The Gun Club : Miami 1982

For some unfathomable reason one of the greatest bands to come out of the U.S.A. in the last years has never seemed to receive the respect it is due. Coming straight out of the L.A. punk scene in 1980, The Gun Club were one of the first to take a really punk attitude to roots music. True, they had been predated by several bands like The Blasters, NRBQ, etc. but these were really way too respectful of the material they were recreating. The Gun Club, according at least to bandleader Jeffrey Lee Pierce's autobiography Go Tell The Mountain, set out on a mission to destroy.

Miami is the second studio album by punk blues group The Gun Club, released in 1982. It was released on Blondie guitarist Chris Stein's label, Animal RecordsStein also produced the album.

 According to Terry Graham, Miami was recorded in a "tiny room in a second rate studio somewhere in New York and sports the famous "muffled" sound so favored by tiny rooms in second rate studios". This probably added greatly to the atmosphere here; that combined with Ward's slide guitar seem to underpin the sounds here. To sum up the contradictions of this record, the band captures the claustrophobia of wide-open spaces in a cramped studio in New York.

Producer Chris Stein is said to dislike heavy guitar based rock, which adds to the confusion in the production. He winds up with a ghostly presence in the sound pretty different to the way the band would come across live. It winds up sounding like the country LP the Doors never cut.

Pierce's vocals were getting stronger and he is still using the blues moan he picked up from Tommy Johnson. He would later recommend that I listen to Howlin' Wolf, an artist who was renowned for his trademark howl. Pierce's lyricism was becoming progressively mystical on tracks like "Like Calling up Thunder" and "Brother And Sister" but a rock and roll pulse still underlies everything. He approaches dirty realism on "Texas Serenade," a depiction of a suburban killing. The best track on the album is probably "Mother of Earth," a song where the narrating character is a drifter tired of 'eating and leaving but can't go back no more.'

One little known fact about this track is that Billy Idol, who was hanging around with Pierce a lot in L.A. at the time, said that "White Wedding" was an attempt to copy it. Don't let that put you off, this is beautiful. Mark Tomco of Rubber Rodeo adds pedal steel guitar to both this and "Texas Serenade" adding a further psychedelic swirl.

Miami was originally due to be called "Triggernometry," after a book on Old West gunfighters. To quote Graham again, the new title Miami " was chosen because JLP liked places like Miami, Las Vegas, New Orleans.... places where the seamy underbelly is more readily on display. Candy stores for terminally inquisitive miscreants and carnival trash. Such places were/are fair reflections of the activity inside Pierce's's head. A psychic requirement for all Gun Club temp workers." 

Debbie Harry appears as a backing singer on various tracks on the album under the pseudonym "D.H. Laurence Jr." The album front cover photograph doesn't include Rob Ritter who had already left the band. Before leaving the band, Ritter first taught all his bass-lines to his ex-Bags bandmate Patricia Morrison.

The track "Mother of Earth" was covered by alt-country band The Sadies on their 2001 album Tremendous Efforts. It was also covered by Swedish band bob hund, but with lyrics in Swedish, as “Mamma din jord” on their 2019 album “0-100”.

In 1996, aged 37, Pierce died from a brain hemorrhage at the University of Utah Hospital.

The Gun Club

    Jeffrey Lee Pierce : vocals, guitar, piano, background vocals on "Watermelon     Man", lead guitar on "Run Through the Jungle", "John Hardy" and "Mother of       Earth"
    Ward Dotson : lead guitar, background vocals on "Watermelon Man"
    Rob Ritter : bass
    Terry Graham : drums

Additional musicians

    D.H. Laurence, Jr.(Debbie Harry) : backing vocals
    Walter Steding : fiddle on "Watermelon Man"
    Chris Stein : producer, bongos on "Watermelon Man"
    Mark Tomeo : steel guitar on "Texas Serenade" and "Mother of Earth"




TRAXS

01. Carry Home : 3:14
02. Like Calling Up Thunder : 2:29
03. Brother and Sister : 2:57
04. Run Through the Jungle (John Fogerty) : 4:07
05. A Devil in the Woods : 3:05
06. Texas Serenade : 4:40
07. Watermelon Man (Ward Dotson, Jeffrey Lee Pierce) : 4:11
08. Bad Indian : 2:37
09. John Hardy (Traditional; arranged by Jeffrey Lee Pierce) : 3:21
10. Fire of Love (Jody Reynolds, Stordivant Sonya) : 2:14
11. Sleeping in Blood City : 3:29
12. Mother of Earth : 3:21

Take It Here MP3 @ 320 Size : 91 MB
Take It Here  Flac : Size :   285 MB

Poll : Άνθρωπε 1971 - Poll 1972

Poll was a Greek pop group founded in 1971 by Kostas Tournas, Robert Williams, Stavros Logarides and Kostas Papaioannou. In Greece, it is considered a historic group of the 1970s with pioneering lyrics. Poll is a legendary pop group which resonated with the Greek youth of the '70s, and its songs are viewed as "some of the best songs, which have remained in the history of Greek music". Poll is the most commercially successful Greek band of all time.

