Two For His Heels

The older I get, the more I appreciate the qualities of singers and songwriters. One of them is Sheffield's Richard Hawley, who announced a new album last week. The Wiener Standard labelled his music "somewhere between Roy Orbison bombast, soft rockabilly rumble and songs from the Lee Hazlewood and Johnny Cash school". Two For His Heels exactly a song in this label, a sparse, atmospheric and cinematic song about a deal that goes wrong, its low blues rumble reminiscent of Link Wray and Duane Eddy. Nothing less the song of the week for me.

Lee's Instrumentals

Most of us will know Lee Hazlewood as a great songwriter and artist who had released some superb albums throughout his career and his collaboration with Nancy Sinatra. Less will know that in his former times after his military duty in Korea he worked as a DJ and collaborated with Duane Eddy. He produced and co-written a lot of songs in the rockabilly and twang era. From time to time there are some re-releases of his output and I got a second hand record from a few years ago. Rockabilly and mariachi-sound is't the music I can hear every day but these songs still work after 60 years.

Later this day I will see how Stuttgart will play and if they are able to win after a period of five games and only got two draw. Anyway, I won't moaning because some of you get this feeling almost every week.

Duane Eddy - Shazam
The Livley Ones - (Dance With) The Guitar Man
Lee Hazlewood's Woodchucks - Muchacho

Twanging Tuesday # 66

Last week I posted Duane Eddy's classic 'Rebel Rouser'. And today is a band which tries to keep his legacy alive. Los Straitjackets are an American surf and instrumental band deeply based in the sound of Duane Eddy. Typical are their twangy guitar, their strait rhythm and not singing any word. It sound new, fresh and awesome. They appeared on my focus during the post Pulp Fiction surf revival.

Enjoy

Twanging Tusesdy # 65

Today's twanging tune is another classic by Duane Eddy. He played the twangiest guitar ever. So enjoy this sound way back 50 years ago.

And as a bonus a version played by Johnny Hallyday a French Rock 'n' Roll artist that never got the appearance in music he should get. He was big in France way back then but you should listen to this version as well. It is awesome and a lot of jazzy style. It was wild, free and a very own version of this song. Dominated by drums and a free guitar.

Twanging Tuesday # 50

It is hardly to be thought that this is here already the fiftieth issue of the series. Originally I had planned to write a short series about prominent songs which is to be assigned to the classical Twang sound of Duane Eddy. But then I remembered songs which are not necessarily to be assigned though to this genre, however, on account of that that they are mostly guitar-heavy and have a relation to the Twang sound. And thus I will continue to prefer with my eclectic arrangement of guitar-oriented songs without certain genre. Be surprised what will be shown up.

Today's song is another one from the sampler 'The Roots of Psychobilly'. It's an instrumental by The Rhythm Rockers and a wild saxophone, twangy guitars and sometimes a mad shouting directly from the swamp.

The Rhythm Rockers - Madness

Twanging Tuesday # 47

If we talk about twanging guitars we have to take a look to Duane Eddy. He generated tthe ypical Duane Eddy-Twang, while he played the leading melody on the bass strings of his E guitar and worked with a combination of the sound effects tremolo, echo and sound which lent a deep earthy sound to his guitar play. Also the guitar sound on Eddys admissions was influenced by the choice of his instrument. Most of you will know his version of the Peter Gunn Theme but I'm more into the song I would like to present you today.

Have a good and twangy week people.