Album of the Day

A talented songwriter (he penned hits for Duane Eddy and Nancy Sinatra), producer, label head and solo artist, Lee Hazlewood carved out an idiosyncratic career path that eventually turned him into an underground cult hero. The "cowboy psychedelia" he would help pioneer is still years away on FRIDAY'S CHILD; instead, Hazlewood's third album finds him in Nashville-crossover territory. The 1965 Reprise set puts his rich, reverb-coated vocals to excellent use on a dozen expertly crafted songs including "Four Kinds Of Lonely," "That Old Freight Train" and "Houston," which would become a hit for Dean Martin (prompting this album's re-release under the title HOUSTON). The heartfelt performances on this obscure gem make FRIDAY'S CHILD well worth revisiting for fans of mid-1960s country-pop.