Release Date: 25 January, 2005
Audio CD
Tracks
- The Beauty Way
- Rock and Roll Gypsies
- Dallas After Midnight
- Torn in Two
- Drivin' Wheel
- This Mornin' I Am Born Again
- Dust of the Chase
- Roll and I Tumble
- Cooler-N-Hell
- Choctaw Bingo
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Rating 4.5
A Fine Release From One of Texas' Holy Songwriting TrinityTexas seems to produce an awful lot of singer-songwriter story telling types, and Ray Wylie Hubbard ranks right up there with Robert Earl Keen Jr and James McMurtry as one of the best.
I am not originally from Texas, but I have been aware of Hubbard's songwriting genius since Jerry Jeff Walker introduced him to the wider world back in the mid-70s with a cover of the riotous Redneck Mother. Since that time, I have been an occasional fan, picking up a Hubbard CD here and there as I became aware of a new release.
Delirium Tremolos is no different. A friend who is a regular buyer of Hubbard recordings alerted me to this about a month ago and told me how much he enjoyed it, so I gave it a shot.
As you might already know from the industry blurb or from other sources, this is a collection of mostly cover songs written by somewhat obscure songwriters, some of whom are unfamiliar to me. That's OK, I like to find hidden treasures, and there are a lot to discover on Delirium Tremolos.
My favorites are Eliza Gilkyson's The Beauty Way, Roger Tillison's Rock and Roll Gypsies, Gurf Morlix's Torn In Two, the Hubbard/Canada joint composition Cooler-N-Hell, and James McMurtry's epic Choctaw Bingo. That last I like specially because of its wry humor and because I know all the places mentioned in the song. Though I'd yet to hear McMurtry sing Choctaw Bingo himself, the way it is written has McMurtry all over it. To add to the listener's enjoyment, Hubbard brings in McMurtry to play guitar on this rendition.
I also like Dust of the Chase, though it took me a while to warm to the version here. The original is on Loco Gringo's Lament, and in my opinion, is the best song Hubbard has ever written!
If you are into alt-country outlaw type music, you are sure to like Delirium Tremolos whether or not you have heard Hubbard before. Give it a shot, you can't go wrong.backroads poetRay Wylie Hubbard's new CD continues in the style of his previous recording, Growl, but does not merely reiterate it. Delirium Tremelos is less, er, growlier. As much groove as melody, Growl was a rough-edged evocation of the imaginary America conjured up in its traditional folk music -- though the songs were Hubbard's originals.
This time he's borrowing mostly from other writers, all good ones; nobody would question Hubbard's intelligence and taste. The sound is sweeter in many places, sometimes downright pretty (e.g., Canadian writer David Wiffen's "Drivin' Wheel," recalled by all who were there for Tom Rush's classic 1970 reading, and Woody Guthrie's declaration of spiritual independence, "This Mornin' I Am Born Again"). The old-time folk-blues "Roll and I Tumble," another of the album's particularly striking moments, comes closest to the antique, anarchic spirit of Growl.
With each recording -- and with the help of Gurf Morlix's producing genius -- Hubbard moves closer to the front rank of roots-based American performers and composers. One senses that this veteran, evolving from a decent literary singer-songwriter to a grittier, more engaging backroads poet, is finding that dark and raggedy voice that was always inside him.His music has a gruff side, but that is its ballsy charmPlaying Time - 45:35 -- Ray Wylie Hubbard may be best known as the composer of "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother," and he also wrote "Wanna Rock `n Roll," Cross Canadian Ragweed's party anthem. On his "Delirium Tremolos" album, the Texas singer/songwriter with the strong, growling baritone primarily interprets songs of Eliza Gilkyson, Roger Tillison, James McMurty, Slaid Cleaves and others. Three originals from his own pen are also offered. "Dallas After Midnight," originally recorded about 20 years ago with the Lost Gonzo Band, is a hard-hitting tale of a liquor store robbery gone wrong with all its social commentary. Jack Ingram sings with Ray Wylie on this number. Another Hubbard ballad, "Dust of the Chase" relates the story of a scripture-reading gambling man who is "lost in the dust of the chase" that his life brings. Written with Cody Canada, "Cooler-n-Hell" is straight-ahead blues that speaks to those things under heaven which are cooler-n-hell.
When choosing covers, Hubbard shows an affinity for meaningful songs that are both funny and serious. His socially conscious messages have built him plenty of fans in the alt-country crowd. Back in 70s, Hubbard and his Cowboy Twinkies band had a very short fling with Warner Brothers. Some additional albums followed during the 80s. The decade of the 90s found him cleaned up after 25 years of drugs and alcohol and with some top Americana releases such as "Eternal and Lowdown" and "Growl." At age 43, Hubbard also took his first guitar lesson, learned to fingerpick and actually began to study songwriting. On the road, he carries an inspirational book entitled "Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainier Maria Rilke.
"Delirium Tremolos" features some material which is a very good fit for Ray Wylie, chosen with the help of producer Gurf Morlix. The project opens with "The Beauty Way," written by Eliza Gilkyson and Mark Andes about Gilkyson's father, Terry, who wrote a number of big hits. Gilkyson sings with Hubbard on this cut, as well as with four others on "This Mornin' I Am Born Again" presented a cappella with only percussion.
The album closes with a personal interpretation of James McMurtry's "Choctaw Bingo," an 8-minute party trip to a family reunion in Oklahoma. The song paints impressionistic pictures of some characters like Uncle Slaton who makes moonshine and cooks crystal meth. We're gonna have us a time with Roscoe, Bob, Mae, Ruth-Anne, and Lynn. Especially the last two I reckon, as Ray Wylie sings, "And they're second cousins to me, Man I don't care I wanna get between `em, with a great big ol' hard-on, like a old bois d'arc fencepost..." Other guest singers on "Delirium Tremolos" include Jack Ingram, Patty Griffin, Kimmie Rhodes, Bob Schneider and Slaid Cleaves. Musicians include Ray Bonneville (harmonica), Rick Richards and Jon Hahn (drums), Cody Canada (electric guitar), Ian McLagan (Hammond B3 organ), and Gurf Morlix (bass, guitars, percussion, steel, mandolin).
On a personal side, Hubbard leads a more conservative life than some of the eccentric people he sings about. He's married (Judy), has a son (Lucas), attends Lucas' baseball and basketball games, and hosts a Tuesday folk and blues radio show (KNBT in Gruene, Tx.). He also plans to tour, write songs, and re-release some of his earliest work in the near future. The music has a gruff side, but that is its ballsy charm. Ray Wylie Hubbard's expressive musicality continues to build a large following, albeit not with that many audiences of mainstream country music. (Joe Ross)
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