ONE OF MY favorite moments as a Roy Buchanan fan was his late-night performance of Willie Nelson’s “Night Life.” Roy interpreted Buddy Emmons’ steel-guitar voicings, played unique jazz lines and commanded beautiful ii-V progressions. I listened like a voyeur with jaw agape, sensing Roy was playing entirely for himself. I also recall seeing him during bleaker times, in his post-Polydor, preAlligator Records era, with an audience of about 20 people as he sang a blues using improvised lyrics: “I used to make $100,000 a year, and now I have to play a place like this…”
When I’m asked, “What are the best Roy Buchanan albums to get?” I always answer, “His first two.” That’s the Roy Buchanan I love. Although there are wonderful moments on all of Roy’s records, and I’m grateful to Alligator Records for rekindling his career, I’ve always loved his versatility and sound on his first two Polydor releases. I’ve already covered Roy’s brilliant self-titled debut here in Vinyl Treasures, so I’ll address the equally wonderful Second Album to help you dig further into his genius.