Οι Poll ήταν μια ελληνική Rock μπάντα που ιδρύθηκε το 1971 από τον Κώστα Τουρνά , τον Ρόμπερτ Ουίλιαμς, τον Σταύρο Λογαρίδη και τον Κώστα Παπαϊωάννου. Στην αρχή έπαιζε σιτάρ ο Σπύρος Μαυρογιάννης. Στην Ελλάδα, θεωρείται μια ιστορική μπάντα της δεκαετίας του '70 με πρωτοποριακούς στίχους, που ταυτιζόταν με την ελληνική νεολαία και τα τραγούδια τους θεωρούνται μερικά από τα καλύτερα τραγούδια που έχουν παραμείνει στην ιστορία της ελληνικής μουσικής .

Μέλη

Κώστας Τουρνάς
Robert Williams
Σταύρος Λογαρίδης
Κώστας Παπαϊωάννου
Νάσια Σάντι
Δέσποινα Γλέζου

Το όνομα Poll το πήραν ανοίγοντας ένα Αγγλικό λεξικό.
Ο Κώστας Τουρνάς έγραψε το Άνθρωπε Αγάπα μετά την παρακολούθηση της ταινίας "Φράουλες και αίμα".Ηχογραφήθηκε σαν demo από τον Κώστα και δυο Σκωτσέζους φίλους του, τον Τζο [κιθάρα] και την Μαρία [φωνή], αυτή τραγουδούσε στο κομμάτι, και με την βοήθεια του Μάκη Παπαθεοδώρου [πρώην "First"] στο φλάουτο, και παραδόθηκε στην "Φώνογκραμ" αποσπώντας θετική απάντηση.

Ευχαριστημένοι από την θετική απάντηση της εταιρίας, ο Κώστας Τουρνάς μαζί με τον Ρόμπερτ Ουίλιαμς παίζοντας στο σπίτι του πρώτου μια μελωδία από δω, λίγα ακόρντα από κει βγήκε ένα κομμάτι, πάνω σ'αυτό έγραψε ο Κώστας Τουρνάς τους στίχους του "Ήλιε μου" , που ήταν και το δεύτερο τραγούδι των Poll.
Με την βοήθεια του φίλου τους Χαραλαμπίδη και βοήθεια στα φωνητικά από τις φίλες τους Μαίρη Μοσέ και Νάσια ξαναγράφουν το "ήλιε μου" και το "άνθρωπε" σε νέα εκτέλεση.

Ο Κώστας Τουρνάς και ο Ρόμπερτ Ουίλιαμς ήταν φίλοι παιδικής ηλικίας που ξεκίνησαν τη μουσική τους συνεργασία το 1964, όταν συγκρότησαν το γκρουπ των Teenagers και ηχογράφησαν το πρώτο τους τραγούδι "You do not love me".
Το 1967, άλλαξαν το όνομα της μπάντας στο "Dinos and the X-Rays" αλλά διέλυσαν σύντομα διότι ο Τουρνάς έπρεπε να πάει στο στρατό και ο Ουίλιαμς πήγε στη Ρόδεσία όπου έμεινε για δύο χρόνια. 

Συνενώθηκαν τελικά και, μαζί με τον Σταύρο Λογαρίδη, σχημάτισαν  τους "Poll", αφού πρώτα εξέτασαν τα ονόματα "Paul" (μετά τον Paul McCartney ) και "Omega Limited".  Οι Poll, μαζί με τους Νοστράδαμος , ήταν μία από τις πρώτες Rock μπάντες της Ελλάδας.
Η πρώτη σύνθεση των Poll ήταν :
Σπύρος Μαυρογιάννης, Σταύρος Λογαρίδης, Ρόμπερτ Ουίλιαμς, Κώστας Τουρνάς, Μαίρη Μωσέ, Νάσια Σανδή.

