Pure Prairie League - Bustin’ Out
This week This Is Vinyl Tap discusses the criminally underrated album by Pure Prairie League, 1972's Bustin’ Out.
Bustin' Out contains the band's most well known song, "Aime," a radio staple for the last 50 years. Oddly, while even the most casual of music listeners know the song, many would be hard pressed to name the band that performs it. As a result, Bustin' Out has been somewhat ignored, which is a shame, because it is a fantastic collection of country infused rock songs. The album's secret weapon is David Bowie's guitarist Mick Ronson, who provides string arrangements and, some (uncredited) scorching guitar. While the band did move away from the rawer sound of their debut on Bustin' Out, the album is bit more mature and undeniably full of expert playing and fine, soulful vocals by front-man Craig Fuller that makes its influence on the alternative country bands of the early 1990's very apparent.
Recommendation for this episode: Neon Blue by Joshua Hedley.
THINGS WE DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE
Publicity photo for Pure Prairie League circa 1972.
Pure Prairie League was named after a fictional female temperance union in the 1939 Errol Flynn film Dodge City. You can watch the famous bar fight clip form that movie below where the Pure Prairie League (the union not the band) makes an appearance.
The illustration on the cover of the August 13, 1927, issue of The Saturday Evening Post, “Dreams of Long Ago” by Norman Rockwell was used by Pure Prairie League on their debut LP. The character, known as “Sad Luke” would go on to adorn most of the covers.
Steel guitar on Bustin’ Out is performed by none other than Canada’s steel guitar ambassador, Al Brisco. By 1972, Brisco was a much sought after session player having spending four years as a member of Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, and playing with the Band, Kris Kristofferson, and Frank Zappa to name a few.
Here is a magazine advertisement for the re-release of Bustin’ Out from the February 15, 1975 issue of Record World. It relies heavily on the late emergence of “Aime” as a hit single.
Here’s George Powell (L) and Craig Fuller (R) playing live at the University of North Carolina in 1972.
David Bowie’s guitarist and greatest collaborator Mick Ronson was was hired to compose the strings for various tunes on Bustin’ Out.
While he is not credited with playing the guitar on the song “Angel #9” it sure does sound like Ronson’s playing. There’ is no denying he loved the song, as he covered it on his 1975 solo LP Play Don't Worry. You can watch him perform the song live on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Watch Craig Fuller perform “Falling In and Out of Love” and “Aime” at the San Diego County Fair 2009.
