El Rayo-X

El Rayo-X
Studio album by David Lindley
Released	April 1981
Recorded	1981
Studio	Record One, Los Angeles
Genre	Rock
Length	39:31
Label	Asylum [1]
Producer	Jackson Browne, Greg Ladanyi
David Lindley chronology
El Rayo-X (1981) Win This Record! (1982)

El Rayo-X is David Lindley's debut studio album, released in 1981. ^{[2] [3]} The album spent 18 weeks on the Billboard 200 , peaking at No. 83 on July 16, 1981. ^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Robert Christgau	B+ [6]

The album generally received favorable reviews. Boo Browning, of The Washington Post , wrote:

El Rayo-X is not this year's greatest album, but there's very little to compete with it for well-executed let-the-good-times rock. Coming from a fellow who's spent the last few years contemplating Jackson Browne's elbow, it's a delightful surprise -- sort of like rounding the corner at the Haunted House and bumping into a six-foot Goofy. ^[2]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald stated:

Lindley scored a contract with Elektra Records and put together an excellent band that was able to keep up with his eclectic vision. Combining blues, rock & roll, Cajun, Zydeco, Middle Eastern music, and other elements, his debut album is an absolute joy. ^[5]

Track listing

Side 1

1. "She Took Off My Romeos" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:00
2. "Bye Bye Love" (Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant) – 2:50
3. "Mercury Blues" (K. C. Douglas, Bob Geddins) – 3:33
4. "Quarter of a Man" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:45
5. "Ain't No Way" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:42
6. "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell) – 2:44

Side 2

7. "El Rayo-X" (Jorge Calderón, David Lindley) – 2:53
8. "Your Old Lady" (Elmo Glick, O'Kelly Isley, King Curtis) – 4:14
9. "Don't Look Back" (Smokey Robinson, Ronald White) – 3:55
10. "Petit Fleur" (Solomon Feldthouse, Nancy Lindley) – 3:11
11. "Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues" (Huey "Piano" Smith) – 2:14
12. "Pay the Man" (David Lindley, George "Baboo" Pierre) – 3:30

Personnel

Musicians

• David Lindley – vocals; electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4-7, 9-12), slide guitar (tracks 3, 8), divan saz (track 5), bandurria (tracks 7, 9), 6-string bass (track 8), fliddle (track 10), whistling (track 11)
• William D. "Smitty" Smith – organ (tracks 1, 5-7, 11-12)
• Bob Glaub – bass (tracks 1-5, 7, 9, 12)
• Ian Wallace – drums
• George "Ras Baboo" Pierre – percussion (tracks 1-5, 8, 10, 11), vocals (tracks 2, 6, 9, 11, 12), accordion (tracks 2, 12), timbales (tracks 6, 7, 9)
• Jackson Browne – vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9)
• Jorge Calderón – vocals (tracks 6, 7)
• Garth Hudson – horns (track 7)
• Curt Bouterse – hammered dulcimer (track 10)
• Bill Payne – organ (track 2)
• Reggie McBride – bass (tracks 6, 10, 11)

Technical

• Greg Ladanyi – engineer, producer
• Jackson Browne – producer
• George Ybara, Jamie Ledner – assistant engineers
• Doug Sax, Mike Reese – mastering
• Jimmy Wachtel – art direction, design
• Gloria Von Jansky – lettering
• Kaz Sakamoto – photography

Awards and Charts

Billboard charts

Year	Chart	Single	Peak
1981	Pop Albums		83
1981	Mainstream rock	Mercury Blues	34

RPM charts

Year	Chart	Peak
1981	Pop Albums [7]	28

References

1. Hatlo, Jim (January 1, 1989). Hot Licks. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9780881889109 – via Google Books.
2. Browning, Boo (May 15, 1981). "David Lindley And His 'El Rayo-X'" . Retrieved June 24, 2021– via www.washingtonpost.com.
3. Prown, Pete; Newquist, Harvey P. (December 28, 1997). Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9780793540426 – via Google Books.
4. "Billboard 200 - David Lindley" . Retrieved June 14, 2021.
5. Greenwald, Matthew. El Rayo-X at AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
6. Christgau, Robert. "David Lindley - El Rayo-X" . Retrieved June 11, 2021.
7. "RPM Magazine - August 29, 1981 - page 8" (PDF).