Customer Reviews

Win This Record

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've listened to David Lindley for years, enjoying his backup performances with Jackson Browne as well as solo. The depth of his instrumental work is astounding. The music is also a lot of fun. I would rank "Win This Record!" as one of his best. I put a few cuts on the end of a home recording for my sister-in-law and she likes his stuff better than her original request. I'm glad to find a resource for the CD.

What can I say? When I was 18 (I'm now 35) I bought tickets to see Joe Walsh at the Los Angeles Forum. David Lindley opened and it was right after the release of El Rayo X. I was stunned at David's virtuoisty on lap steel, danelectro guitar, bouzouki, and all the rest. I continue to find his music extremely moving and technically without equal. Win This Record has some absolutely beautiful ballads, great folk rockers, seminal reggae covers - it's a fantastic recording, buy it! My wife and I still smile, dance, and cry every time we hear his version of Premature.

My first experience with David Lindley was about fifteen years ago in San Diego. My cousin and I drove to Solana Beach and saw him at the Belly Up. He can, and does play almost anything. I guess "Brother John" is my favorite as well as "Tuberculucas and the Sinus Blues". I will see him again if I can ever escape Grover Beach.

He may be rock-n-roll's biggest clown .... but's he's no fool. Frolicking & rollicking good time music.... Dave is a musician's musician with a huge following of true blue fans...

The song "Talk To The Lawyer" sounds like it is based on reality. Getting a telephone call from someone who could be from the FBI or CIA might be a common experience for people in the public eye who think that certain things are funnier than other people would openly admit. David Lindley has a knack for opening some cans of worms that other people would avoid. Lately he has been singing about a catfood sandwich in a tribute to food in the green room in places he has toured, which I may never forget. Many musicians get excellent timing from spending so much of their real life on stage. Lindley has the comic mentality needed to keep hammering away at a joke until you expect to keep hearing it forever.

Many of these songs (Turning Point, Brother John, Premature, Rock It With I, Ram-A-Lamb-A-Man) sound like the style of Caribbean music that occasionally are good enough to become pop songs. The starting song, "Something's Got a Hold on Me," is rousing in its theme and rhythms. The last verse has a few words that you might not catch the first time. Unlike Ed Sullivan asking the Rolling Stones to muffle some words on "Let's Spend the Night Together" to avoid ruffling the feathers of those who don't want to think about what is going on when young people go out with each other, David Lindley might be distorting his normal singing style to sound like he is suffering from some unexpected agony when he gets to the line, "I lower the stone but I hurt all day." Only those who are determined to know every word of that song are likely to realize that he is singing about something that apoplectic, precious, or whatever, but (for dramatic reasons) the song makes sense best if that is the last line anyone is likely to figure out. In the chorus, enthusiasm for the euphemism *love* predominates. "Make It On Time" is also a rousing song. The final song, "Look So Good," reminds me of someone playing `Amazing Grace' on a slide guitar. David Lindley plays such guitars extremely well, tours occasionally, and I'm glad I had a chance to see him in 2004. I've had these songs much longer and knew who he was before I tried to learn any of the songs he plays, but I still like "Something's Got A Hold On Me" better than the rest.

Back in November on an NPR Program I heard a cut from an old David Lindley album "Win this Record" and I couldn't get the song or sound out of my head. I was first introduced to the album in the early '80s by a local rock 'n roller friend of mine. He's got a unique sound and I believe plays the "guitar-organ", whatever that is. I would describe the music as "white reggae" that is mostly upbeat. Check out track #6 where his description of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is uncanny, having been recorded thirty years ago. Another favorite of mine is track #4, "Brother John".

This oddly titled 2nd release from David Lindley and El Rayo-X is my favorite from this era. It includes the usual top notch covers and more than usual of his own quirky songs like the classic TALK TO THE LAWYERS, the enigmatic driving SPODIE, the short and so sweet acoustic instrumental LOOK SO GOOD (a good foreshadow of his career to come), as well as the rockin', MAKE IT ON TIME, and playful RAM-A-LAMB-A-MAN. Besides his own tunes it includes my favorite covers like TURNING POINT, BROTHER JOHN, and PREMATURE.

Throughout, the band is tight and relaxed, rockin yet restrained in a nice balance; Lindley delivers just the right notes at just the right time. The covers are done with the typical El Rayo-X roots-rock or reggaeized treatements. While this recording sounds like it's from the early 80's all the songs have aged well and I like to hear 'em regularly, especially when I want to hear Lindley's electric slide, smile and feel good!

Like Mr. Beamer I had the pleasure of taking in the live viewing of David Lindley "The Legend" at the "Belly Up Tavern" in Solana Beach, CA, very likely we were at the same show becasue if I recall correctly they only played one weekend. I had already been an avid listener of Lindley's and was eager to hear him live. Even though he had already been around for a number of years his songs were still as sharp and clear as they were originally sung ! His live performance was as vibrant and stimulating as his songs are, and his collection of guitars, including his electric violin, are an incredible accumulation of style and power. My only regret was that at this particular showing the one song I wanted to hear "Bye Bye Love" he didn't get to :-(
which is a bummer because I was trying to tell a girl I met there that she knew one his songs, that being bye bye love, and he didnt sing it !
She must have lived in a hole though cuz she hadn't heard mercury blues either ! So thats my 2 cents thanks for listening!

I've been a David Lindley fan for years, There's humor , message, and just plane excellent music to be heard from Win This Record. As a musician and a lap steel player (for which I hold Mr. Lindley personally responsible) there are those times when I run low on inspiration, when it does I listen to Dave Lindley. Out of all his albums I mean CDs this one is now my favorite. It has some of his finest solos that I've heard to date.

Highly underrated and overlooked, David Lindley is mostly known for his work with other people [Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder]. WIN THIS RECORD is Lindley at his best. I wore the LP down to the nubs and was glad to find this on CD. Lindley is a master of the many stringed instruments he plays. He likes to mix up styles and genres and comes up with some truly remarkable music.