Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Hot Damn! It's Hurleyballoo!

Michael Hurley relaxes poolside, yesterday
Michael Hurley is well-known among the cognoscenti [gear-shaped pasta - Ed.] of back porch music. His music is like the creaking of an old timber house on a hot night, or chickens scratching in the dust. And his lyrics come from somewhere off the track, up in the hills, where even aliens won't land their flying saucers for fear of being abducted. Outsider musicians got together and decided not to let him in; he just didn't conform to the accepted norms of eccentricity.

 Anyhoo, we gots five of his albums today; Armchair Boogie, Back Home With Drifting Woods, First Songs, Have Moicy, and Hi-Fi Snock Uptown.


What's that you say? My favorite? Well, I guess it's Have Moicy, recorded with fellow jimson weed enthusiasts the (Un)Holy Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Frederick and The Clamtones. A gonzo goof-off masterclass, this never fails to make me snork my suds. Life is short, art is long!

 Apology: I've just been informed that our picture shows Elizabeth, not Michael Hurley! Oh brother! Is my face ever red!
at

17 comments:

  1. Hugh CandysideMarch 18, 2020 at 11:37 AM

    I've been a huge fan of Michael Hurley and The Holy Modal Rounders (RIP Steve Weber) for half a century, and have multiple copies in various formats of mostly everything they've done over the years. Of course these days I download my music from dodgy sites like this one, ensuring the artists get none of my hard earned cash. I don't lose much sleep when its The Byrds and such, but I justify my actions by trying to support the more outside artists whenever possible, mainly by supporting their live shows.
    Several years ago Mr Hurley's home address was available for anyone interested, and I sent him a letter, and a check, told him what I had, asked if I was missing anything. Got back a nice letter (written on index cards) and a couple of home burned CDRs. It still assuages my guilt for the thousands of free downloads of more established artists.
    Have Moicy is one of my All Time Top 10 Desert Island Discs.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMarch 18, 2020 at 11:51 AM

      Glad to see we're both uber-fans of Have Moicy!

      Your ethical stance re. remuneration of Artistes is admirable. For my part, I ensure all uploads are at an ear-bleedingly harsh @192 (because @128 looks cheap), actively encouraging retail sales.

      How can it be in two places at once ...


      ... when it's not anywhere at all?

      Delete
    2. Hugh CandysideMarch 18, 2020 at 12:26 PM

      I have little shiny discs of all of these except First Songs, of which I have 2 vinyl copies but only 3 of the songs as MP3s, and they are at 32kbps so 192 is a big upgrade. Although, considering the non-audiophile quality of that recording, 32 and 192 sounds pretty much the same.

      Delete
    3. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMarch 18, 2020 at 12:58 PM

      Hurley aspired to lo-fi.

      Delete
  2. Crab DevilMarch 18, 2020 at 2:17 PM

    Thanks! As it happens, I already had four of these, but I'm glad
    you included "Back Home With Drifting Woods."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMarch 18, 2020 at 2:38 PM

      You're welcome. One of the reasons I do multiple downloads is that most of the 4 or 5 guys will have most of the music already.

      (Please feel free to upload others, if you are self-quarantined and want something to do).

      Delete
    2. Crab DevilMarch 18, 2020 at 5:07 PM

      So, in between numbering sheets of toilet paper and giving people
      disapproving looks ("social distancing"), I've come up with this
      other one. Note: Some or more of the preceding might not be true.

      Long Journey
      https://www22.zippyshare.com/v/fUZGznYS/file.html

      Delete
    3. Farquhar Throckmorton IIIMarch 18, 2020 at 5:38 PM

      We are truly not worthy.

      Delete
  3. MuzzMarch 18, 2020 at 3:54 PM

    I'm pretty sure there's an alternate reality where Liz Hurley weighs eighteen stone, lives in Limerick, and sings with a ceilidh band called Burly Hurley and The Hurlyburlies.

    ReplyDelete
  4. pmacMarch 18, 2020 at 4:49 PM

    New to me, so looking forward to hearing what I've been missing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jack Kerouac's CatMarch 19, 2020 at 2:44 AM

    The Cat's Fun Facts:

    Members of Opus Dei tie cognoscenti around their legs, during the practice of Corporal Mortification.

    "Have Moicy!" is a lot of farqing fun!

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hugh CandysideMarch 19, 2020 at 3:55 AM

    I am self-quarantined and want something to do, although I don't usually do this posting business. See if these work. Two live performances, with Redbirds at Gerde's Folk City, NY, in 1976 and a live Munich radio broadcast in October of 2000. Each has a couple extra songs.

    https://www67.zippyshare.com/v/5kQI9zMe/file.html
    https://www67.zippyshare.com/v/76QHSz2H/file.html

    Sharing is caring.

    ReplyDelete
  7. One Buck GuyMarch 22, 2020 at 11:59 PM

    I'm always happy to try new flavors of music here at the House Of Foam but Michael Hurley is definitely a bit of an acquired taste. Thanks, Crab Devil, for "Long Road Home" which is the only disc I'll keep in its entirety while cherry-picking the rest. Hurley is probably best enjoyed like a good Nesmith, in reasonable doses...

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)