Το λογότυπό τους ήταν το περίγραμμα ενός περιστεριού. Η πρώτη συναυλία τους έγινε στο Πεδίον του Άρεως στην Αθήνα. Οι Poll άρχισαν επίσης να εμφανίζονται στο ¨Κύτταρο", παρουσιάζοντας τραγούδια που επηρεάστηκαν από την κουλτούρα των hippies. Εμφανίστηκαν επίσης στο "Ελατήριο" παρουσιάζοντας μουσική επηρεασμένη από τους Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young ενώ προστέθηκαν δύο νέα μέλη, η τραγουδίστρια Nasia Sandi και ο drummer Κώστας Παπαϊωάννου. Στο "Ελατήριο" , προστέθηκε επίσης η τραγουδίστρια Δέσποινα Γλέζου, η οποία αργότερα έφυγε για να επιδιώξει έναν πιο εξατομικευμένο ρόλο.

Οι Poll άρχισαν τις πρόβες σε ένα σπίτι που ανήκε στη γιαγιά του Κώστα Χαραλαμπίδη, πωλητή της ελληνικής δισκογραφικής εταιρείας Elladisk, θυγατρικής της ολλανδικής πολυεθνικής Philips . Ο Χαραλαμπίδης παρείχε ένα demo της μπάντας στον Χρήστο Φασόλα, ο οποίος δούλευε στην Ελλάδα στο χώρο του νόμου περί πνευματικών δικαιωμάτων.

Τον Απρίλιο του 1971 κυκλοφόρησαν το πρώτο τους single που έγινε τεράστια επιτυχία. Στην Α πλευρά ήταν το τραγούδι «Άνθρωπε Αγάπα» και στην πλευρά Β ήταν το «Έλα Ήλιε μου» στην Polydor. Μετά από πρόταση του Φασόλα, ο Σταύρος Λογαρίδης έλαβε μέρος στην ηχογράφηση του τραγουδιού και έγινε μέλος της μπάντας.

Τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1971, κυκλοφόρησε το πρώτο τους άλμπουμ "Άνθρωπε", το οποίο  ήταν συσκευασμένο σε ένα ταγάρι.

Το "Άνθρωπε Αγάπα", θεωρείται το πρώτο αντιπολεμικό τραγούδι διαμαρτυρίας στην ιστορία του ελληνικού ροκ και κυκλοφόρησε κατά τη διάρκεια των χρόνων της χούντας στην Ελλάδα. Το τραγούδι ήταν εμπνευσμένο από το hippie σύνθημα "Κάνε έρωτα όχι πόλεμο". 

Την άνοιξη του 1972 η μπάντα ηχογράφησε ένα single με τα τραγούδια "Αετοί"  και "Η Γενιά μας" τα οποία έγιναν τεράστιες επιτυχίες. Αργότερα το 1972 εμφανίστηκαν στο Φεστιβάλ Τραγουδιού Θεσσαλονίκης όπου έπαιξαν το "Μολυβιές φωτογραφίες", το οποίο επίσης κυκλοφόρησε ως single με το "Οσες Φορές" στην άλλη πλευρά.

Το 1972 κυκλοφόρησε το δεύτερο άλμπουμ τους, απλά με τίτλο Poll , αλλά με το παρατσούκλι "Λευκό", λόγω του λευκού του εξώφυλλου,επηρεασμένο από το Λευκό Άλμπουμ του Beatles. Το Λευκό άλμπουμ ήταν το τελευταίο άλμπουμ του συγκροτήματος και περιελάμβανε τραγούδια όπως το "Ελένη", το "Πες της μαϊμού να μην πειράζει", το "Ξημερώνει" και άλλα. Περιελάμβανε επίσης κι ένα κόμικ που έδειχνε την ιστορία της μπάντας.

Μέχρι τον Δεκέμβριο του 1972, κοντά στην εποχή που οι Poll διαλύθηκαν, ο Ουίλιαμς έγινε ο κύριος συνθέτης της μπάντας, αντικαθιστώντας τον Τουρνά, ο οποίος μέχρι τότε είχε συνθέσει τα περισσότερα τραγούδια της μπάντας. Η τελευταία τους παράσταση ήταν τον Ιανουάριο του 1973, όταν εμφανίστηκαν στην Πρωτοχρονιάτικη παράσταση του Νίκου Μαστοράκη στην ΥΕΝΕΔ.

