Published on Sep 13, 1999
Chances are that you’ve never heard of Willis Alan Ramsey. But
you’ve undoubtedly heard his influence in the over 25 years since
he recorded his self-titled (and, to date, only) release in 1972.
While some groups I’d label as results of his influence already
existed, the power of the eleven songs on this disc make it sound
as fresh today as they did back then.
Ramsey’s country-folk feel to his music brings up images of such
artists and groups as Little Feat, The Eagles, Lyle Lovett (who
helped to bring Ramsey out of obscurity on some of his latest
releases) and… the Captain & Tenille?
Okay, time to lose readership: How many of you remember that
poison-control standard “Muskrat Love”? I grew up hearing that song
(yes, the Captain & Tenille version) every goddamn hour on the
radio; after years of therapy, I thought I had put it out of my
mind until I heard America’s version of it. Well, ladies and
gentlemen, meet the author of that song: Willis Alan Ramsey.
Now, before you go forming a lynching party, I will say this
about the original version, correctly known as “Muskrat
Candlelight”: The original version is not nearly as bad as the pop
effluvia previously mentioned. With a funky bass line (well, funky
for country, anyway) laid down by Ramsey himself (he also plays
guitar and harmonica, as well as sings), the track actually has
some life breathed into it. Too bad other groups sucked the life
right out of it. Hey, the lyrics still sound like a Mother Goose
reject, but leave it to the author himself to make the best version
of the song.
Even after one listen to
Willis Alan Ramsey, I defy you not to get hooked on the
strange rhythm section on the album’s closer, “Northeast Texas
Women”. If that doesn’t sound a bit like The Band doing “Up On
Cripple Creek”, then you need to get your ears checked. Just
hearing this song shows me that Ramsey and his backing musicians
were having a lot of fun doing this record. And if you need big
names, how’s about Leon Russell, Carl Radle and Jim Keltner sitting
in on the killer track “Goodbye Old Missoula”?
Admittedly, not everything on
Willis Alan Ramsey works. “Geraldine And The Honeybee” is a
bit too blah for me, as is “Watermelon Man” (no, it has nothing to
do with the Godfrey Cambridge movie of the same name). But more
often than not, the music on this album delights and charms the
listener. Tracks like “Boy From Oklahoma,” “Wishbone” and “Angel
Eyes” all are pleasant surprises.
With all that goes right on
Willis Alan Ramsey, one has to wonder why Ramsey chose to
fade back from the spotlight. I mean, had he continued to record
albums like this, he would have easily been the Garth Brooks of his
generation. Instead, he said his peace on this one disc, and left
it up to us to guess what would have come from his pen and guitar
next.
If you knew of Willis Alan Ramsey before this re-issue, you’ll
want to snag this disc just to retire your old vinyl copy. If
you’ve never heard of him before, you’ll want to discover what all
the hubbub is about – and before long, you’ll be singing the
praises of Ramsey and his one magical album.