Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Relaxation b/w I Ride a Tractor by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy


Relaxation b/w I Ride a Tractor cover art

Artist: The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Title: Relaxation b/w I Ride a Tractor
Catalogue Number: Norton 45-006
Review Format: 45
Release Year: 1991



One of the interesting things about all musical genres is that they all start dangerous and turn out tame. Think about it - how many genres still have true practitioners of madness these days? Soul used to be a heaving sweaty thing and now anyone with some backing singers and a sampled horn section gets elevated to a deity. Even rap (no need for that kind of language - Ed) has gone from the sound of the urban streets to being an advert for chunky jewellery and "fragrance". Yeah, a real man should always smell like the ladies toilet on a cruise ship.

After that little rant, it is time to once more plunder the Vinyl Vault and uncover one of the true musical madmen, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy (aka Norman Odam).  Hailing from Texas, he missed the mainstream by miles and, when you listen to his music, it is pretty clear that he was never going in that direction anyway. His most famous - if that's the right word - song is "Paralyzed" and that one really has to be heard to be believed. The subject of this review is a another pair of near insane ramblings in the key of rock 'n' roll.

"Relaxation" starts with an incoherent rant, kicks in that rock 'n' roll beat mixed up with some unbalanced guitar (and a bugle if we're not mistaken). It's here, it's left, it's right, it's gone for "… relaxation in the California sun". "I Ride a Tractor" is pretty much in the same frame. It's slower and maybe could be classed as subtler. It could almost be a country song. Maybe even an ode to a John Deere tractor. It's almost sexual in its attention to diesel (couldn't resist that one!). Hope you're getting the idea by now.

Another slice of black vinyl heaven from Norton Records featuring a true musical legend. Really. We mean it. We do. Honestly.


www.stardustcowboy.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: June 13 2008