Διαλύθηκαν σύντομα μετά το δεύτερο άλμπουμ τους, επειδή ο Τουρνάς ήθελε να ακολουθήσει μια σόλο καριέρα. Όταν ρωτήθηκε για τους λόγους της απόφασής του, ο Τουρνάς σχολίασε ότι ίσως η απόφαση για τη διάλυση οφείλεται στην ανάγκη ενός ατόμου να δημιουργήσει δουλειά που δεν μπορεί να καλυφθεί από την μπάντα και θα έπρεπε τότε να «θάψει» τη δημιουργική του ανάγκη για συναισθηματικούς λόγους. Ο Τουρνάς περιέγραψε επίσης τη διάλυση του συγκροτήματος ως "μεγάλη απώλεια".

Στις 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 1982 το συγκρότημα επανενώθηκε για μια συναυλία στο Λυκαβηττό που ηχογραφήθηκε και κυκλοφόρησε ως άλμπουμ. Μετά την επανένωση του 1982, κυκλοφόρησαν και πάλι τα πρώτα δύο άλμπουμ τους, λόγω της μεγάλης ζήτησης και έκανε τις παλαιότερες εκδόσεις των άλμπουμ να γίνουν αντικείμενα συλλογής. Τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1991 η μπάντα έδωσε πάλι συναυλία στην ίδια θέση στο Λυκαβηττό, η οποία οδήγησε σε φήμες μόνιμης επανένωσης, αν και αυτό δεν έγινε ποτέ.

Σε αντίθεση με παρόμοιες Rock μπάντες της εποχής, οι Poll δεν περιορίστηκαν αποκλειστικά σε ερωτικά θέματα στα τραγούδια τους. Το hit τους "Άνθρωπε Αγάπα" ήταν ένα αντιπολεμικό τραγούδι και πολλά από τα άλλα τραγούδια τους άγγιζαν διάφορα κοινωνικοπολιτικά ζητήματα των νέων της εποχής, όπως τα μακριά μαλλιά, τα οποία είδαν με καχυποψία η χούντα και η παλαιότερη γενιά εκείνη την εποχή . Τα τραγούδια τους για την αγάπη ήταν διαφορετικά και περιείχαν πρωτοποριακούς στίχους που εναλλάσσονταν μέ υπέροχες μελωδίες.

 ΑΝΘΡΩΠΕ 1971

 
01.  Poll Means Love (Στίχοι: Robert Williams - Μουσική: Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
02.  Φόβοι Μου (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
03.  Ψάχνω Να Βρω Τον Φίλο Μου (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
04.  Στην Πηγή Μια Κοπέλλα (Κώστας Τουρνάς
05.  2.000 Λόγοι (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
06.  Παρασκευάς Και Θωμάς (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
07.  Και Μιλώντας Για Ανθρώπους (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
08.  Ο Γέρος (Στίχοι: Robert Williams – Μουσική : Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
09.  Χρώματα (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
10.  Piccadilly Circus (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
11.  Γιατί Έχει Μακριά Μαλλιά (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
12.  Σήμερα Κι' Αύριο (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
13α.  Πέστε Μου Τί Θέλω (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
13β.  Poll Σημαίνει Αγάπη (Στίχοι: Robert Williams - Μουσική: Κώστας Τουρνάς)
13γ.  Ποιός Θα Δείξει (Πέστε Μου Τί Θέλω) (Κώστας Τουρνάς)

    Bonus Tracks

14.  Η Γενιά Μας (Κώστας Τουρνάς)
15.  Έλα Ήλιε Μου  (Στίχοι: Robert Williams - Μουσική: Κώστας Τουρνάς)
16.  Άνθρωπε Αγάπα (Κώστας Τουρνάς)

Take it Flac HERE
   
 Poll 1972

01.  Ρυθμός (Ορχηστρικό)    
02.  Ξημερώνει     (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
03.  Δε Θα ΄Σαι Μάρτυς (Robert Williams)   
04.  Πες΄ Της Μαϊμούς Να Μη Με Πειράζει Με Το Δάχτυλο Της (Κώστας Τουρνάς)   
05.  Ελένη (Robert Williams)   
06.  Όσες Φορές (Κώστας Τουρνάς)   
07.  Μια Μέρα Βροχερή     (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
08.  Μάνα  (Κώστας Τουρνάς)    
09.  Σαν Πέρναγε Ο Χειμώνας  (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)   
10.  Ποιος Μπορεί Να Πιστέψει  (Robert Williams)   
11.  Poll Means Love  (Σταύρος Λογαρίδης)
    
    Bonus Tracks

12.  Μολυβιές Φωτογραφίες   
13.  Αετοί

Take it Flac HERE  

Various Artists - Pebbles, Vol. 4 : Various Hodads - Surf n Tunes, Original Rare '60s Surf/Rod Classics 1992

Various Artists - Pebbles, Vol. 4
Subtitled: Various Hodads - Surf n Tunes, Original Rare '60s Surf/Rod Classics
1992 Archive International Productions (AIP)
CD cat. #: AIP CD 5021

Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Unlike other volumes in the series – which compile obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock music – Volume 4 collects rare examples of surf rock. The LP is subtitled Summer Means Fun, while the CD is subtitled Surf N Tunes. Another Pebbles, Volume 4 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has completely different tracks.

