Commander Cody "Live: 1965 In San Francisco" (SRI Records, 2006)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Lost In The Ozone" (MCA/Paramount Records, 1971)
I was never a huge Commander Cody fan, but he definitely was a big part of the scene, 'way back when. A boogie rock band with a strong understanding of country and blues history, the Lost Planet Airmen provided the backdrop for many a drunken, druggie sprawl. They are best known for their cover version of the '50s drag racing story-song, "Hod Rod Lincoln," included on this album, along with other classics such as "Down To Stems and Seeds Again" and "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar." Bill Kirchen, the band's original hotshot guitarist, is still a powerhouse performer, and well worth catching live, if he ever cruises through your town.
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Trucker's Favorites" (MCA/Paramount Records, 1972)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Country Casanova" (MCA/Paramount Records, 1973)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas" (MCA Records, 1974)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen " (Warner Brothers, 1975)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Tales From The Ozone" (Warner Brothers, 1976)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "We've Got A Live One Here" (Warner Brothers, 1976)
Commander Cody "Rock And Roll Again" (Arista Records, 1977)
Commander Cody "Flying Dreams" (Arista Records, 1978)
Commander Cody "Lose It Tonight" (Line/Peter Pan Records, 1980)
Commander Cody "Let's Rock" (Blind Pig Records, 1986)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Sleazy Roadside Stories" (Relix Records, 1988)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Aces High" (Relix Records, 1990)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Lost In Space" (Relix Records, 1993)
A reissue of a 1975 radio appearance...
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Worst Case Scenario" (AIM/Rounder Records, 1994)
Commander Cody "Live At Gilley's" (Atlantic Records, 2000)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Live" (Remember Records, 2003)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "King Of The Honky Tonks" (Akarma Records, 2005)
A reunion album from an Italian label... Hmmmm...
Best-Ofs
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Hot To Trot: The Best Of Commander Cody" (MCA Records, 1990)
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Relix's Best Of Commander Cody" (Relix Records, 1995)
Buyers Beware
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "The Tour From Hell: 1973" (AIM, 1996)
Apparently this lo-fi live set was released without the band's permission -- as noted on the Commander Cody website -- on top of which, it has pretty crappy sound quality. Still... if you're a really hardcore fan, you might wanna check it out... Or... not.
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen "Bar Room Classics" (AIM Records, 1994)
A best-of set
Links
Hick Music Index
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen was the stage-name of George Frayne and his band, early migrants to the San Francisco hippie scene who made their mark as one of the great psychedelic bar-bands of the 1970s. The Airmen had a generally harder, blues-based boogie-rock sound (as opposed to more country-oriented acts such as Asleep At The Wheel or the New Riders Of The Purple Sage) but they also had their country/bluegrass bona fides. The original band, which included guitar hero Bill Kirchen, broke up in the mid-1970s, but Frayne kept the name and has played infrequently ever since. Here's a cursory look at their work...