I was looking for a tab to Clay Pigeons, my current fave Prine track, then I find out it's a cover, originally by this Blaze Foley guy. Only listened to a few tracks, but he has that respected-by-the-others-but-never-really-made-it thing going that I find really cool.
Clay Pigeons in general is just a quality, quality track. Election Day also doing it for me atm.
Lucinda Williams wrote a track about/for him on Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which is pretty much cemented as a top 5 ever album for me, but other than 'songwriter's songwriter' type mentions in biographies and comparisons/companionship with Townes Van Zandt I've never delved for some reason. Will fix that now, I've been meaning to find someone new to focus on.
I fucking love me a tragic genius, if I'm honest. This guy hits all the spots: great tune or two; probably should've had more recognition but didn't; early, tragic death. Just got it all. See Roky Erickson for similar, albeit still alive (thankfully) example.
The only problem is you may find that the further you delve, the less good stuff there is. Roky's the exception there; man's a genius. Was committed to a mental asylum and was in a band where he was the only person who wasn't a murderer. My favourite stuff of his is his mental asylum stuff, I reckon, the really bad quality, home recorded stuff. Not really country, but close enough to cross over in this thread.
I've got the Elevators albums in a box set and his Okkervil River thing, but heard nothing in between. Had some of the old curated by mixes on at work last weekend, Slip Inside This House was on one iirc, or maybe You're Gonna Miss Me. Probably yours?
Sometimes you've gotta go deep for this stuff anyway, quality be damned. You've deep mined the Buddy buddy. Two of my top five Dylan tracks are bootlegs/rarities, my favourite Beatles song is a Live at the BBC thing.
I didn't even know a studio version existed until Inside Llewyn Davis (was on the trailer, I think - proper what the fuck is thiiiis?! stuff). It's only a half take, but hooo boy.
Tbh I'll always rate the Elevators as the best psych band but that's not his best stuff at all, by a large margin.
The elevators are fantastic, they have balls, they have a driving blues backbeat and used to hate/laugh at the likes of Jefferson Airplane for their twee mushroom eating shite. The Elevators lived it, didn't just join it because it became hip. Listen to a live version of Roller Coaster to get an idea. They were the first to call their music psychedelic and listening to a live show of theirs you get a handle on the madness. Fucking real guys, not fake hippy shit like the airplane.
But! I don't really listen to them anymore, it's a time in my past. Love them, but rarely listen to them. Like Floyd, but not shite (god I can't stand Pink Floyd these days unless it has Syd in).
Roky's solo stuff tho, is fantastic. Two headed dog, Bloody Hammer, all of the Don't Slander Me album, just amazing; His 90s comeback album with the Butthole Surfers dude, great. I feel shit that the first time I saw him I was gutted he didn't play more Elevators, then the second time I saw him I was gutted he played mostly elevators and not Roky.
Rambling; dig yourself a hole and enjoy. Roky has real gems. He's the acid casualty Buddy Holly, that's the best description tbh. Enjoy, I've had a few.
Roller Coaster Live - stick this up your twee mushroom toadstool shit, wannabes:
You're right though, the go to track is Slip Inside This House, covered by Primal Scream on the Roky tribute album 'Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye'.
It's the opening track on their second album (which is fantastic) and, for me, equals Straight Outta Compton and Like a Rolling Stone as the greatest opening track on an album ever. I mean, just listen to this for a statement of intent:
I'm keen on the debut but Easter Everywhere is a better album for sure. I probably only bought it for the Dylan cover initially, which is one of the weaker tracks.
Love the bubbling psych thing, this is a good 'un too, from the first:
Ah mate, I love the raw, don't give a fuck attitude of the debut. They say it sounds like it was recorded in a cave, which I love.
This version of Fire Engine is great, it sounds like a bunch of mental cases:
You know the whole duggaduggaduggadugga sound was just Tommy Hall making that sound into a jug, right? Bunch of lunatics. Love it.
That's why I love these guys, fuck all that wanker flower power shite, these guys were mentalists! Love it, real good blues music with a twisted, freaky bent. Great. Let me take you to DMT place. Classic.