Song For Danko

Let's start with numbers:

1. This is Munyon's 10th CD release since his first and only US distributed CD released from 1990, Code Name Jumper.
2. This is his fourth release on his own label, Mobile Home Records.
3. This is his sixth completely acoustic CD, with only vocal and guitar.
4. It's his first Mobile Home CD recorded in a real studio (the other three are home recordings). It was recorded at Abbey Road studio in London.
5. Munyon has released four CD's with the Glitterhouse record label, and two with the audiophile label, Stockfish.
6. Munyon's first recordings date to 1971, and there is probably enough songs from those sessions to fill two CD's, although these recordings have never been released in any form.

Munyon is almost unknown in his country, the USA, a small search in Amazon or other online seller will show you that only his first CD is available, if it is at all. He is not seen too much performing in cactus cafes over the country or anywhere else. Munyon packs his guitar once a year and heads for Europe to earn some cash and meet with his audience, like jazz players did in the 50's when no one would hear their music in their homeland.

All this should and must change. Munyon's music is accessible and incredibly infectious; his voice and his songs are unique and recognizable after you've heard one of his CD's, even once. His music is inspiring. Music venues should book him once and for all as soon as they read this review, bands and singers looking for original songs and hits too (there are for sure a few country hits hiding in his repertoire) should listen to his CD's before dawn. As much as I am concerned Munyon's situation is very close to the place where Townes Van Zandt was in 1977. After he had recorded maybe a 100 great songs and hardly covered by two artists, record labels in the US began to take notice.

Munyon's music deals with broken bottles and lost dreams and belief. He converts rock'n'roll into a myth and a religion within itself, as Neil Young does some times, with its heroes, gods and martyrs, so it's not a gimmick that he put the name of Rick Danko on the title of this album. (Danko is the legendary member of The Band who passed away in 2004.) His voice is imposing and reminds me of late Leonard Cohen. It goes through the walls.

Song For Danko is a very good way to start to listen to Munyon's music, although, if you prefer some more instruments, I recommend Poet Wind and Slim Possibilities (FAME # 3025) on the Stockfish label. In any case anyone interested in deep singer songwriters who have something to say and say it, as well as in folk and country and no depression artists, should listen to this man and his music. Period.

And now click on the link http://www.mobilehomerecords.com/ and listen to some samples.

Track List:

Edited by: David N. Pyles
(dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)