The LHI Years by Lee Hazlewood (Album)

A collection of buried solo treasure from a man generally better known as Duane Eddy’s producer and Nancy Sinatra’s songwriter

But Hazlewood also recorded a lot of his own material, much of which was released on his own LHI (Lee Hazlewood Industries) imprint. Here, Light In The Attic present a collection of some of the best of the LHI back catalogue, lovingly remastered from the original analogue tapes.

Country & western provides the musical backbone here, albeit a style of country that has the open-mindedness of the Woodstock generation writ large throughout, flirting variously with big band dramatics, psychedelic whimsy and blue-eyed soul. Obvious reference points would be big guns like George Jones and Johnny Cash, and more recent gravel-voiced songmen such as Stan Ridgway, Tom Waits or Nick Cave; indeed, the many duets with Ann-Margret, Nina Lizell and others show that the latter’s work with Kylie wasn’t quite the unprecedented piece of cross-genre balladry modern audience might have thought it was! The Hammond-sporting Bye Babe, meanwhile, is a standout for this reviewer, recalling the lysergic jug blues of under-rated west coast outfit Kaleidoscope (once named by Jimmy Page as his “favourite band of all time”).

Lyrically, lost loves, cold-hearted women and whisky feature strongly throughout, though Hazlewood does occasionally touch on other topics. Trouble Maker, in particular, deserves a mention: it speaks scathingly of a long-haired, sandal-wearing rabble-rouser who shuns war and wears flowers in his hair. Vietnam-era right-wing ‘hawks’ must have been cheering in approval… only to choke when the protagonist is nailed to a cross in Calgary at the end of the song.

Verdict: Expansively produced and superbly crafted, this is a piece of hitherto under-appreciated Americana that deserves a place in any discerning music lover’s collection

Out now on Light In The Attic Records.

Russell Deeks

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