Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were, in essence, a big bar band adept at delighting audiences with their own meld of rockabilly, classic R&B, honky tonk, Western swing, Cajun, and gritty country-rock. The band's unpretentious, straightforward energy gave their records drive and elevated live performances. The band's individual members were fine musicians; everything they played was convincing. Between 1971 and 1978 they issued half a dozen well received recordings for Paramount and Warner Bros. Their debut, Lost in the Ozone netted their only hit single, a cover of Charles Ryan's "Hot Rod Lincoln." The remaining Paramount titles -- 1972's Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites, 1973's Country Casanova, and 1974's Live from Deep In The Heart Of Texas all charted. The eponymous Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen appeared in 1975. It was followed months later by Tales from the Ozone. They split in 1977.