The mysterious, legendary holy grail known as Willis Alan Ramsey’s second album is close to being finished, at least that’s what Ramsey and his soul mate, Alison, are saying.
I hesitate to put that in a headline because Ramsey has promised a second album for years without actually delivering it. Fans have waited for 40-odd years, ever since falling in love with Ramsey’s debut album Willis Alan Ramsey in 1972.
Ramsey was close to finishing album No. 2 two years ago when a major flood hit his home in Colorado in 2013 and wiped out of a bunch of equipment in the Ramseys’ recording studio.
They’ve raised money for repairs since then by touring, including a gig at Shipping & Receiving Bar in Fort Worth last October.
Now they’re making a final push to repair the studio and finish their project by starting a GoFundMe campaign.
“Our projects are long overdue,” Alison Ramsey writes on the campaign page. “Fans of Willis Alan Ramsey have been waiting the longest! So, I see this as my job as co-producer to ask for your help to get this great man’s wonderful music out into the world!”
Ramsey’s first album is magical. I can’t wait to see what he’s come up with for his second one, already titled Gentilly. Ramsey is using topnotch backing musicians, including harmonica great Mickey Raphael of Willie Nelson’s band. The songs are surely going to be something special. Will it top his first album? Based on some of the songs he’s played at concerts that are pegged for the second album, I predict it’ll be every bit as good. Maybe better.
I hope he gets over his OCD problem of thinking he has to tune up his guitars for at least 5 minutes between EVERY single song he plays.