Living with Legends

It’s a good month for music fans and/or fans of scratchy old 8-tracks.  First, we have a 1970 recording of the Welsh national anthem, “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau,” that sounds like the screeching of nine or ten cats with their tails tied together.  This, the Welsh people would have us believe, is one of the last recordings made by Jimi Hendrix.  They are putting out an all-points bulletin for a bass player named Vic Williams who knew Hendrix and might possibly know whether or not the legendary guitarist happened to have been in the studio that day.

            Oh, yeah, good ol’ Vic.  I think he’s that drug-addled old guy who wanders the halls of the Chelsea with his bathrobe open.  If I ever encounter him in one of his rare coherent moments, I’ll be sure to ask him.

            Actually, this sounds about as plausible as the old suit-worn-by-Dylan-Thomas they found in an attic a while back.  If you remember, this suit was actually owned by an artist who lived at the Chelsea, but since he wasn’t famous, the owner was trying to claim that Thomas may have worn it once when his clothes were at the cleaners.  Oh, those wacky Welshmen.  Is this a nation of comedians or what?

            Of greater musical interest, Columbia is releasing special editions of Leonard Cohen’s first three albums, featuring several previously unreleased tracks from that period, including two with David Crosby singing harmony vocals.  Did David Crosby ever stay at the Chelsea, you ask?  Well, I don’t know.  Does he need another liver transplant yet?  Probably. — Ed Hamilton