Tales of far from ordinary madness, incarceration, rough justice, frazzled religiosity, summation and valediction. No car crash. As the title suggests, this is music as catharsis; nothing less than a reckoning with legacy and self. Bravo Mr. Erickson, bravo.
Oddi wrth y brawd
5 comments:
Not as great as some of the rave reviews would have you believe, but then again I suspect that some of these were fuelled by the sheer relief that this wasn't an early Christmas Turkey and that the ol' feller hadn't made a complete knob of hi'self in the process. It is good, though, and has had a few plays since joining Pastaman's burgeoning collection of CDs a few months back(must have a clear out soon) and better than I expected having witnessed his London Forum gig almost a year ago now - whatever happened to the last year by the way? The gig was short (1 hr plus encore)and consisted entirely of OK versions of his old B-Movie, 100-TVs-and-radios-on-the-go-and saucepan-on-the-head 70s solo stuff, the obligatory You're Gonna Miss Me and a mangled Splash No 3. He looked confused and uncertain throughout and could only communicate with the audience by dazed smiles and a half raised arm every time his bassist called "ladies and gentlemen, Roky Erickson" which he did with tedious regularity. Disappointing as I have always had a soft spot and had heard that, fried thought he may be, the Rokster turned in a belting live show. Sadly not the case. Still, it and the new album is proof that he's still functioning and much better than we have any right to expect him to be. What do you want Beelzebub, blood?
Yes, y brawd remembers your gig report at the time. Hence, partly, the "no car crash" comment. Is another reason for your tepid response to this album the fact that it is perhaps a tad too tasteful, and more than a little reminiscent of Americana arrangements Dylan has been using for the past 15 years...yawn? Oddly, RE's voice now sounds like an unshattered Dylan too.
You know, come to think of it there is a resemblance. Eek! I'm off to incinerate my copy right now (the clear out begins!)
harsh but fair 'nuff
Thanks! I checked this album out from my local library and at first didnt think it rocked enough like the earlier rocky albums, but it grew on me and i need to buy it.
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