Ray Wylie Hubbard’s The Ruffian’s Misfortune

 
Ray Wylie Hubbard’s The Ruffian’s Misfortune

By Brian Rock

Ray Wylie Hubbard went down to the crossroads. I can’t say for certain if he had a “Conversation with the Devil.” But I can assure you he came back with a guitar case full of authentic Delta blues – delivered with his own unique Texas twang!

The elder statesman of Americana, Ray Wylie Hubbard is part Muddy Waters part Jerry Garcia, sometimes profound, sometimes comical, but always honest and authentic. The Ruffian’s Misfortune finds Ray in his blues belting wheelhouse. Dark, dirty and dangerous; Hubbard plays blues from the shadowland of the soul. The line between right and wrong gets blurred, then inverted. In “All Loose Things,” Ray sings, “A peddler walks by, he says, ‘Why am I cursed like Cain. I’m all lust and fury. I’m doomed to sell my wares. I think I’d been better off not saying prayers’.” But is he questioning the efficacy of prayer or the condition of the one praying? As the chorus reminds us, “all loose things end up being washed away.” Maybe he’s warning us that if we don’t hold tight, our faith or even our souls may end up being washed away.

But then again, with Ray it’s not always clear which side he’s on. In “Too Young Ripe, Too Young Rotten,” Ray sings, “She lights a candle to the Black Madonna. She don’t care what the Baptists think. She wants something a whole lot stronger than a cross hanging on a chain.” Again, it’s not entirely clear whether he’s doubting the Christian faith or the actions of some of the “faithful.” But his songs aren’t meant for the believers, or even the non-believers. Ray sings for those who are undecided, unclear, and uncertain. For those who have experienced despair so thick that not even the light of hope can penetrate – Ray sings for you. In songs like, “Hey Mama, My Time Ain’t Long, “Down by the River,” and “Mr. Musselwhite’s Blues,” Ray comforts the comfortless by giving a voice to their pain. And in the depths of sorrow, Ray manages to find the comedy amidst the tragedy: “The woman I love she left me for another man. I said, ‘Mr. Williams what should I do?’ Big Joe said, ‘I seen that woman and Charlie, you’re better off with the blues’.” Suddenly, a spark of light penetrates the darkness. A problem you can laugh at is a problem you can conquer. The despair loses its grip and hope can at last find you.

Now you’re free to enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures as evidenced in the rocking “Chick Singer, Badass Rockin’,” and “Bad on Fords.” And if hope takes root and you find your faith (however you perceive it) you may end up “Barefoot in Heaven.” As Ray sings, “I may not get there, but if I do…I’m gonna walk around Heaven barefooted singing God’s praise.” And therein, Ray reveals the secret of the Blues: the more you suffer, the sweeter the redemption.

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