A one-lunged, greasy-haired guitar slinger, Link Wray was indisputably one of rock 'n' roll's most colorful characters (he died in 2005). While Wray is best known for his 1958 instrumental classic "Rumble," which sounds like a gang fight about to erupt, he also had a feel for folk and gospel. "La De Da" is from Wray's underappreciated 1971 self-titled album, which moved away from his bluesy guitar style to partake in the rootsy influences so prevalent at the time. That's not to say this track is at all derivative, though. With Wray's exuberant, at times indecipherable, vocals and an ultra-loose vibe, the song is a world away from the slick country rock of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young or the Eagles, sounding more like a funky and loose back-porch jam. I'm guessing alcohol was involved at some point during the recording of this rowdy number.
-- D.M.
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