Roky Erickson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Like Syd Barrett, a common point of reference, Roky Erickson rose to cult-hero status as much for his music as for his tragic personal life; in light of his legendary bouts with madness and mythic drug abuse, the influence exerted by his garage-bred psychedelia was often lost in the shuffle. Born Roger Kynard Erickson on July 15, 1947, in Dallas, TX, he began playing the piano at age five; by age 12, he had also taken up the guitar. The child of an architect and would-be opera singer, Erickson dropped out of high school to become a professional musician. In 1965, he penned his most famous composition, "Youre Gonna Miss Me," which he first recorded with a group called the Spades. The song and his high, swooping tenor brought him to the attention of another area band, the psychedelia-influenced 13th Floor Elevators, whose lyricist and jug player Tommy Hall invited Erickson to join; the Elevators soon cut their own version of "Youre Gonna Miss Me," and took the single to number 56 on the pop charts in 1966. The records success earned the 13th Floor Elevators a deal with International Artists, but as their fame grew, so did their notoriety with local law enforcement officials, who took exception to the groups heavy experimentation with (and public support of) marijuana and LSD. The Elevators became the subject of considerable police harassment, and after Erickson was arrested for the possession of one lone joint in 1969, he pleaded insanity to avoid a prison term. A three-and-a-half year stint in the states Hospital for the Criminally Insane followed; Erickson was diagnosed as a schizophrenic, and subjected to extensive electroshock therapy, Thorazine, and other psychoactive treatments. Though released from the hospital in 1973, Erickson was never the same person; he returned to performing with a new band, the Aliens, but his songs -- a series of horror film-influenced records including "Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)," "Dont Shake Me Lucifer," and "I Walked with a Zombie" -- found little success. He did retain a devoted cult following, however, but his popularity was fully exploited by managers who took advantage of his instability to draw the singer into a series of unfair publishing contracts that resulted in a steady stream of unauthorized releases from which Erickson earned not a cent. In 1982, he signed a legal affidavit declaring that a Martian had taken residence in his body, and gradually disappeared from music as the decade wore on. By the 90s, Erickson was struggling to survive on a $200 monthly Social Security stipend; after an arrest on mail theft charges (later dropped), he was re-institutionalized. In 1990, however, artists like R.E.M., ZZ Top, John Wesley Harding, and the Jesus and Mary Chain recorded his songs for the album Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson, which brought his work to a wider audience than ever before. In 1993, Erickson performed publicly for the first time in many years at the Austin Music Awards; a few months later, he returned to the studio with guitarists Charlie Sexton and the Butthole Surfers Paul Leary to record a number of new songs. In 1995, Learys bandmate King Coffey released Ericksons All That May Do My Rhyme on his Trance Syndicate label; four years later, Trance issued Never Say Goodbye, a collection of rare, private recordings or unreleased Erickson compositions. (Coffey claims Erickson told him he was the first person to ever give him a royalty check for his music.) In 2001, Sumner Erickson, Rokys brother and a successful classical musician, obtained custody of Roky, who had fallen into poor health. Under Sumners watch, Roky began receiving proper medical and dental care for the first time in years, as well as more effective treatment for his psychological problems. Sumner also set up a charitable trust to help finance his brothers care, and with the help of sympathetic lawyers, attempted to sort out the legal red tape that prevented Roky from being paid for his music. A fit and relatively lucid Roky Erickson began making occasional public appearances in Austin, TX, and in March 2005, Roky spoke as part of a panel discussion on the 13th Floor Elevators at the South by Southwest Music Conference. Roky also made a brief musical appearance with a reunited lineup of the Explosives, and a documentary on Erickson, Youre Gonna Miss Me, premiered at the affiliated South by Southwest Film Festival. This burst of activity coincided with the release of I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology, a two-disc career overview compilation. Halloween, a set of live recordings from 1979-1981 with the Explosives, was released in early 2008. The Will Sheff-produced True Love Cast Out All Evil, Erickson’s first new studio album in some 14 years, appeared from Anti in 2010. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Clear Night for Love EP Released: 1985 Tracks: 5 Duration: 17:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Dont Love Me Yet (04:20) 2 Clear Night for Love (02:40) 3 The Haunt (03:34) 4 Starry Eyes (03:06) 5 Dont Slander Me (03:25) |
