The most powerful and tasteful rocket fueled lap steel ever - if you never saw El Rayo X live , you are very lucky you still have this . Rest in peace Mr. Lindley ❤️
@@tovebeatty2204 Polly and Esther were the best thing in music since The Raelettes...Lindley took em everywhere he went.... Rest in Play, gone at 78, natch, for a dedicated shellac records collector from around the world. Then he made something out of em for the 21st C. too! Way earthier than PVC grooves. Lindley knew some good things and some not so good things. Always a tough choice. Who's he jammin' with in the Big Green Room or Green Fuse in the sky? Did he ever get any sessions with Curtis Mayfield in the can? Here's to no pain wherever they've gone to. Health and balance Tio Mitchito
My wife and I saw them in New Orleans on this tour. We sat right in front of Mr. Dave. The whole group were awesome. I couldn't believe their talent and professionalism. Dave broke a string during a solo, gave a look to the keyboardist (Smitty Smith, I think is his name), and he took over with an improvised keyboard solo. Lindley changed the string himself and when it was done, took the solo back over. Nobody missed a beat - it was impressive. He is one of the handful of best guitarists on the planet, in my opinion, and I'm a prog rock fan. We met him briefly after a show in Philly, and he was just a great all-around dude. Long live Mr. Lindley!
Tim, yes, that was Smitty Smith on the keys, sadly deceased now. R.I.P, Smitty! And yes, anyone who hadn't heard ElRayoX live has no clue what they have missed. I got to see them 4 times and consider myself very fortunate!
Seeing David Lindley play live is one of those things in life that changes you forever. If you ever get the chance to see him play, take advantage of it.
Huge Fan since the early 80s. Saw him in MN twice, the last being front row at Sacred Heart music venue in Duluth MN. After the show shared a couple memories, scored an autographed CD and a heartfelt hug. #RIP Mr David
Around 7:40 there's a little smile on Lindley's face that says: "Guys, we are killing it right now... this will go down in history as the best blues performance EVER"
Saw this band in small bar in '88, leaned up against Dave's monitor the whole show. When he played this song, man, the audio here just doesn't do justice to what it sounded like coming from Dave's custom Howard Dumble amplifier. Imagine a the sound of a Harley with a chainsaw blended into it, phenomenal! One of my most special music memories!
I don't know how I never heard of him. I thought I knew a lot about rock 'n roll, its history, the musicians, but he just escaped my attention. I play guitar, at the other end of the spectrum, but well enough to appreciate greatness. Playing like he does with fingerpicks is pure mastery. I never had the talent or the dedication, the two musts for getting anywhere in music. You have to play all the time, and have the talent. I am in awe. He seems like a pretty cool guy too, another necessity in lasting very long. A testament to a musician's greatness is how many other greats want to play with him. Ry Cooder is enough, but the list is long.
@@willguyer, Lindley also played with Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt (Dave's 2nd cousin), James Taylor, Crosby/Nash, Ry Cooder, and many more. Still, Lindley shone when doing his own thing with ElRayo-X, or in his solo or duet acoustic gigs. I got to meet him and percussionist Wally Ingraham at a gig; I had some teenagers with me who had a garage jam-band, and David and Wally gave the boys drumsticks, guitar picks, snare brushes, and autographs. Kind and generous people, both of them.
Six dislikes are they insane? This has to be one of the finest kick ass rock boogie call it what you like performances known to man, simply heaven, I felt movement in parts that have not moved for a long time, stupendatious.
David inspired me to start playing slide -him and Cooder - -i played guitar with sarah mclachlan for over 10 years and used lap steel on some of her tunes - thanks David Lindley
Seen Mr Dave with and without El Reyo X at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano many times. He is a master musician and plays just about anything with strings amazingly!
RIP, Mr. Dave. Glad I had the opportunity to see you (& even chat with you about "Cat Food Sandwiches" once) a few times. What a great player! I wonder who inherits the polyester? ;-)
I'm 36 & started listening to David Lindley at about age 9 or 10. Pretty cool to have all this at my fingertips. Keep rockin Dave, you're by no doubt one of the string elites.
Outdoors on top of a beautiful field overlooking Monterey Bay it was Staff Appreciation Day at UCSC. Free for us. The vibe was wonderful. The entertainment on stage that afternoon/early evening was THESE GUYS! As they proceeded to blow all 200 or so of us lucky fans away, the sun close to going down, the wind picked up and blew a towel off an amplifier. It wrapped itself around Mr. Dave's face.. flapping...He did not stop... and played the rest of the song that way. The place went nuts. What a show. What a guy. What a band.
DAMN, this is brilliant. David is probably playing on two songs on my own band's LP, and listening to this, I just want to crawl off into a corner and babble. We are SO not worthy. And the keyboard player is - wow. If I was listening an not seeing it, I'd swear that was Nicky Hopkins. Just perfect.
Saw Lindley solo at McCabes Guitar shop in Santa Monica in the early 90's...just him and guitars and a bunch of "strange" instruments. He was amazing. The album this is on is pretty cool too...quirky...but good quirky. : )
Best version I've ever heard of this song, was in, believe it or not, White River, Ont. at the ONLY bar in town, totally rocked out the place!! That was in about 1982-83, So much fun!!! I wanted to buy me a mercury and cruise it up highway 17!!
Damn. Thanks for this. Pure awesomeness. Lindley and El Rayo X were one of the great joys of live music. Got to see them a couple of times. Lindley on lap steep. OMG.
I loved this song when it came out in 1980 or thereabouts. I played it LOUD over and over again. god, it made me happy!!! and now to see him playing the slide guitar....well, it makes me happy all over again!!! Thanks, David and thanks stealy for uploading this special video.
I remember seeing El Rayo X playing Mercury Blues on two tv shows years ago, not just lip-synced or finger-synced as was so common back then but actually playing live: on the Improv comedy club (with an introduction by club owner Bud Freidman and with the famous brick wall as backdrop), and also on Solid Gold: Mercury Blues was their "pick of the week", I kid you not ! Yes, screaming lap steel slide guitar being played on stage on Solid Gold, live, with the Solid Gold dancers gyrating on stage around the band !!!! It was indeed quite a sight. Somebody out there must have video of these shows; I would love to see them again!!
@@iconoclastic12007 Seen Derek several times and have most of his recordings. Don't need a lecture from you, thanks. Couldn't tell my first sentence was in jest?
He is under rated from those who claim to know but don’t know shit. You will never see people like David Lindley, Danny Gatton, and Cornell Dupree on the greatest lists of all time. It’s filled with shitty over recognized players like Jack Black. Under recognized is a pendandic argument.
this bring back memories of the Rockpalast nights on TV. I saw many including a fantastic David Lindley show there. That band was even more tight then the band in this video.
I got to see Mr. Lindley live numerous times when he played with Jackson Browne. He could play with such emotion it would bring tears to my eyes. And don't miss Redneck Friend from Browne's 2nd album with Lindley and band playing some of the ass-kickingest rock and roll ever put to wax, with a very young Elton John adding the blistering Little Richard style piano part.
I loved this song when it came out in 1980 or thereabouts.....I played it LOUD over and over again and I it made me soooo happy. But now to see him playing the slide guitar....well, what a great experience"!!! Thanks, David!!!
