Commander Cody - Rock 'n' Roll Again/Flying Dreams

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 26 / 3 / 2018

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I first came across Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen back in the early 70s. I’ve said it before and no doubt I will make the point again, but in those days you couldn’t find this type of music on the TV or the radio. You had to be introduced by a friend. If you were lucky there might be a review in the music press of the time that would spark your curiosity. It wasn’t easy to track down the tracks. I was lucky. I had friends who introduced me to Commander Cody, though I didn’t know his real name, George Frayne, until I read the sleeve notes for this re-release. With the benefit of hindsight I can see the links with other Space Cowboys, from the Steve Miller Band, through Dr Hook, Little Feat, Delaney and Bonnie, Ry Cooder, Van Dyke Parks, Dan Hicks, the Doobies and the Allman Brothers, Tony Joe White and even the Traveling Wilburys. 'Rock’n’Roll Again' was released in 1977 and was produced by John Alcock, an English producer who also worked with Thin Lizzy. The songs are all written by Commander Cody. The lyrics are personal, dressed up as a story, and sometimes very funny. The title track, 'Rock’n’Roll Again', fantasises about being rediscovered through radio airplay. 'Widow' is about the relentlessness of touring from the woman’s point of view. 'Seven Eleven' literally sings the praises of the store that stays open. There are some great arrangements, making the most of honky tonk piano and Western Swing strings. 'Flying Dreams' is a solo album released in 1978. Backing singers include Jennifer Warnes and Nicolette Larson and there’s that wonderful sound in the arrangements. There are sound effects and cultural references too, 'Thank You Lone Ranger', 'Dreams of Barbarella', 'Stranger in a Strange Land', cowboys and science fiction. There are also some great cover versions, Lennon’s 'Cry Baby Cry', Joe Tex’s 'Take the Fifth Amendment' and the Band’s 'Life is a Carnival'. 'Talent Night at the Nashville Inn' made me laugh out loud. There was a lot going on musically in the late 70s when these albums were released- Punk and new wave on one hand and a smooth Californian AOR sound on the other. Commander Cody’s style got swamped back then as it didn’t fit in either camp. His music takes inspiration from Western Swing, rhythm and blues, and rock’n’roll. Nowadays it would be described as Americana or Cosmic Cowboy. He was playing with a legacy of American music that continues to influence Americana and country rock today. If you’re a fan of the man or the musical genre this double CD set is well worth a listen

Track Listing:-

1 Midnight Man
2 Don't Say Nothin'
3 Rock 'N' Roll Again
4 6 Years On the Road
5 Snooze You Lose Widow
6 Danny
7 Seven Eleven
8 Where Were You
9 All for Love
10 Thank You Lone Ranger
11 Cry Baby Cry
12 He's in Love (He's in Trouble)
13 Life Is a Carnival
14 Talent Night at the Nashville Inn
15 Flying Dreams
16 Dreams of Barbarella
17 Vampira
18 Take the Fifth Amendment
19 Stranger in a Strange Land
20 My Day

Label Links:-

http://www.floatingworldrecords.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/floating.worldrecords
https://twitter.com/floatingwrecord

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