Michael Hurley - First Songs

An eccentric, lifelong troubadour and a hero of the freak folk movement, Michael Hurley (1941-2025) paved an unconventional path as a musician and songwriter across his storied six-decade career 'First Songs' is Hurley's debut album. In it, he introduces themes and characters that he'd revisit with delight across his dozens of albums: His werewolf trickster persona in "The Werewolf Song," the gentle "Blue Mountain," the pleasures of imbibing in "The Tea Song" and "I Like My Wine" and of rambling in "Just a Bum." Featuring Hurley alone with voice and guitar, the album sustains a moody sort of gravitas--while also laying the foundation for the visionary, freewheeling silliness that's made him one of the great folk singer-songwriters of the last century. The debut album from the singular "godfather of freak folk" Michael Hurley, recorded for Folkways Records in 1964, that contains the seeds of his broader musical and lyrical explorations. Hurley's cult following continues to gain steam as he is revered by generations of indie and folk artists, including Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, and Lucinda Williams. Cat Power's cover of "The Werewolf Song," which appears on First Songs, has been streamed close to 10 million times on Spotify. Allmusic.com said, "These 12 songs suggest that Hurley's 'hippie bard' musical vision was fully formed from the start" with the Vinyl District saying, "Highly distinctive affair, at times startlingly so... I'm amazed all over again that it came out when it did."