Release data

This album was released on BFD Records in 1979. AIP Records kept the LP in print for many years.
AIP Records issued this volume in CD format in 1992. Although having a different cover, the two formats are largely the same album and even have similar catalogue numbers.
Although two box sets that purport to be the first five volumes of the Pebbles series have been released – the Pebbles Box on LP (in 1987) and the Trash Box on CD (in 2004) – none of the tracks on Pebbles, Volume 4 are included on either box set.

Omitted Tracks on the CD

When AIP Records issued the early volumes of CDs, they omitted some tracks from the corresponding LP for the stated reason that they were already widely available on other anthologies. In this case, only about half of the tracks on the LP were included on the CD; even the opening cut on the LP from which the subtitle is taken – "Summer Means Fun" by Bruce & Terry – was left off. The numerous bonus tracks on the CD include the corresponding "School is a Drag" by Superstocks to go with the curious pro-school song by The Wheel Men.

 Notes on the tracks

As on the first two volumes, an odd track from a well-known artist – Jan & Dean in this instance, performing on a commercial for Coca-Cola – is included on the album. Lloyd Thaxton had a widely syndicated pop music television program in the 1960s, The Lloyd Thaxton Show. Dave Edmunds – the only artist represented who is not American – had numerous hit songs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including 1970's international success, "I Hear You Knocking." The Trashmen are renowned for their 1963 hit "Surfin' Bird" and are a prolific enough band that a 4-CD box set was released several years ago on Sundazed.

TRACK LISTING:

01. California Suns : Masked Grandma - 02:28
02. The Dantes : Top Down Time - 02:05
03. The Pyramids : Custom Caravan - 01:58
04. The Rivieras : California Sun '65 - 02:36
05. The Knights : Hot Rod High - 02:06
06. The Wheel Men : School Is A Gas - 02:19
07. The Superstocks : School Is A Drag - 02:14
08. Lloyd Thaxton : Image Of A Surfer - 02:02
09. The City Surfers : Beach Ball - 01:56
10. Dave Edmunds : London's A Lonely Town - 02:28
11. The Ragamuffins : The Fun We Had - 02:08
12. The Rally Packs : Move Out Little Mustang - 01:53
13. The Reveres : Big ''T'' - 02:20
14. The Readymen : Shortnin' Bread - 02:46
15. The Bleach Boys : Wine, Wine, Wine - 02:29
16. The Esquires : Flashin' Red - 02:20
17. The Del-Vettes : Ram Charger - 02:29
18. The Gamblers : LSD-25 - 02:17
19. Brian Lord : The Big Surfer - 02:32

Playing time...43:25

[This cd is atypical, as far as the first five in this series goes. I'd heard of compilations like "Nuggets" first, I think, and after discovering that recentlyish, I'd stumble upon similar compilations...like "Pebbles"and then "Back from the grave". From my point of view, the first Nuggets box set is the best of these. It has the best sound quality and the best songs. Some of those songs on Nuggets became instant classics for me (I've reviewed that title here). Once you start getting to Pebbles and Nuggets though, the sound quality deteriorated markedly. They can have a very scratchy/cassettey kind of sound. As for the Pebbles cds I bought, it was with a company which gave 'freebie' cds if you bought five from them...my surprise cd was the first volume of English Freakbeat, I think it was called. That had a few good nuggets on it too. Anyway, with Pebbles, I was often surprised at how often the same songs which appeared on the first Nuggets box-set would appear on four of the five Pebbles cds I ordered. Not sure, but maybe some of that 'identical' material may have been versions of the same song by a  different band...but if similarity in songs is an issue for you, I'd choose Nuggets over Pebbles.

Anyway, back to Pebbles v4...it might actually have superior sound quality to the rest that I've heard. It's been a while since I've listened to this cd and my notes aren't as specific as they usually are. Maybe I'd give this album 4/5...but I'm not certain...just my impression that this album is the best of the first five, so long as you like Beach Boy type songs about surfing and hot-rod cars.

The best song:

  


















Dave Edmunds - "London's a lonely town". A lovely, retro/neo surf song by the  Brit who had the classic "Girls talk". Great melody and harmonies. Has a Christmas vibe to it. Tried finding a You Tube of this song but could only find "New York's a lonely town".  Prefer the Pebbles version. Difference may be due to legal issues or something.

