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 and the only one where his photo is featured on the cover. 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.