Link Wray (album)

Last updated
Link Wray
Link Wray 1971.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 1971
Recorded1971
StudioWray's Shack Three Track, Accokeek, Maryland
Genre
Length44:16
Label Polydor
Producer
  • Steve Verroca
  • Ray Vernon
  • Bob Feldman
Link Wray chronology
Listen to the Voices That Want to Be Free
(1970)
Link Wray
(1971)
Mordicai Jones
(1971)

Link Wray is the 1971 album by pioneering guitarist Link Wray. The music is an Americana blend of blues, country, gospel, and folk rock elements. This music is characterized by the purposeful use of simplified sounds to reflect the then-current vogue of blues and other roots music being used in many roots rock bands. Wray's guitar-work, composing, and vocals reflected modern rock influences. Despite publicity from radio stations and print media in the Washington, D.C. area, the album did not do well in national sales.

Contents

Some tracks from this album later surfaced on the compilation Guitar Preacher: The Polydor Years, and it was included in its entirety on 2CDs compilation Wray's Three Track Shack (Acadia/Evangeline Recorded Works Ltd./Universal Music, 2005) along with other "shack" recordings of '71 Beans and Fatback and Mordicai Jones . The album has proved influential in later decades, with The Neville Brothers, Calexico, Karl Blau, and Father John Misty, among others, recording covers of tracks from it.

Recording

The album was recorded in 1971 by Link's brother Vernon "Ray Vernon" Wray at "Wray's Shack Three Track", a three track studio Link Wray had converted from an old chicken shack on his farm in Accokeek, Maryland, and mixed by Chuck Irwin. During louder numbers, the recording team placed the speakers for Link Wray's guitar outside in the yard and miked the windows. [3] For a time no drum kit was available, so on several tracks the musicians stomped on the floor for the bass drum and shook a can of nails for the snare drum. [3]

Songwriter/co-producer/drummer Steve Verroca said that, "What we do is go into the shack and make music. We get the melody that way and then maybe write down some lyrics. Okay, it's a little unusual but that is what comes natural." [3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide C+ [4]
Pitchfork (9.1/10) [5]

Because of the change in style from his earlier work, the album was poorly received by Link Wray's fan base. [1] Wray had anticipated this, and shortly before the album's release remarked, "In a way I couldn't care less if the album didn't sell a single copy. We're happy with it and we've done it our way." [3]

In their retrospective review, Allmusic criticized that the album as a whole "lacks the switchblade intensity of Wray's most famous music." However, they praised the album's passion and honesty, claimed that it had aged better than most country rock of the era, and commented that "the best songs speak eloquently of the hard facts of Wray's early life as a poor Shawnee child in the Deep South, and there's a humble back-porch stomp in this music that's heartfelt and immediate." [1]

Track listing

  1. "La De Da" (Steve Verroca) - 4:04
  2. "Take Me Home Jesus" (Verroca) - 3:21
  3. "Juke Box Mama" (Verroca) - 4:29
  4. "Rise and Fall of Jimmy Stokes" (Verroca) - 4:02
  5. "Fallin' Rain" (Link Wray) - 3:44
  6. "Fire and Brimstone" (Wray) - 4:21
  7. "Ice People" (Wray) - 3:03
  8. "God Out West" (Verroca) - 3:54
  9. "Crowbar" (Wray) - 4:48
  10. "Black River Swamp" (Wray) - 3:58
  11. "Tail Dragger" (Willie Dixon) - 4:32

Personnel

The Family

Production

Cover versions

The Neville Brothers later covered "Fire and Brimstone" on their album Yellow Moon , as did Nick Cave and Ralph Stanley for the soundtrack of the film Lawless . The band Calexico covered "Fallin' Rain" as bonus track on their album Feast of Wire . Karl Blau covered "Fallin' Rain" on his 2016 covers album Introducing Karl Blau [6] . The Neville Brothers also covered "Fallin' Rain" on their album Brother's Keeper . [7] In 2020, Father John Misty covered “Fallin’ Rain” on his EP “Anthem +3”.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Link Wray</span> American guitarist (1929–2005)

Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. His 1958 instrumental single "Rumble", reached the top 20 in the United States; and was one of the earliest songs in rock music to utilize distortion and tremolo.

<i>Mr. Wonderful</i> (Fleetwood Mac album) 1968 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Mr. Wonderful is the second studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 23 August 1968. This all-blues album was broadly similar to their debut album, albeit with some changes to personnel and recording method. The album was recorded live in the studio with miked amplifiers and PA system, rather than plugged into the board. A horn section was introduced and Christine Perfect of Chicken Shack was featured on keyboards. The album took a total of four days to record. In the US, the album was not released, though around half of the tracks appeared on English Rose.

<i>Axis: Bold as Love</i> 1967 studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

Axis: Bold as Love is the second studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was first released by Track Records in the United Kingdom on December 1, 1967, only seven months after the release of the group's highly successful debut album, Are You Experienced. In the United States, Reprise Records delayed the release until the following month. The album reached the top ten in the album charts in both countries.

<i>Playback</i> (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album) 1995 box set by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Playback is a box set compilation by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1995. It contains popular album tracks, B-sides, previously unreleased outtakes, and early songs by Petty's previous band Mudcrutch.

Los Super Seven is an American supergroup which debuted in 1998. According to Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Los Super Seven isn't a band, per se – it's a collective, organized by manager Dan Goodman, who comes up with a concept for each of the group's albums and assembles a band to fit." The collective has released three albums to date, with wildly varying personnel. Only Ruben Ramos and Rick Trevino are featured on all three releases.

