El Rayo-X is David Lindley's debut studio album, released in 1981. The album spent 18 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 83 on July 16, 1981.
Reception
The album generally received favorable reviews. Boo Browning, of The Washington Post, wrote:
In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald stated:
Track listing Side 1 "She Took Off My Romeos" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:00 "Bye Bye Love" (Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant) – 2:50 "Mercury Blues" (K. C. Douglas, Bob Geddins) – 3:33 "Quarter of a Man" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:45 "Ain't No Way" (Bob "Frizz" Fuller) – 3:42 "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell) – 2:44 Side 2 "El Rayo-X" (Jorge Calderón, David Lindley) – 2:53 "Your Old Lady" (Elmo Glick, O'Kelly Isley, King Curtis) – 4:14 "Don't Look Back" (Smokey Robinson, Ronald White) – 3:55 "Petit Fleur" (Solomon Feldthouse, Nancy Lindley) – 3:11 "Tu-Ber-Cu-Lucas and the Sinus Blues" (Huey "Piano" Smith) – 2:14 "Pay the Man" (David Lindley, George "Baboo" Pierre) – 3:30
Personnel Musicians David Lindley – vocals; electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4–7, 9–12), slide guitar (tracks 3, 8), divan saz (track 5), bandurria (tracks 7, 9), 6-string bass (track 8), fiddle (track 10), whistling (track 11) William D. "Smitty" Smith – organ (tracks 1, 5–7, 11–12) Bob Glaub – bass (tracks 1–5, 7, 9, 12) Ian Wallace – drums George "Ras Baboo" Pierre – percussion (tracks 1–5, 8, 10, 11), vocals (tracks 2, 6, 9, 11, 12), accordion (tracks 2, 12), timbales (tracks 6, 7, 9) Jackson Browne – vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) Jorge Calderón – vocals (tracks 6, 7) Garth Hudson – horns (track 7) Curt Bouterse – hammered dulcimer (track 10) Bill Payne – organ (track 2) Reggie McBride – bass (tracks 6, 10, 11)
Technical Greg Ladanyi – engineer, producer Jackson Browne – producer George Ybara, Jamie Ledner – assistant engineers Doug Sax, Mike Reese – mastering Jimmy Wachtel – art direction, design Gloria Von Jansky – lettering Kaz Sakamoto – photography
Awards and Charts Billboard charts Year Chart Single Peak 1981 Pop Albums 83 1981 Mainstream rock Mercury Blues 34
RPM charts Year Chart Peak 1981 Pop Albums 28
References