Texas has a boxcar full of “legendary” singer/songwriters, and folks in other parts of the country may have heard of some of them. Ray Wylie Hubbard has been around for a while, he’s kind of an elder statesman of the Lone Star singer/songwriter contingent. Saturday he offered a great little in-store performance at Houston’s Cactus Music and Video to showcase his latest album, A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There Is No C).
“The world’s worst album title,” he cracked, as he launched into “Drunken Poet’s Dream” from the new album. The song, co-written with Houston singer/songwriter Hayes Carll, talks about a woman who likes “being naked and gazed upon,” before it flips down the list of writer’s “inspirations” that make for great literature (and shot livers).
Ray explained that he originally started making the album with Gurf Morlix, but Morlix had another commitment and told Hubbard to produce it himself. Hubbard enlisted the help of Texas musician/producer George Reiff, and finished the album. Just when Hubbard thought it was done, Reiff said “You know what this album needs?” “Don’t tell me, it’s done, I don’t want to hear it,” Hubbard said. “It needs a rock anthem.”