Blaze Foley & the Beaver Valley Boys
Cold, Cold World (Lost Art)
The posthumous Blaze Foley just keeps on coming. Cold, Cold World collects the now mythical late Austinite’s first recordings: Houston 1979, Fredericksburg 1980. The Beaver Valley Boys (Foley supposedly wanted an all-female band) were led by a young Gurf Morlix on guitar and included Riley Osbourn on piano. As with any of Foley’s albums, the songs are the attraction, even if they’re somewhat hesitant – to be expected on anyone’s first studio experience. Startlingly effective takes of familiar tunes such as the mournful “Picture Cards” and dusky “Rainbows and Ridges” may be reason enough for CCW. Meanwhile, his manic sense of humor rings loud and clear on the too-country “New Wave Blues” and the sweetly shuffled “No Goodwill Stores in Waikiki.” Of its 17 songs, six make their first appearance here. It’s not for beginners, but Cold, Cold World offers another fascinating glimpse into Blaze Foley’s songwriting genius.
This article appears in November 24 • 2006.