First posted on Mark Is Cranky:
Vacation approaches! Me, The Wife and The Dog are packin' up the Jeep and heading to the coast of Maine. I'm looking forward to piles of books, music, contemplation, a stack of blank paper and a handfull of #2's. Also on the list are lots of vegetarian meals full 'o garlic, local goat cheese and other earthy-crunchy stuff.
No matter how old I get, the act of leaving the building on the last day of work still gives me the same feeling as when school got out when I was a little kid. Back then thoughts leaned toward the seemingly unending stretch of days before me sure to be saturated with bikeriding and baseball. Now, of course I've only got a week, but it will be full as well. It's just the "stuff" that's changed.
Music that makes people think of the start of summer? Surely different for everybody. Maybe some Jimmy Buffett...or maybe a little Bob Marley. For me, wacko and guitarist supreme David Lindley tops the list. Like Ry Cooder, he's the kind of guy who can play any stringed instrument placed before him. While not a household name, you've probably heard Lindley in his role as sideman for people like Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon. Perhaps his most 'famous' musical moment is the falsetto verse he turned in during Jackson Browne's version of "Stay".
Ah, and Lindley the man also makes a sort of fashion statement. He's known for wearing eye-twisting color combinations of polyester. When I saw him open for Jackson Browne he came out in a pulsing baby blue Hawaiian shirt, neon orange bell-bottoms and white shoes. You want to not take him seriously but when the guitar playing begins there's no doubt he means business.
My favorite David Lindley record is the Linda Ronstadt-produced Very Greasy. It's packed with great and summery tunes including "Do Ya Wanna Dance?", "Texas Tango", "I Just Can't Work No Longer" (yea, tell me about it!), "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Tiki Torches at Twilight". The styles are all over the place but include two-step, reggae, calypso and slack-key. It's just about perfect.
Aloha.
No, wait...I'm goin' ta Maine...."Ayuh!".
Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
Great review of a forgotten classic. I'd add Lindley's "El-Rayo X" as a great comapanion to this album, it has a bit rockier edge but is still all over the map stylistically, and never boring.
2 - sheldon
Give a listen to his thoroughly cool work on Zevon's "Numb As A Statue" from "The Wind." As Warren wryly notes in the intro: "Let's do another bad one 'cause I like to see the blood drain from Dave's face." A remarkable musician.