So we lost David Lindley this week—one of the great, under-appreciated guitar players of the 1970s SoCal scene. He is probably best known for his stellar slide guitar on a lot of Jackson Browne hits, but I’ve always enjoyed his side project, El Rayo-X. This album, 1988’s “Very Greasy,” is nothing but a party band having a good time. No great statements, no aim to sell-out stadiums—just a good time. The title comes from their raucous cover of “Werewolves of London,” which is not only musically impressive but also funny as hell, too, as they add a lot to it. It’s probably heresy to say, but I prefer this version to Warren Zevon’s classic original. The album was produced by Linda Ronstadt (!), and she and Browne show up on harmony vocals in a few places. The whole thing was recorded by legendary engineer Ed Cherney, one of the most affable pros I’ve ever met, who died a few years ago. R.I.P. to them both.
