Ray Wylie Hubbard.

The Texas native, who wrote the jukebox anthem "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mothers," has remained highly in-demand as a producer, songwriter and performer. In this concert, he performs songs from his newest album, The Grifter's Hymnal.

Texas troubadour Ray Wylie Hubbard makes his 11th appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown. Hubbard first found success after writing "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mothers," which became a beer-joint jukebox anthem some 40 years before anyone thought about singing the praises of a Solo cup. A high-school classmate of Mountain Stage host Larry Groce, Hubbard even played with him in a band for a while.

"After two or three months, I think it was Larry's suggestion that we get instruments and learn to play them, because we were going nowhere," Hubbard says.

Since then, Hubbard has remained a highly in-demand producer, writer and performer, cultivating a style that's been described as one part Guy Clark and one part John Lee Hooker. Backed by Ron Sowell on guitar and harmonica and Ammed Solomon on drums, Hubbard plays lead guitar in a set that includes his latest anthem, "Snake Farm." His most recent release, The Grifter's Hymnal, has "a lot of your favorite songs on it," he says, "but of course, you won't know that unless you buy it."

This Mountain Stage performance was originally published on September 25, 2012.

Set List

• "Rabbit"
• "Count Your Blessings"
• "Train Yard"
• "Mother Blues"
• "Snake Farm"
• "The Messenger"

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