Monday 6 August 2007

Lee Hazlewood, R I P



I discovered him late, but thanks to the elder even-more-idle sibling, I got there early enough to see Lee perform the last two concerts he did in London.



Any fule kno he wrote "These Boots.." for Nancy Sinatra and made her a superstar. But he was a big influence on loads of others as well.



Newcomers might as well buy the anthology, (obviously) called These Boots Are Made For Walkin'



My favourite album was a really quirky concept album called Trouble is a Lonesome Town, where he introduced all the tracks with droll monologues about the characters in this fantasy western town. Fantastic, if you like a voice as thick as molasses which starts from somewhere near his boots. An iconoclast. An idle favourite, now freed from the life that often seemed to hang quite heavy on his shoulders.

11 comments:

Tuscan Tony said...

Never even heard of him + will now research. Hope he wasn't your first ghillie victim of the season.

idle said...

Good obit in the Telegraph yesterday and I was delighted that Channel 4 News gave him a 5 minute piece as well.

It is hard to define his music. Certainly not Country, and not really Western. He called it cowboy music.

Mermaid of Moorgate said...

you say he's RIP - was that because he got hit by a train while sittin' on the railroad tracks?

idle said...

You cruel fish, mermaid. I am still sensitive to his death and likely to cry. I loved him.

Unbelievably, he made it to 78 despite being in the Keef Richards league of (non) self-preservation.

Mermaid of Moorgate said...

I understand Idle, but that fish comment hurt. We've evolved and have a human heart. Now I'm crying too.

Keeef once stole a reefer off my dad in the early 70s. Not a lot of people know that.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

First Goodwood, now this!

It's a long lonesome trail Idle, jus' keep on walkin' down the line...

idle said...

Consider your tears dried over the ether, mermaid. Let's have no more of this blubbing.

I've got a bit of old ganja in a box in my desk if your old man needs it. Not much call for it round here nowadays.

Electro-Kevin said...

Brown guitar case - E-K want one.

I twang a bit meeself, Idle.

Tuscan Tony said...

Back on point, and your bag yesterday was how many brace....?

45govt said...

All time great record Lee with Nancy. I'm off to Limewire for it now. Lot of youngsters on your blog idle!

idle said...

Glad to have another Lee and Nancy fan around, 45.

"Some Velvet Morning" - mighty strange, but mighty good.

Not all of these Hazlewood virgins are young; I know several self-styled music afficionados who have never heard of this heroic artist.