‘Greenlight‘ is taken from the new album ‘Texas Radio‘ that is released today by C.M. Talkington on Birs Recordings. It’s an album that in part mirrors another part of his life – Carty Talkington is perhaps best known for writing and directing the cult classic western psychedelic road opera ‘Love & A .45‘, and musically ‘Texas Radio‘ digs deep into a strange western psychedelic rock vibe and no more so than on ‘Greenlight‘ which is acknowledged to be a ‘western psychedelic rockabilly road anthem ’bout livin’ the truth with no regrets. Inspired by Love & a .45.’
The making of ‘Texas Radio‘ was a long process with the germination of the idea being some decades old. In fact if you do the whole “six steps of…” thing then you’d find yourself back in the 1930s when outlaw radio stations broadcast revolutionary messages that transcended the border of Texas and Mexico. Groundbreaking music sizzled and sparked from the tops of those radio towers too, the bedrock genres of country, Tejano, soul, rock ’n’ roll, blues, gospel, and rockabilly – and it was these broadcasters that inspired Jim Morrison to write ‘The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat)‘ and it was this song that inspired Talkington’s friend (and Butthole Surfers drummer) to declare in 1987 that their band would be called Texas Radio. That didn’t happen though as Talkington took a sidestep into movie making before returning to making music in the early 2010’s eventually preparing the album ‘Not Exactly Nashville‘ for release just before the pandemic hit. He also discovered that he had colon cancer – necessitating chemotherapy and an operation.
The latest album with what could be called the Texas Radio Band saw a lot of strands from CM Talkington’s life come back together – old friends and connections made over the years saw the band shape up as Douglas Forrest, David Mabry, Kobie Baus, and CM Talkington who got together at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas to record with Paul Leary (also of the ‘Surfers) as producer. For one track an old friend – Renée Zellweger – added backing vocals. She’d had an early lead role in ‘Love & A .45.‘
Of the album Talkington says :”It’s like driving through Texas and moving your way across the AM dial.”