Then:

 

Readymen -  "Shortnin' Bread". Has an amusing vibe, as far as the vocals go. Candidate for my list of the best US songs of all time...might find a place for it on the tail end of my list. 

The Ragamuffins - "The Fun We Had". Vocal style similar to that in Wheatus' recentish cool pop song "Teenage dirtbag".

Of interest:

Brian Lord - "The Big Surfer". Amusing song. Got a John F.Kennedy conceit going for it. Has an ending with a political twist too, which was very surprising to me. 
California Suns - "Masked Grandma". References the song "The little old lady from Pasadena". Sounds like it also uses one of those comb horns...you know, where you put that cheap and nasty toilet paper onto a comb and blow on it? Hope that last sentence is clear...hmm. 
The Wheel Men - "School Is a Gas” AND Superstocks - "School is a Drag". Same song but with different takes...looks like they are trying to appeal to different demographs! Also lumped in The Knights' "Hot Rod High" with "School is a drag" but the connection is obscure to me now after this time interval.]

Pebbles on the beach!

As its title implies, the fourth Pebbles disc is a bit of a departure from other volumes in the series. It serves up 19 tracks of ultra obscure surf rock from the 60s (except for Dave Edmunds' "London's A Lonely Town," which was recorded in 1973). The songs are mostly from the poppier end of the spectrum, with vocal harmonies, symplistic lyrics, and peppy instrumentation that shows a clear Beach Boys/Jan & Dean influence.

Severeal of these songs are really good- The Dantes' "Top Down Time" is an infectious rush, and the Knights' "Hot Rod High" offers the kind of simplistic joy that its title promises. The Wheel Men and The Super Stocks provide two excellent versions of the same song (with slighty different titles, however. The former group calls their tune "School Is A Gas," while the latter provides "School Is A Drag"). Lloyd Thaxton's "Image Of A Surfer" can almost be described as the surf-pop counterpart to Kim Fowley's "The Trip." The Bleach Boys (bLeach, not beach) turn in a wicked cool version of "Wine Wine Wine."

There are also a few less poppy gems: The Readymen's unbelievably awesome "Shortnin' Bread" is a beer-blasted slab of midwestern surf-punk insanity a la the Trashmen, and the Gamblers' "LSD 25" is a way-cool instrumentl strutter. Brian Lord's "The Big Surfer" is a totally inexplicable song which featuyres- okay, I don't want tio give it away, but it rules. Sadly, there are a few subpar tunes that keep this from being a five-star buy: "Custom Caravan" and "Big 'T'" are ultra-generic tunes that really aren't all that fun or interesting, and a few other tunes on this disc are similarly unenjoyable. But meh, who cares? The best music here is Pebble-riffic summertime greatness.

The Pebbles CD series, released by AIP Records in the years 1992-2007

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Roky Erickson : I Have Always Been Here Before (The Roky Erickson Anthology) 2005

Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (July 15, 1947 – May 31, 2019) was an American singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of The 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Erickson was interested in music from his youth, playing piano from age 5 and taking up guitar at 10. He attended school in Austin and dropped out of Travis High School in 1965, one month before graduating, rather than cut his hair to conform to the school dress code.

His first notable group was The Spades, who scored a regional hit with Erickson's "We Sell Soul"; the song is included as an unlisted bonus track on Erickson's 1995 All That May Do My Rhyme CD and was adapted as "Don't Fall Down" by the 13th Floor Elevators for their first album. The Spades' original version of "You're Gonna Miss Me", later a hit for 13th Floor Elevators, was featured on the compilation album The Best of Pebbles Volume 1.

In 1966 (Erickson was 19 years old) the band released their debut album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. The album had the band's only charting single, Erickson's "You're Gonna Miss Me". A stinging breakup song, the single remains probably Erickson's best-known work: it was a major hit on local charts in the U.S. southwest and appeared at lower positions on national singles charts as well. Critic Mark Deming writes that "If Roky Erickson had vanished from the face of the earth after The 13th Floor Elevators released their epochal debut single, "You're Gonna Miss Me", in early 1966, in all likelihood he'd still be regarded as a legend among garage rock fanatics for his primal vocal wailing and feral harmonica work."

In 1968, while performing at HemisFair, Erickson began speaking gibberish. He was soon diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sent to a Houston psychiatric hospital, where he involuntarily received electroconvulsive therapy.
(Gibberish (sometimes Jibberish) is a language game that is played in the United States and Canada. Similar games are played in many other countries. The name Gibberish refers to the nonsensical sound of words spoken according to the rules of this game.)

