By the time
David Lindley
made his move to a solo career, he was already a legend. Having toured and recorded with such names as
Jackson Browne
,
Linda Ronstadt
, and
Crosby & Nash
, his reputation as a multi-instrumentalist (on almost any stringed instrument) was awesome.
Lindley
scored a contract with
Elektra Records
and put together an excellent band that was able to keep up with his eclectic vision. Combining
blues
rock & roll
Cajun
Zydeco
, Middle Eastern music, and other elements, his debut album is an absolute joy.
's version of
"Mercury Blues"
became an FM radio staple, and his slide guitar performances on this track alone are easily some of the finest of the decade. There are some wonderfully skewed originals on the record as well, making
El Rayo-X
one of the greatest
rock
music albums of its time. Fabulous. ~ Matthew Greenwald