Songs for Blaze, a Friend of Ours: BFI Volume 4

Songs for Blaze, A Friend of Ours: BFI Volume 4

(Deep South) As the liner notes to the latest Blaze Foley tribute proclaim, "It's rare for someone to influence others, 10 years after their death. ... [I]t's even rarer when four tributes are produced in someone's honor." The fact that that person is relatively unknown to the general public makes one think this could be some kind of cult. That notion is quickly dispelled when one considers the quality of Foley's songs and, as this collection reveals, that the late Austin-based singer-songwriter's music continues to influence people in wondrous ways. The fourth volume of BFI -- which is the company sticker found on many Dumpsters in Austin, and so the story goes, could also have stood for the sometimes-homeless "Blaze Foley Inside" -- takes a different tack than other tributes. Its 20 selections were written for or about Blaze Foley, some from his friends, others from those who admire his work. While every tune here isn't a gem, overall it's a surprisingly cogent and tuneful listen. There are the usual suspects, of course -- a live version of "Blaze's Blue" from Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams' ode to the "derelict with the duct tape shoes," "Drunken Angel." Tunes like Richard Dobson's simple yet heartfelt folk ballad "Foley," John Casner's haunting "Straight to the Heart," and Kimmie Rhodes' elegant, poetic "Our Father's Face" demonstrate the many different sides of Foley's muse and spirit. And what a spirit it is, one that's still abundant and obviously not yet ready to rest.