of The Basement Tapes, music that sounds like it was made by friends and family without caring who was going to hear it, let alone buy it. Shame it wash't the success it should have been as he might have mined this seam longer and deeper.
DeleteMusic for the joy of it, bereft of the idea of parade or profit: having recently attended Dublin and Greystones weddings, I think that the Irish have a lot to say about that...
ReplyDeleteI'm an inhibited soul in comparison but was joyful in that company; must be the water in the dark stuff...
I've never heard of this album, Séamus, but I enjoyed the first track (saving the other two for later) and loved your Exile on Main Street reference. In any event, does the voice remind you of Van Morrison at all here? Link Wray's "Rumble" era instrumentals are my fave titles by him, but the vocal track "Hidden Charms" from that same period is prob. my all-time fave tune by the guy. Wild stuff. Have been meaning to check out his Hillbilly Wolf early country period for a while, so this post came as a timely reminder...
ReplyDeleteH Richard - thanks for sending me to listen to Hidden Charms, which isn't on the compilations I have of his early years, which concentrate on the (great) instrumentals.
DeleteThe Van stylings are certainly there! But then I can hear Gloria era Van in Hidden Charms, which seems like something that could have been lifted from Nuggets.