• achtergronden
• DE 7EVEN
• video's
• agenda

ernaast

Handsome Ned | The Name Is Ned

CD, EMI Canada

Tekst: Maurice Dielemans

Publicatiedatum: 27 december 2000

The 80s gave us MTV, Phil Collins, Heavy Metal music, the never-ending guitar solo, and some extremely bad haircuts, but it could have been so much better if we only listened to country music by Handsome Ned. Now there is this comprehensive compilation on two discs with 33 songs by Handsome Ned aka Robin David Masyk.
It's time for you to sit back and think of how great the 80s really were, but it's still a shame that it took us more than ten years to discover the soulful cult-country of Handsome Ned. Born with a natural talent for singing and inspired by the music of country-rock pioneers such as Gram Parsons, the Byrds, Johnny Cash, and Guy Clark, Robin started his rockabilly revivalism with bands like the Velours and the Sidewinders in the late 70s. Breaking up with the rockabilly bands and moving more towards a country direction, Robin decided to change his name to 'Handsome Ned'. Of course, country music was not hip in the early 80s, but Handsome Ned, with straw Stetson, cowboy boots, and bandanna around his neck, spread the word of country music around Canada. He quickly built a loyal fan base with his own radio show 'The Honky Tonk Hardwood Floorshow', where he used to play his own songs together with the legendary music of the Byrds, REM, and Tex Ritter. In 1984, Handsome Ned formed a band together with some friends. The Handsome Neds played an interesting mixed bag of rockabilly, punk, and hardcore honky tonk.
Most of the songs that you'll find on this anthology have been recorded by fans, right off the radio and complete with the static. Still, the sound quality of this re-mastered collection is excellent. But most important, the music of Handsome Ned is simply great. You'll fall in love with his version of 'Sea of Heartbreak' and his improvisation of the Johnny Cash classic 'I Still Miss Someone'. This compilation kicks off with the tremendous 'Put the Blame on Me', the first 45-rpm that Handsome Ned recorded.
In 1985, Ross Edmunds made a well-received 30-minute documentary called 'The Ballad of Handsome Ned'. He also appeared in a Molson Beer commercial, because of his distinctive urban cowboy look. Yes, Handsome Ned was definitely destined for fame and critical acclaim, but the police found his body on January 10, 1987. Robin David Masyk died of a suspected drug overdose at the age of 29. While he was alive, Handsome Ned only released two singles. He was about to record his first full-length album in the same week that he died. It's the sad story of a life unfilled, but with this anthology Handsome Ned is here to stay.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/handsome-ned/the-name-is-ned/89/
Meer Handsome Ned op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/handsome-ned