3-Track Shack Link Wray

£15.11

Genre:
Rock'n'Roll
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCH2 1451

Three albums Link Wray recorded on his brother’s farm in the early 70s. Radically different to his previous releases, the music remains raw and basic, but with vocals and acoustic instruments.

Following his instrumental hits ‘Rumble’ and ‘Jack The Ripper’, Link Wray settled into a routine of gigging with his band the Raymen in the North-Eastern states, particularly the rough and ready dives of Washington DC. In the early 70s this stopped and Link concentrated on working on the farm his brother Vernon had bought in Accokeek ,Maryland. Vernon installed a three-track recording studio in the basement of the farmhouse, but his wife complained about the noise so it was moved outside to an old chicken house – the 3-Track Shack was born.

Producer Steve Verroca caught one of Link’s performances in a local bar, was impressed, and thought the time was right for a comeback. Extracting elements from his own country, blues and gospel roots and somehow melding them together with the very landscape itself, he created an organic blend of downhome music that was imbued with a primitive spirituality. There is an unpolished, spontaneous feel to the music which sparks it greedily into life, and the Accokeek earth seems to be ground deep into every groove. Acoustic guitars, mandolins, dobros and piano paint a rustic picture of timeless valleys, ancient mountains and endless ranch land with Link’s bluesy electric guitar flowing through them like a powerful river with only the floorboard-stomping percussion keeping it tethered to its course. The album was acclaimed by music journalists who regarded it as a re-birth, but fans were confused by the new direction and the eponymous first album did not sell. A second album was released – the pseudonymously title “Mordicai Jones” – with either pianist Bobby Howard or Gene Johnson taking over vocal duties from Link. The in-depth booklet note tells Link’s version of how the third album from the sessions, “Beans And Fatback”, came to be released on Virgin in 1973.

These three albums have been out on CD before, but never mastered from the original tapes. You can even hear the frogs croaking outside the shack.

Dave Burke & Alan Taylor

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Track listing

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Side 1

Side 2

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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"Link retires to his chicken coop, sings, invents Americana." "Wray's shack recordings are the staging post between Lead Belly and Nirvana Unplugged" 8/10

UNCUT

"A voice somewhere between Howlin’ Wolf and Dr John dominates the eponymous first of the albums presented here, with makeshift instruments (the musicians stamped for the bass drum and shook tins of nails for the snare) and improvised production (Wray’s guitar amp was slung out of the window, with mics set up in the field). Fire And Brimstone is a tour de force while Take Me Home Jesus is simply gorgeous."

Record Collector

★★★★

Mojo

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