The latest edition of ‘Blue Navigator‘, a publication which essentially started off as a “fanzine,” dedicated to the life and music of the celebrated American singer/songwriter Michael Hurley, is a hardbound, 96 page book. The pinnacle so far of what has been a labour of love for Brendan Foreman, an Irishman who has done much to highlight Hurley’s music and who promoted many of his tours over here. From its first issue (back in 1996), Foreman has been diligent in retrieving archive material about Hurley, dating back to the early 60s’, along with interviews with those who have come within Hurley’s circle and contemporary accounts of the man’s comings and goings. Hurley himself, for those not familiar with him, is a man who has, over his lengthy career, encapsulated that old and weird American music which Greil Marcus has determined was fundamental to much of what AUK readers might listen to today.
Like all the best “fanzines,” ‘Blue Navigator’ has been a sporadic publication with only 12 issues over its 28-year life, all of which have sold out. It’s likely then that there is only a short window of opportunity to nab a copy of the 12th edition and, for any fan of Hurley, it’s a must buy although it’s also highly recommended for anyone who appreciates a gorgeous book, its graphic design quite spectacular with acres of pages dedicated to rare album covers, liner notes and reproductions of Hurley’s cartoon stories, many of which were inserted into what are now very rare original albums.
The chapters include an illuminating insight into his early years growing up in Delaware Township, New Jersey along with notes on his debut album which came out on Folkways Records in 1964. The bulk of the book concerns his activities in the 1980s with a lengthy and, at times, quite hardscrabble tale of life on the road brilliantly written by Hurley’s long-time bandmate Dave Reisch, the highlight. Hurley himself writes about his love of listening to the radio when he was growing up, the family radio player being a 1942 Philco Console Radio, pumping out Gene Autrey and The Lone Ranger. It’s a fascinating read, but time and again, you just want to linger over the images, many of which this long-time Hurley fan has never seen.
Previous issues of ‘Blue Navigator’ have included a CD of associated songs and, for this 12th volume, they have unearthed a previously unavailable soundtrack which Hurley provided for a 1984 documentary, “Troubled Waters”, about a Long Island clam fisherman. Hurley was recruited for this via a mutual friend of the film’s director and recorded the songs while watching the footage. It’s a blend of original songs and tunes along with a couple adapted from traditional songs and one by John Herald. It’s lo-fi Snock but quite spellbinding.
Overall, this is a gorgeous artefact, a book to be dipped into, especially when a song by Hurley springs to mind and you seek to see if it’s mentioned here. Whether volume 13 ever appears is moot, another volume would be most appreciated but in the meantime this edition is like manna from heaven.
