speed of dark

Another of my long-time guitar gods is David Lindley, perhaps best-known as Jackson Browne's sideman in the 1970's. I was a fan of Browne's through his first four albums, so this is where I came across Lindley's genius on fiddle and pedal steel.

What may not be generally known is that he may be credited with forming the first world music band, The Kaliedoscope. Along with his friend Ry Cooder, he has worked with and supported artists from around the world, notably Madagascan music with guitarist Henry Kaiser, and recording and touring with Jordanian percussionist Hani Nasir. Not restricted to guitar, "Mr. Dave" claims he can play "anything with strings." The list of musicians he has worked with, both live and in studio recording, reads like a who's who of anyone who ever recorded in California. Absolutely amazing.

Lindley left Browne in 1981 to focus on his own new band, El Rayo-X. For non-Spanish speakers, this is properly pronounced "el ry-oh ekees." Try to roll the "r." I heard an interviewer ask him once about the name, and he explained that with these words stenciled on his equipment cases, he could tour anywhere and not worry about ever having them stolen or messed with. The first album, self-titled, was released in 1981.

In the 80's my music collection migrated away from vinyls and toward cassette tapes. The medium had its good and bad points. The good parts were that the little plastic cases were easier to store than records, and I could record mixes from the radio or from my vinyl collection and other tapes. The bad parts were that the cases were easily broken and that players could get finicky and the fragile tapes could twist, crimp, and break. Both the tapes and the players easily got dusty in my desert environment, which contributed to both finickyness and breakage.

I had El Rayo-X on cassette tape. Indie Mom, her sister, and I would breeze around town in my '68 VW pop-top camper singing along to "She Took Off My Romeos." It took me a long while to discover what Romeos are, but I found out that they are those boots with the stretchy fabric at the ankles so that no zippers, buttons, or buckles are required. El Rayo-X is chiefly a reggae album, but a couple of my favorites defy that genre, including the completely wacky and irrestible title song. I'd love to know the lyrics, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. Anyone want to give it a try? "Petit Fleur" showcases Lindley's violin skills. I added "Tiki Torches at Twilight" from a later album because the images of a businessmen's drunken luau are too funny to miss.

If the song titles by themselves don't tip you off that Lindley is an eccentric with an off-the-wall sense of humor, then take in his trademark unruly hair, never less than shoulder-length, the outrageously patterned shirts, and his wild falsetto.

From El Rayo-X (1981)
El Rayo-X

She Took Off My Romeos

Petit Fleur

Tiki Torches at Twilight from Very Greasy (1988)

Read lots more about David Lindley at his official website and another nice bio at rosebud.
Buy at amazon, emusic, and iTunes