The Elevators were vocal proponents of marijuana and psychedelic drug use, and were subject to extra attention from law enforcement agencies. In 1969, Erickson was arrested for possession of a single marijuana joint in Austin. Facing a potential ten-year incarceration, Erickson pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to avoid prison. He was first sent to the Austin State Hospital.

After several escapes, he was sent to the Rusk State Hospital in Rusk, Texas, where he was subjected to more electroconvulsive therapy and Thorazine treatments, ultimately remaining in custody until 1972. Six tracks from the 1999 Erickson collection Never Say Goodbye were recorded during his time there.

In 1974, after having been released from the state hospital, Erickson formed a new band which he called "Bleib alien".
The new band was renamed Roky Erickson and the Aliens. In 1979, after playing with the Reversible Cords on May Day at Raul's, Erickson recorded 15 new songs with producer Stu Cook, former bass player of Creedence Clearwater Revival. These efforts were released in two "overlapping" LPs – "I Think of Demons" (CBS UK, 1980) and "The Evil One" (415 Records, 1981).

I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology confirms what a handful of fans have long known -- that Erickson is a major talent who has created a remarkable body of work -- and this is easily the most comprehensive and satisfying collection of his music assembled to date. If you have any interest at all in Roky Erickson's music, this is easily the best starting point to investigate his work, and unlike many Erickson collections, the artist will actually get royalties for this one.

CD1

1.   We Sell Soul - The Spades (1965)
2.   You're Gonna Miss Me - 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
3.   Reverberation (Doubt) - 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
4.   Tried to Hide - 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
5.   Fire Engine - 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
6.   She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) - 13th Floor Elevators (1967)
7.   Slip Inside This House - 13th Floor Elevators (1968)
8.   Splash 1 - 13th Floor Elevators (1968)
9.   Dust - 13th Floor Elevators (1967)
10. I Had to Tell You - 13th Floor Elevators (1967)
11. Postures (Leave Your Body Behind) - 13th Floor Elevators (1967)
12. Right Track Now - Roky Erickson (1967)
13. Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) - Roky Erickson (1975)
14. Starry Eyes - Roky Erickson (1975)
15. Bermuda - Roky Erickson (1977)
16. Interpreter - Roky Erickson & the Aliens (1977)
17. Mine Mine Mind - Roky Erickson & the Aliens (1977)
18. I Have Always Been Here Before - Roky Erickson (1977)
19. Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1977)
20. I Think Up Demons - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)
21. Don't Shake Me Lucifer - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)
22. White Faces - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)

CD 1. Take it HERE

CD2

1.   It's a Cold Night for Alligators - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)
2.   Creature with the Atom Brain - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)
3.   Stand for the Fire Demon - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1980)
4.   Bloody Hammer - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1981)
5.   Wind and More - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1981)
6.   If You Have Ghosts - Roky Erickson & The Aliens (1981)
7.   Song to Abe Lincoln [Live] - Roky Erickson (1986)
8.   Anthem (I Promise) - Roky Erickson (1986)
9.   Warning (Social and Social-Political Injustices) [Live] - Roky Erickson (1986)
10. Beast - Roky Erickson (1985)
11. You Don't Love Me Yet - Roky Erickson (1985)
12. Clear Night for Love - Roky Erickson (1985)
13. Don't Slander Me - Roky Erickson (1985)
14. Nothing in Return - Roky Erickson (1986)
15. Burn the Flames - Roky Erickson (1986)
16. When You Get Delighted - Roky Erickson (1988)
17. True Love Cast Out All Evil - Roky Erickson (1988)
18. For You (I'd Do Anything) - Roky Erickson (1995)
19. Please Judge - Roky Erickson (1995)
20. We Are Never Talking - Roky Erickson (1995)
21. I'm Gonna Free Her - Roky Erickson (1995)

CD 2. Take it HERE

Black Widow : Sacrifice 1970 (Return To The Sabbat 1998)

PEGSY GEE

Now a mere footnote in '60s rock history, Leicester, England's Pesky Gee! are perhaps remembered more for the band that they became -- notorious Satan-worshipers Black Widow -- than for their actual music. Taking their name from a song in another local group's repertoire, Pesky Gee! were originally formed as a soul band before constant gigging slowly pushed them toward a more experimental and progressive style of rock & roll.

