Gurf Morlix - Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 7 / 6 / 2011

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Gurf Morlix has released a number of albums under his own name but it’s his work with other artists that he is probably most known for. As far back as the early eighties this multi-instrumentalist was playing on albums by the likes of Eric Taylor and Peter Case. By the end of that decade he had produced and played on Lucinda William’s self titled third album, which is still arguably her strongest set of songs. Since then Morlix’s name has been a feature on many album sleeves, especially those artists who can loosely be classed in the Americana/alt. country genre. Morlix has lent his production and instrumental skills to albums by Michael Penn, Robert Earl Keen, Slaid Cleaves, tThe Kennedys, Buddy and Julie Miller, Ian McLagan, Mary Gauthier and Tom Russell. The list is almost endless. Another artist that Morlix worked with was Blaze Foley. Foley, in the UK at least, has never been given the recognition he deserved. While lesser artists in the country field have gained respect and record sales, Foley always seemed to miss out in Europe. There are two famous quotes relating to Blaze Foley that perhaps sum up the life of a man who was gunned down at the age of 39 by the son of a friend of Foley, while Foley was trying to protect the boys' father during an argument. Lucinda Williams called Foley “a genius and a beautiful loser”, while Townes Van Zandt who wrote 'Blaze’s Blues' about Foley is on record as saying “He’s only gone crazy once. Decided to stay”. Williams also wrote ‘Drunken Angel’ a song on her ‘Car Wheels onn a Gravel Road’ album as a tribute to Foley. Although Foley’s name may not be familiar to you as a singer in his own right it’s more than likely that, if you’re a fan of country music then you have heard some of his songs by other artists. The most obvious example is Merle Haggard’s reading of ‘If I Could Only Fly’, a contender for the best song that Foley ever wrote. But John Prine also made a fair fist of ‘Clay Pigeons’, and Gurf Morlix covers both those songs on this album. Morlix has more right than most and probably more sensitivity and understanding of Foley’s songs than any other artist to cover Foley’s work and, given the work that Morlix has done in the past with other musicians as well as in his own right this album, should be something of a major treat. ‘Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream’ doesn’t disappoint. By taking some of Foley’s best songs, the above mentioned ‘If I Could Only Fly’ and ‘Clay Pigeons’, as well as ‘Rainbows And Ridges’ and ‘Oooh Love’, and not straying too far from Foley’s originals Morlix proves how well Foley’s songs work in the hands of other musicians. Foley’s dark brown vocals are missed a little on familiar songs the first time we hear these new versions by Morlix but the warmth and honesty that comes through in Morlix’s vocals takes no time at all to make us fall in love with these songs all over again. Blaze Foley’s original albums are still available at the moment although many of them are selling at inflated prices now so be prepared for a diminishing bank account after hearing ‘Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream’ as one sure thing Gurf Morlix’s versions of these songs, as understandably excellent as they are, will do is make you want to check out and buy the originals by Foley. If, although it’s particularly impossible to do so, one can forget that this is an album of covers and just treat it as the new Gurf Morlix CD it would be hailed as the best country album in many a year and given the reputation Morlix has gained over the years that’s no great surprise. Morlix has taken the cream of Foley’s work and treated it with the respect and care we’ve come to expect from this talented producer and musician, and in doing so has introduced Foley’s music to a new audience, which can only be a good thing.

Track Listing:-

1 Baby Can I Crawl Back To You
2 Big Cheeseburgers and Good French Fries
3 Clay Pigeons
4 If I Could Only Fly
5 No Goodwill Stores In Waikiki
6 For Anything Less
7 Oh Darlin'
8 Picture Cards
9 Down Here Where I Am
10 Oooh Love
11 Small Town Hero
12 Rainbows and Ridges
13 Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream
14 In The Misty Garden / I Shoulda Been Home With You
15 Cold Cold World

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