Search - Ray Wylie Hubbard :: Loco Gringo's Lament

A truly outstanding CD

Smallchief | 05/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Loco Gringo's Lament" is said to be Ray Wylie Hubbard's "comeback" CD. "Comeback from what?" you might ask. Well, Hubbard was moderately well known in Texas in the 1970s, fell into oblivion in the 1980s, sobered up, took guitar lessons to improve his technique, and made this 1995 album and several others which followed. "Loco Gringo's Lament" won a couple of awards in Texas as album of the year.



The guitar lessons worked as the acoustic and electric playing on this CD are outstanding with "Buffalo" Ware and Lloyd Maines helping Hubbard. Manes, the father of Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, produced the CD. Classifying the music of "Loco Gringo's Lament," I'd probably toss in it in the folk category but there are rock songs and country songs and on "Little Angel Comes a Walkin'" Hubbard does a (tongue in cheek) Percy Sledge imitation. Hubbard wrote most of the songs on the CD.



Most singer/songwriters in the folk genre sound a little monototous. Ray Wylie Hubbard makes every song sound different, shifting between acoustic and electric guitars, adding an accordion, violin, steel guitar, dobro, or even cello on some tracks. The common denominator is a heavy beat and clean, sharp guitar playing. Hubbard's range as a singer is about A to B in a quavery baritone, but he can carry a tune and he has the good sense to add a female voice now and then to moderate his growl. He is, by turns, profane and spiritual, tender and crude. The title song has a bit of Marty Robbins in it; Dylanesque lyrics creep into "The Real Trick," "Wanna Rock and Roll" is heavy metal, and a couple of tunes show the influence of the Carter family.



I love this CD as I do all Hubbard's music. He is a deep-thinking, rowdy troubadour of Texas.



Smallchief



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Essential Texas Music

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 04/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ray Wylie Hubbard has been both blessed and cursed by the same song. That is that if people outside of his cult following have heard of him at all, its because of Jerry Jeff Walker's famous rendition of Hubbard's Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother. He's been blessed because that bought him a name recognition thousands of dollars in advertising couldn't. Its been a curse because many people are unaware that he's done anything else worthwhile.

I've been a sometimey fan of Hubbard over the years and bought Loco Gringo's Lament on cassette back when it was issued. As cassettes often do, mine wore out so I waited for years until it was finally reissued on CD. The songs here are fairly strong overall, mostly in the peculiarly Texas style of country rock. But one song stands out as one of the best Hubbard has written and that is the dark, murderous Dust of the Chase. Its arresting lyrics and ominous guitar work combine to make it one chilling song and that by itself is enough to give the CD a five-star rating.

If you are a fan of Texas music, then Loco Gringo's Lament is one of the essentials. Now that it is once again available, there's no good reason not to add it to your collection."