Roky Erickson
Vinyl Lovers 901028
2010
This is my belated tribute to the great Roky Erickson who died last year in May. I regret that it has taken me more than a year to get around to this, it is more a reflection of my laziness than a lack of respect for Erickson who I have greatly admired since I was a teenager when I first heard Erickson singing "You're Gonna Miss Me" with the 13th Floor Elevators on the "Nuggets" compilation. I worshiped the Elevators when I was in college and they remain one of my favorite bands. I think the best records for a tribute to Erickson would be the first two albums by the Elevators: "The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators" and "Easter Everywhere." I already wrote about those two masterpieces however so I have opted for this more humble solo record. It was recorded by Patrick Mathé of France's New Rose Records in a hotel room in Austin in 1986. Erickson stopped by with his acoustic guitar to serenade Mathé with 10 songs which he recorded for posterity. Mathé issued the recording on a record in 1987. For this reissue those ten tracks have been supplemented with the "Mine Mine Mind" EP which was issued by Sponge Records in 1977. I imagine many Erickson fans would illustrate his solo career with some of the highly charged horror-inspired tracks he performed on records like "The Evil One." I would not dispute that, I admire that music too. I find those songs exciting and compelling, but they do not really speak to me the way this record does. This album emphasizes the more sensitive and romantic side of Erickson which was expressed back in his Elevator days on the songs he wrote with Clementine Hall like "Splash 1" and "I Had To Tell You." There are exceptions to this on this recording most notably the opening track "The Singing Grandfather" which describes a homicidal maniac in lurid detail that belies the jaunty folk melody and Erickson's mellow crooning. Erickson reprises the song at the end of the recording. "The Times I've Had" is a hard-travelin' type folk song enlivened by Erickson's lively guitar playing. "That's My Song" is a similar sounding track. It is basically a song fragment notable for its optimism and Erickson's perseverance in the face of adversity. "Mighty Is Our Love" is a pretty song but unfortunately the lyrics are monotonous and banal. "I Look At the Moon" is one of my favorite tracks. Erickson sings about how the moon inspires him and supports the song with kinetic fret work. Most of these tracks are obscure and as far as I am aware were never recorded in a studio. The two exceptions are "Don't Slander Me" which he recorded in a rocked up version in 1982 and "May the Circle Remain Unbroken" which appeared in a haunting psychedelic version on the 13th Floor Elevators album "Bull of the Woods" back in 1969. The original tracks are definitive but I enjoy the intimacy of these acoustic versions especially "May the Circle Remain Unbroken" which I find very moving. Roky also does a pair of Buddy Holly covers, "True Love Ways" and "Peggy Sue Got Married." I find his earnestness very charming on these tracks and it does not surprise me that this Texas boy admired Holly whose influence I think I can hear in his work (on this album it is most noticeable on "Don't Slander Me.") The four songs from the EP were recorded in a studio and feature a full band on three tracks. They are all terrific. "Two-Headed Dog" and "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play" are among his best known songs. They are driven by noisy hard rock riffs and feature Erickson bellowing out horror-themed bizarre lyrics. "Mine Mine Mind" is more power pop in its sound, but it plows through similar lyrical darkness with its description of demonic possession. "I Have Always Been Here Before" is a solo acoustic performance by Roky. In it he sings about the devil in a surrealistic and poetic manner. I am very fond of this record although it is essentially a bootleg. Erickson was performing informally for a friend obviously not intending the music to end up on a record. I doubt it would have bothered him though and the performance is so delightful and unusual that I am glad that Mathé put it out. If you wanted to introduce someone to Erickson's work this is definitely not the place to start, but I think most fans will dig it. I listened to it a lot following Erickson's passing and it reaffirmed my devotion to his work. Recommended to people who prefer Erickson's cover of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" with the Elevators over "Bloody Hammer."
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