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The Flatlanders
The Odessa Tapes
(New West Records)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Flatlanders’ reputation – mythos may be the better word – developed as much because of the scarcity of their material as their prescient attempt to infuse Texas roots and acoustic instrumentation into the otherwise-slick country music of the early 1970s. Their 1972 Nashville-recorded album was barely released by an uninterested record company [see 8 track, above], and they broke up not long afterward. When its material was re-released by Rounder Records in 1990, the CD was titled More a Legend Than a Band. That’s what the long-lost Flatlanders had become.

My, how that has now changed. The solo success that the three core Flatlanders – Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock – were starting to have in the 1980s, and that prompted the Rounder release, continued in the 1990s. As Americana developed with Austin as its center, they became celebrated heroes and that eventually prompted a serious, ongoing band reunion. There’s now a cornucopia of Flatlanders material available – new recordings and archival releases.

And the new The Odessa Tapes is one more – an important one. It’s a recently discovered and newly restored recording of 14 songs the Flatlanders had cut at a studio in Odessa, Texas, in January 1972. It was near – by Texas standards – their home in Lubbock. That two months before they went to Nashville, making this their earliest known recordings.

Originally made on a three-track tape recorder, and then kept in storage until The Flatlanders learned about it, the tape was taken to Capitol Mastering in Hollywood. There are still some minor technical imperfections, understandable given the source material’s age, but overall the songs sound startlingly fresh and new. In fact, the sound, singing and arrangements are livelier, more direct and more passionate than the Nashville versions of the same songs.

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"Dallas"

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The Sirius/XM channel 60 Outlaw Country will air a one-hour special to celebrate the release of The Odessa Tapes, Monday Sept 3 at 7 PM. Hosted by Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock

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Joe Ely told a story about picking up a hitch hiker in Lubbock in the late '60s, The hitcher's name was Townes Van Zandt and he gave Joe a copy of his recent album out of his backpack.

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Steve Young (born July 12, 1942) is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for his song "Seven Bridges Road" (on Rock Salt & Nails & Seven Bridges Road). He is a pioneer of the country rock, Americana, and alternative country sounds, and also a vital force behind the 'outlaw movement' that gave support to the careers of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Jr. and more. Steve was also featured in the 1975 Outlaw Country documentary Heartworn Highways.

Born in Newnan, Georgia, he grew up in Alabama, Georgia and Texas, moving from place to place as his family searched for work. By the time he had completed high school, Young was playing and writing songs that incorporated influences of folk, blues, country and gospel that he absorbed while travelling throughout the South.

Steve Young wrote (and continues to write) many songs, including outlaw classics such as "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean" (covered by Waylon Jennings) and "Montgomery In the Rain" (covered by Hank Williams, Jr.).

His best-known composition is "Seven Bridges Road", which became a major hit for The Eagles when they included a cover of it on their live album in 1980.

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Another True Original

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Like The Monkees song!

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For those who love older country, check out Laura Cantrell's The Radio Thrift Shop Go to the archive section... Hours and hours of good listening... there is also contemporary stuff played..

“The Radio Thrift Shop” started on WFMU (New Jersey) in 1993, the program was a Saturday afternoon staple in the New York area for 13 years, Laura then moved to WFMU.org and ran for two seasons on BBC Radio Scotland as a summer replacement in 2005 and 2006. She still pops up from time to time and had a show this past weekend

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Mike Nesmith

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