Mike Hurley – First Songs
The handsome fellow on this debut January 1964 album was none other than the eccentric, lifelong troubadour & “outsider folk” artist Michael Hurley (1941-2025), aka Snock, also known as the Godfather of the freak folk movement. Mike paved an unconventional path over a 6-decade career & despite many LPs, this is the only one to feature his photo.
His name may not be as well-known as Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, or Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, but he always had a following & is considered one of the great folk singer-songwriters of the last century. I’m not particularly familiar with Mike’s career. Listening for the first time. Cold. Mike certainly looks interesting & sounds compelling. This reissue has the 12 original tracks of First Songs (Reissue Dropped Nov 6/Smithsonian Folkways/50:00) produced & recorded by Frederick Ramsey, Jr. for the Folkways label.
Mike’s voice isn’t as powerful or deep as Fred Neil, but I find Mike’s vocal & guitar playing more intriguing than Phil Ochs,’ & he’s not as big-voiced as Dave Van Ronk. He’s not as effective vocally when he shouts, but neither was Dylan. Tunes like “I Like My Wine” are humorous, with good acoustic guitar picking that could easily be rearranged into a blues. The lyrics are about how he drank so much wine it ate his stomach out. Good grief. Almost happened to poet Charles Bukowski.
Mike, a self-taught rural folk singer & guitarist, was raised in Bucks County, PA. But he was born in Jersey City, NJ (where Nancy Sinatra & I were born). According to Mr. Ramsey, it’s a less frenetic, more inward-looking & expressive music collection than during his rambling days. This set, recorded with some clarity, has, like many early blues field recordings, a spare sound. His voice isn’t barbed wire on “Blue Mountain,” but despite his 22 years at the time of this set, he sounds experienced & well-seasoned. He has a smoother tonality than the young Bob Dylan & is not as reedy in tone as Phil Ochs.
These aren’t Peter, Paul & Mary tunes, though Burl Ives & Hamilton Camp could’ve covered these. An obscure, sad Boots Walker song, the beautiful “A Bum Can’t Cry” would’ve fit Mike. Not as topical as Dylan or as radical as Ochs (I believe), he didn’t draw attention to himself. The LP’s sound varies from pristine to some surface noise, but the quality & songs are good. Hurley deserves more attention.
Highlights – “Blue Mountain,” “I Like My Wine,” “No, No, No, I Won’t Go Down No More, No More,” “Just a Bum,” “Fat Mama,” “The Animal Song” & “The Werewolf Song.”
B&W image courtesy of Patrick Bunch. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.snockonews.net/