My Griffin Is Gone featured a cast of session all-stars (including future slice of Bread Larry Knechtel and Elvis Presley guitarist James Burton) that became characteristic of Axton's prodigious catalog. Over the years, Hoyt would be joined by an illustrious, if motley, crew of guest stars, from Jim Messina to Nicolette Larson to Bob Lind to Cheech & Chong. Immediately, however, Axton switched to Capitol Records for two records (including Joy To The World, 1971) before joining A&M Records for Less Than The Song (1973). Over the next four years at A&M, he waxed his most successful albums. One of these records, Life Machine (1974), produced "Boney Fingers" and another, Road Songs (1977) - a compilation, not a live album as one might expect - earned him the loftiest kudos of his career. The other two, Southbound (1975) and Fearless (1976), were his only albums to appear on Billboard's Top 200 pop album chart.

After a two-album stint at MCA, Hoyt Axton founded his own label, Jeremiah Records, named after the tippling bullfrog from "Joy To The World." Initially, Axton's new venture met with success, scoring two Top 20 country singles with "Della And The Dealer" and "Rusty Old Halo." Thereafter, Jeremiah earned diminishing returns as Axton faded away as a singer and songwriter, focusing more on his acting career - even writing the theme song to Flo, a spin-off of the hit TV show Alice. Jeremiah - the label - croaked in 1982, though Greatest Hits appeared in 1986. In 1984, Axton recorded a poorly-distributed album, American Dreams (1984), portions of which were used to fill out his final studio effort, Spin Of The Wheel, in 1990 (not counting his 1995 children's album, Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog). Hoyt Axton suffered a stroke in 1996, and he died in 1999.

The four Jeremiah albums were surveyed by Aussie imprint Raven under the banner Gotta Keep Rollin': The Jeremiah Years 1979-1981 (1999), and most have been reissued individually by either Raven or UK label Edsel (who have also dipped into Axton's MCA and Columbia catalogs). In fact, most phases of Axton's career have been revisited during the digital age. Sadly, though, many of these editions have been deleted and often fetch handsome prices as collector's items. Collectables Records, for instance, briefly issued Gold (2001) covering Axton's folk-oriented Vee Jay albums, but I've seen copies going for $100 or more. The A&M Years (1998), a 2-CD collection from Europe, is a definitive overview of Axton's most acclaimed period but has become scarce beyond reason. American Originals (1993), a nearly complete compilation of Hoyt's two Capitol albums, is almost as rare, though not as pricey.

All of which makes Flashes Of Fire: Hoyt's Very Best 1962-1990 more attractive to cost-conscious consumers. Though hardly cheap, it's a good value - 25 tracks running well over an hour. Moreover, the song selection is probably as balanced as humanly possible given the breadth of Hoyt Axton's repertoire and the abundance of labels for which he recorded. Due in no small part to Keith Glass' informed, affectionate liner notes, Flashes Of Fire lends historical perspective to Hoyt Axton's career. There could be, as rock writer Ariel Swartley once said, "startling gaps in Axton's sophistication." His sardonic, homespun humor often teetered precipitously on the edge of appallingly cute, and his friendly, corn-fed hippie persona could come across as more than a little affected.

But, his love of music was undeniable. Many of Axton's songs - "Boney Fingers" among them - could be considered novelties. If so, they are the best kind of novelties, the kind that speak great truths while making us giggle. Others, like "Evangelina" or "Sweet Misery" tells stories in vivid detail - like a well-read Jimmy Buffett, or Harry Chapin minus the emotional blackmail. Ultimately, the Hoyt Axton found in the grooves of his records wasn't that different from the characters he played in his movies. As with a favorite uncle, we look forward to his visits, and we always take away a bit of wisdom leavened with jocularity.

Much later, and after much music industry consolidation, England's Hump Head Records issued Joy To The World: The Definitive Collection (2016), which combines a whopping 50 tracks from Axton's prime Capitol, A&M, and MCA recordings 1971-1978. By then, all of those catalogs were owned by mega-corporation Universal Music. But definitive? No, since it lacks any of Axton's earliest or latest recordings. And, like most Hump Head releases, it cuts corners to maximize profit - foregoing pictures of the artist, for instance. Nevertheless, it's a bonanza of music. [top of page]