Doug Sahm, Hell Of A Spell

Hell of a Spell documents the unique mix of San Antonio rhythm & blues, country and rock & roll elements that the late Texas music legend Doug Sahm synthesized better than anyone this side of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. But Sahm's musical eclecticism was only part of the package — he was the embodiment of an era, a walking encyclopedia of '60s and '70s American culture, a redneck Texas hippie who was a close friend of both Bob Dylan and Freddy Fender. Sahm hadn't recorded in several years when he made this recording with Grateful Dead engineer Dan Healey producing in 1980. With Sahm singing and playing guitar backed by stalwarts John Reed on guitar, Jack Barber on bass and a horn section featuring Rocky Morales on tenor saxophone and Charles McBurney on trumpet, the session produced the rocking originals "Tunnel Vision" and "Hangin 'On By a Thread," the beautiful R&B ballad "All the Way to Nothing" and Sahm's only attempt at reggae, "Hell of a Spell." The record is dedicated to Guitar Slim and includes a cover of his trademark song, "The Things I Used to Do" as well as covers of the blues standards "Nothin 'But the Blues" and "Next Time You See Me."