El Rayo-X

by

David Lindley & El Rayo-X

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El Rayo X is an album no discriminating rock lover shoud be without. This one is a classic in every sense of the word. David Lindley is simply one of the best musicians of our time. He never picked up a stringed instrument he didn't like. With his stringy hair and strange rayon/polyester attire he wore, the last thing this eccentric cat looked like was a world class musician. But if you remember Jackson Browne and his songs like "Redneck Friend" and "Running on Empty", all that explosive lap-steel guitar work belonged to Lindley. He also played on such notable albums as Warren Zevon's debut and Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like A Wheel. On this, he brought in longtime cohort Jackson Browne to produce it. Lindley shows us all sides of the rock spectrum on here with styles from Reggae/Ska to Tex-mex to pop and rock. I love albums like this that presents all styles of music.It's never boring. The music here is all upbeat rockers that are tailor-made for your next dance party. But be warned, the guests may want to take this home with em. This cd demands repeated listens. You won't be able to put it down. Some of the great classic tunes you'll be wanting to hear over and over are "She Took Off My Romeos", "Mercury Blues", and a delicious version of "Twist And Shout", that goes from a reggae beat to a La Bamba dance tune. This is some very contagious stuff! I also recommend his next cd "Win This Record", which serves as a good bookend to this, and is almost as good. But go get this one first, I guarantee you'll love it! Tell em Homebrew sent ya.

I've listened to this album for the first 2-3 times just recently. I got to Lindley via his work with Warren Zevon & Jackson Browne. I already have two of his more recent discs, "Live in Tokyo" and "Twango Bango Deluxe". Both are independently produced on his private label and feature Lindley's masterful fretwork and earnest vocals accompanied only by a single percussionist. I find this stripped down setting much more interesting and a better showcase for Lindley's talents than the more highly produced ensemble effort on El Rayo X. The one exception would be his blistering slide work on "Mercury Blues" (on El Rayo X), for which maximum volume and repeat mode are cumpulsory. Maybe I need to give the rest of El Rayo X some time to sink in, but right now I definitely recommend the others.