Bullshot

AMG Review of Bullshot

Eugene Chadbourne
All Music Guide

Link Wray plays Bob Dylan here, backed up by guys who used to back up Bob Dylan, or maybe it is just a rhythm section that sounds like a Dylan rhythm section during an era when listeners complained about his rhythm sections. For Wray to play "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a guitar dream, in a way, elaborately sketched over more than five minutes but marred by overdone production touches. The track combines nicely with a selection of terse Wray originals -- "Snag," "Wild Party" -- and a "Switchblade" that was apparently pulled out of the group's collective pocket. If this album lacks in any way, it is not as if everyone involved wasn't trying hard to make a great Link Wray record, most of all the wonderful guitarist himself. It's just that other configurations, a more raw approach, and definitely no background vocalists would make for a more enjoyable outing.