LINK WRAY & THE RAYMEN - Hidden Charms b/w Ace Of Spades (Swan - 1966)

Without question, LINK WRAY & THE RAYMEN infused ragged distortion and filthy fuzz into the rock 'n' roll psyche permanently with the earthshaking 1958 monster, "Rumble". It could easily be said that the dirty rattle Link created by simply poking holes in the speaker of his guitar amp paved the way for hundreds of teenage garage bands that would storm the nation in the following decade. Link and his band let fly with a string of insane instrumentals, ("Right Turn", "Jack The Ripper", "Fat Back", "I'm Branded" and "Hang On" to name a few), from '58 to '65. On the rare occasion Link stepped up to the microphone to sing, his vocals were as lethal as his guitar tone. Check out the havoc he wreaked on Jimmy Reed's "Ain't That Lovin' You Babe" on Epic Records (1960).

In 1966, LINK WRAY & THE RAYMEN unleashed their pulverizing rendition of Willie Dixon's blues growler "Hidden Charms". The Raymen lay down a throbbin' rhythm while Link lets rip with a visceral yowl and extorts an evil clatter out of his rig. "Ace Of Spades" is a stark, insistent instro-mental that exudes a foreboding sense of danger. The single is a bona-fide two headed monster. A slab of primal proto-punk that rivals both The Sonics "Psycho" and The Swamp Rats "Ain't No Friend Of Mine". 

BORN OUTTA TIME