<i>Yellow Moon</i> (Neville Brothers album) 1989 studio album by the Neville Brothers

Yellow Moon is an album by the Neville Brothers, released in 1989. The track "Healing Chant" won best pop instrumental performance at the 32nd (1989) Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicken Shack</span> English blues band

Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb, Andy Silvester, and Alan Morley (drums), who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1967. Chicken Shack has performed with various line-ups, Stan Webb being the only constant member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Flames</span> South African musical group

The Flames were a South African musical group formed in 1962, with their best-known lineup consisting of guitarists and vocalists Steve Fataar and Blondie Chaplin, bassist Edries "Brother" Fataar, and drummer Ricky Fataar. Considered one of the most influential and unique bands of 1960s South Africa, they stood out with their blend of soul and rock music, Indian background, and music, which was centered around albums and covers rather than singles and original songs. Their 1968 cover of The Impressions' "For Your Precious Love" reached #1 on the domestic charts and is their most popular song.

<i>Bad Reputation</i> (Joan Jett album) 1980 studio album by Joan Jett

Bad Reputation is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Joan Jett. It was originally released independently in May 1980 as a self-titled album after her previous band The Runaways disbanded. After Jett signed with Boardwalk Records, the album was re-released worldwide with the new title on January 23, 1981. The album was positively received by critics and reached number 51 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosanna (song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song, and for its production, which is generally seen as being one of the best mastered songs of all time. The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

<i>Beans and Fatback</i> 1973 studio album by Link Wray

Beans and Fatback is a 1973 album by American guitarist Link Wray. It was recorded in 1971 by Link's brother Vernon "Ray Vernon" Wray at Wray's Shack Three Track studio, an old chicken shack on Wray's farm in Accokeek, Maryland during the Link Wray/Mordicai Jones sessions. It was mixed by Simon Heyworth at The Manor Studio, Oxfordshire, England. The music is similar to other of Wray's period recordings with distinctive "shack" sound and the same Americana blend of blues, country, gospel, and folk rock, but it is a slightly looser and harder-rocking set than Link Wray.

<i>Mordicai Jones</i> 1972 studio album by Link Wray

Mordicai Jones is a 1972 album by American guitarist Link Wray. The album was credited to mysterious singer Mordicai Jones, who was Link's piano player Bobby Howard. It was recorded under the supervision of producer Steve Verocca at Wray's Shack Three Track studio in Accokeek, Maryland, during the Link Wray / Beans and Fatback sessions.

<i>Big Blue Ball</i> 2008 compilation album by multiple artists

Big Blue Ball is an album by multiple artists which "grew from 3 recording weeks" at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in the summers of 1991, 1992, and 1995. It is Peter Gabriel's fourteenth album project overall.

<i>Aretha</i> (1986 album) 1986 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Aretha is the thirty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, originally released on October 16, 1986, by Arista Records. It is the third album with the Aretha title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All of My Life (Bee Gees song)</span> 1966 single by Bee Gees

"All of My Life" is a song by the English-Australian rock group Bee Gees, written and sung by Barry Gibb, which was used as the B-side of "Monday's Rain". This song was recorded during the sessions for their second album Spicks and Specks and appeared on the early pressings of the album, entitled Monday's Rain as the first song on side two. When the album's name was changed to Spicks and Specks, the song was omitted.

<i>Joy</i> (Phish album) Album by Phish

Joy is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on September 8, 2009, on the band's own label, JEMP Records.

This page lists the albums recorded by the rock band Hummingbird, which was formed by Bobby Tench and included other former members of The Jeff Beck Group. All three albums were produced by Ian Samwell.

<i>Back to the Grindstone</i> 1991 studio album by Ronnie Milsap

Back to the Grindstone is the twentieth studio album by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap, released on March 12, 1991. The album produced four singles, three of which reached the top ten on the Billboard country singles chart, including "Are You Lovin' Me Like I'm Lovin' You," "Since I Don't Have You," a cover of The Skyliners' 1958 standard and "Turn That Radio On." The fourth single, "All Is Fair in Love and War" peaked at number 11. Milsap produced the album with Rob Galbraith, with further assistance from Richard Landis on "Since I Don't Have You".

<i>Family Groove</i> 1992 studio album by The Neville Brothers

Family Groove is the sixth studio album by the Neville Brothers. Rose of Sharon Witmer writes in her AllMusic review, "This is vintage Neville Brothers philosophy delivered as always with the funky beat and unique Neville sound that has captivated fans all over the world."

<i>This Years Model</i> (Imperials album) 1987 studio album by The Imperials

This Year's Model is the 32nd studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials, released in 1987 on Myrrh Records. This is the first album to feature new members Jimmie Lee Sloas and Ron Hemby, replacing long-time tenor Jim Murray and lead singer Paul Smith. It was a change in direction as This Year's Model's sound was more rock-oriented alienating long-time fans of the Imperials' four-part harmony of their early years. The track "Power of God" became a theme song for Christian bodybuilders the Power Team and new younger fans began to come to Imperials concerts. Production duties were done by Brown Bannister, who produced their previous album Let the Wind Blow (1985) with songwriting contributions from fellow CCM acts Pam Mark Hall, Chris Eaton and Paul Smith who co-wrote the lead single "Wings of Love". This Year's Model peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 [Link Wray at AllMusic]
  2. Fablo, Syd (October 16, 2016). "Link Wray – Live at The Paradiso". Rock Salted. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Meadows, Dick (28 August 1971). "Link: Doing it his Way". Sounds . Spotlight Publications. p. 8.
  4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 23, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  5. "Link Wray: Link Wray". Pitchfork .
  6. ""Introducing Karl Blau"…. Due 13/05/16 | Bella Union".
  7. "Brother's Keeper - Neville Brothers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .