Link Wray (album)
| Link Wray | ||||
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| Studio album by Link Wray | ||||
| Released | June 1971 | |||
| Recorded | by Ray Vernon at Wray's Shack 3 Track, Accokeek, Maryland in 1971 | |||
| Genre | Country rock, blues, folk rock, roots rock, americana | |||
| Length | 44:16 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Steve Verroca & Ray Vernon in assotiation with Bob Feldman |
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| Link Wray chronology | ||||
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Link Wray is the self-titled 1971 album by pioneer Rock & Roll guitarist, and Shawnee Indian Link Wray. It was recorded in 1971 by Link's brother Vernon "Vernon Ray" Wray at Wray's Shack Three Track studio in an old chicken shack on Wray's farm in Accokeek, Maryland, and mixed by Chuck Irwin. 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. The recording included the use of a shaken can of pebbles as part of the percussion on several tracks. Still, Wray's guitar-work, composing and vocals reflected modern rock influences. Despite publicity from radio stations and print media in the Washington area, the album did not do well in national sales.
Some tracks from the 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) alongside with other "shack" recordings of '71 Beans and Fatback and Mordicai Jones.
The Neville Brothers later covered "Fire and Brimstone" on their album Yellow Moon, while Americana band Calexico covered "Fallin' Rain" as bonus track on a Special Edition of their album Feast of Wire.
[edit] Track listing
- "La De Da" (Steve Verroca) - 4:04
- "Take Me Home Jesus" (Steve Verroca) - 3:21
- "Juke Box Mama" (Steve Verroca) - 4:29
- "Rise and Fall of Jimmy Stokes" (Steve Verroca) - 4:02
- "Fallin' Rain" (Link Wray) - 3:44
- "Fire and Brimstone" (Link Wray) - 4:21
- "Ice People" (Link Wray) - 3:03
- "God Out West" (Steve Verroca) - 3:54
- "Crowbar" (Link Wray) - 4:48
- "Black River Swamp" (Link Wray) - 3:58
- "Tail Dragger" (Willie Dixon) - 4:32
[edit] Personnel
- Link Wray - lead vocals, guitars, dobro, bass guitar
- Bobby Howard - mandolin, piano
- Bill Hodges - piano, organ, backing vocals
- Doug Wray - drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Steve Verroca - drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Gene Johnson - backing vocals
[edit] Production
- Producer: Steve Verroca & Ray Vernon, in assotiation with Bob Feldman
- Recording Engineer: Ray Vernon
- Re-Mixing Engineer: Chuck Irwin
