Link Wray Bullshot

Link Wray plays Bob Dylan here, backed up by guys who used to back up Bob Dylan, or maybe it is just a rhythm section that sounds like a Dylan rhythm section during an era when listeners complained about his rhythm sections. For Wray to play "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a guitar dream, in a way, elaborately sketched over more than five minutes but marred by overdone production touches. The track combines nicely with a selection of terse Wray originals – "Snag," "Wild Party" – and a "Switchblade" that was apparently pulled out of the group's collective pocket. If this album lacks in any way, it is not as if everyone involved wasn't trying hard to make a great Link Wray record, most of all the wonderful guitarist himself. It's just that other configurations, a more raw approach, and definitely no background vocalists would make for a more enjoyable outing.

Link Wray plays Bob Dylan here, backed up by guys who used to back up Bob Dylan, or maybe it is just a rhythm section that sounds like a Dylan rhythm section during an era when listeners complained about his rhythm sections. For Wray to play "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a guitar dream, in a way, elaborately sketched over more than five minutes but marred by overdone production touches. The track combines nicely with a selection of terse Wray originals – "Snag," "Wild Party" – and a "Switchblade" that was apparently pulled out of the group's collective pocket. If this album lacks in any way, it is not as if everyone involved wasn't trying hard to make a great Link Wray record, most of all the wonderful guitarist himself. It's just that other configurations, a more raw approach, and definitely no background vocalists would make for a more enjoyable outing.