King Of The Honky Tonks (Studio Recording 1982)

Performer: Commander Cody
Engineer: Tim Eschliman; Tom Anderson
Producer: George Frayne; Tom Anderson
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: Pianist-bandleader Commander Cody seems immune to time and trends--the 1993 sessions comprising KING OF THE HONKY TONKS (released 2004) could've been recorded 20 years earlier or the day before yesterday. Cody and longtime bandmate Billy C. Farlow still serve their savory stew, cooked with rowdy country music, R&B, and 1950s rock, served with jump-blues and Cajun spices. Italian release. Personnel: Commander Cody (vocals, piano); Billy C. Farlow (vocals, harmonica); Glenn Sherba (guitar, slide guitar); Carlos Reyes (fiddle); Keith Crossan (saxophone); Jimmy Sanchez, Lance Dickerson (drums); Scott Bates, Tom Anderson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Tim Eschliman; Tom Anderson . Recording information: Bayview Studios, Richmond, CA (11/1991-07/1993); Globe Studios, Mill Valley, CA (11/1991-07/1993). Issued by the Italian Akarma label, this Commander Cody date is a far cry from the Lost Planet Airmen days of yore, but this is no band of slouches, either. That said, master vocalist Billy C. Farlow is in the band singing and laying harmonica, as is fiddle boss Carlos Reyes. Done on the cheap, this is a studio date with plenty of piss and vinegar, ragged country, sleazy R&B, and greasy rock & roll. These proceedings are raw, for the most part. It doesn't sound like a lot of rehearsals or many alternate takes were required. Farlow's voice is even lower -- if you can believe it -- and George Frayne's writing hasn't progressed much (and it didn't need to). The standouts here are the covers of "Good Morning Judge" and Merle Haggard's "Working Man's Blues," but Frayne's "King of the Honky Tonks" and "Keys to My Cadillac" shine, too. ~ Thom Jurek

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