ALBUMS: Contender w/ the X-Rays (1981); Eye of the Storm (1983)
MVC Rating: Contender 4.0/$$$; Eye of the Storm 3.5/$$
Five-dollar cover was a lot back in the day. That was the cost of a brand new album.
But for that $5 bill you would get into the little roadhouse club called the Casino in Auburn Ala. with live music and 50-cent longneck Budweisers. One of the best bands through was David Olney and the X-Rays. (Not to be confused with David Lindley and EL Rayo X).
He had a whole array of upbeat love songs and gritty story-songs such as Wait Here for the Cops, Oh My Love, Contender and Love and Money.
I found his 1981 album in an Auburn record store and am glad to have it. Many years later after starting this blog I picked up another Olney record for $2 at Charlemagne. It’s called Eye of the Storm. Not as good for me as the Contender album probably due to my emotional/nostalgia hook. But pretty good music nonetheless in a more Americana style.
The a capella ‘Ain’t it That Way” and the title song really stand out
WIkipedia reports that over the last few decades songs have been covered by and co-written with Emmylou Harris, Stee Earle, Linda Rondstadt, Steve Young, Del McCoury and Laurie Lewis.
He was friends with Townes Van Zandt, reported the ‘Nashville Scene,’ who said of Olney:
Anytime anyone asks me who my favorite music writers are, I say Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and Dave Olney. Dave Olney is one of the best songwriters I’ve ever heard – and that’s true. I mean that from my heart.
Beautiful love song off of ‘Storm.”