The band originally formed in 1966 as Pesky Gee! with Kay Garrett (lead vocals), Kip Trevor (lead vocals, guitar and harmonica), Chris Dredge (guitar), Bob Bond (bass guitar), Clive Box (drums and piano), Gerry "Zoot" Taylor (organ), Clive Jones (aka Clive Beer-Jones; saxophone and flute). Jim Gannon (guitar, vocals and vibes), replaced Dredge in Spring 1969.The band released one album for Pye Records as Pesky Gee!, 1969's Exclamation Mark, before Garrett left the band.

BLACK WIDOW

 
Black Widow were a rock band that formed in Leicester, England in September 1969. The band were mostly known for their early use of satanic and occult imagery in their music and stage act. They were often compared with the better-known heavy metal band Black Sabbath, though these bands were only superficially similar.

The remaining band members continued on as Black Widow and released their debut album Sacrifice in 1970.Sacrifice is the debut album by English rock band Black Widow. It was issued in March 1970 through CBS Records and was produced by Patrick Meehan Jr.

The album features the band's best known song "Come to the Sabbat" and its lyrical themes are centred on Satanism and occultism. Sacrifice reached No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart.

Few albums have undergone such a dramatic transformation in their fortunes as Black Widow's Sacrifice. Best known for so long on the strength of one track ("Come to the Sabbat") on an early-'70s CBS sampler, Sacrifice was for so long the guilty secret of a mere handful of prog fans that it felt like it might never be rediscovered.

Added emphasis on sax and organ pushes things hard, while every song is taken just a few beats faster than listeners are accustomed to, to bring a delirium to the performance that is perfectly in keeping with the subject matter.

Not even the presence of a little surface noise (the CD was mastered from acetate) can detract from the magnificence of the performance and, if you've spent the last however many years marveling at the Sacrifice that fans know and love, this one will take you even higher.

Despite a measure of popularity and three albums later, the band broke up in 1973. Original members Geoff Griffith and Clive Jones have since reformed to release a new album, "Sleeping With Demons", on Hallows' Eve 2011. 

TRAXS
 
Side1

 
01. In Ancient Days     9:28
02. Way To Power     4:08
03. Come To The Sabbat     4:11

04. Conjuration     5:53

Side 2 

 
05. Seduction             4:41
06. Attack Of The Demon 3:57
07. Sacrifice            10:48

Personnel

    Kip Trevor - vocals
    Clive Jones - flute, saxophone, clarinet
    Jim Gannon - lead and Spanish guitars, vibes
    Zoot Taylor - organ, piano
    Bob Bond - bass
    Clive Box - drums, percussion

Notes

Recorded and produced at D.T. Studios. Kettering, Northants: November 1969.
Recorded as Pesky Gee and existed as one copy acetate.
On vocals there were Kay Garret and Kip Trevor.
Studio Album, released in 1998

Format: Vinyl LP
Label: CBS
Made in: England
Genre: Rock
Style: Progressive Rock
Year: 1970

IN ANCIENT DAYS

In ancient days, in other lives, long past but not forgotten
I’ve learned the power of mind and flesh to have my will obeyed

In Adonai and Babylon, Etruscans and Egyptians
Came to my temple, journeyed to the Valley of the Moon
Deep underground where no light dared to come, beneath my pyramid
I stood in Hell, a mortal man between Belial and Satan
And still before my audience entrance with stark, cold fear
I cured or struck with sickness, death, or made insane my foes

Here in my thirteenth life the mystic power of old
Returns, and as I say these words, my soul again in Hell
I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee appear
I raise you mighty demon, come before me, join me here

In ancient days, in other lives, long past but not forgotten
I’ve learned the power of mind and flesh to have my will obeyed

Deep underground where no light dared to come, beneath my pyramid
I stood in Hell, a mortal man between Belial and Satan
And still before my audience entrance with stark, cold fear
I cured or struck with sickness, death, or made insane my foes

Here in my thirteenth life the mystic power of old
Returns, and as I say these words, my soul again in Hell
I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee, I conjure thee appear
I raise you mighty demon, come before me, join me here

ATTACK OF THE DEMON

You played a game for rich rewards
The stakes: your blood, your mind, your soul
You try to gain all earthly power
You unleash plagues of Famine, Death and War
All my sins have damned my soul in hell

All of my sins have left me in hell
All of my sins have left me in hell
All of my sins have left me in hell
All of my sins have left me in hell

I tried to turn my heart against the wickedness I caused
And in my dream my dear, beloved mother came to me
She begged me turn my face, once more, up high towards the Lord
But notice came, I could not weep for Satan clutched my heart
All my sins have damned my soul in hell

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