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: Don’t Slander Me Released: 1986 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Slander Me (03:27) 2 Haunt (02:51) 3 Crazy Crazy Mama (02:04) 4 Nothing in Return (02:51) 5 Burn the Flames (06:08) 6 Bermuda (03:13) 7 You Drive Me Crazy (02:29) 8 Can’t Be Brought Down (05:02) 9 Starry Eyes (03:07) 10 The Damn Thing (05:00) 11 Hasn’t Anyone Told You (02:42) 12 Realize You’re Mine (04:35) 13 Haunt (alternate take) (03:35) |
| Don’t Slander Me : Allmusic album Review : Dont Slander Me is a fortunate rarity among Roky Ericksons solo albums -- it actually captures the man playing with a tight and emphatic rock & roll band, and was recorded in a quality recording studio with a competent engineer at the board, and given the amount of shoddy semi-bootleg Erickson releases that have oozed into the market over the years, this alone makes it worth a listen. Even better, Dont Slander Me is one of Ericksons strongest rock albums, with his voice sharp as a switchblade and his rhythm guitar work clicking perfectly with Duane Aslaksens fierce leads and Billy Millers gloriously eccentric autoharp patterns. (Former Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady is also on board, helping to anchor the rhythm section.) While many of the songs on Dont Slander Me popped up before (and since) throughout Ericksons recording career, the versions here are focused and passionate (especially "Bermuda," "Cant Be Brought Down," and the storming title cut), and while Erickson and his band were obviously in a hot-wired frame of mind when they recorded this material, "You Drive Me Crazy," "Starry Eyes," and "Nothing in Return" prove they could shine just as brightly on less hard-edged material. While Erickson was at the height of his legendary eccentricity when Dont Slander Me was recorded, this album sounds passionate, focused, and coherent on all tracks, and if his lyrical bent is a bit strange here, at least he can convince listeners that his madness is more than just a pose. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: Gremlins Have Pictures Released: 1986 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:00:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Night of the Vampires (05:38) 2 The Interpreter (03:43) 3 Song to Abe Lincoln (02:29) 4 John Lawman (02:47) 5 Anthem (I Promise) (04:24) 6 Warning (Social and Political Injustices) (02:09) 7 Sweet Honey Pie (02:32) 8 Cold Night for Alligators (03:31) 9 I Am (02:30) 10 Heroin (07:35) 11 I Have Always Been Here Before (03:09) 12 Before in the Beginning (06:52) 13 Bermuda (03:13) 14 Burn the Flames (06:08) 15 I’m a Demon (01:12) 16 The Beast (02:34) |
| Gremlins Have Pictures : Allmusic album Review : The hodgepodge of outtakes and odds n ends that makes up Gremlins Have Pictures is culled from the period between 1975 and 1982, and features Erickson solo as well as backed by three different groups -- the Explosives, the Aliens and Blieb Alien. Only the Explosives are remotely competent, although Roky himself is surprisingly together for many of these recordings, especially those cut in San Francisco in 1982 with guitarist Jack Johnson; the best of them is "I Have Always Been Here Before," on which Erickson acknowledges a connection between himself and fellow walking casualty Syd Barrett. Also included: a cover of the Velvets "Heroin," | ||
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: The Holiday Inn Tapes Released: 1987 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Singing Grandfather (03:54) 2 The Times I’ve Had (06:25) 3 That’s My Song (01:00) 4 True Love Ways (03:34) 5 Peggy Sue Got Married (01:59) 6 Mighty Is Our Love (04:10) 7 I Look at the Moon (02:41) 8 Don’t Slander Me (02:35) 9 May the Circle Remain Unbroken (02:28) 10 The Singing Grandfather (03:28) |
| The Holiday Inn Tapes : Allmusic album Review : Listeners primarily familiar with Erickson via his deranged vocals and compositions with the 13th Floor Elevators and as a solo act may be shocked by the low-key, acoustic intimacy of this album. Recorded on December 1, 1986 at the Holiday Inn Red River in Austin, TX, Ericksons acoustic guitar and vocals are the whole show on this ten-song performance. Going easy on the horror/monster/mystical imagery, Erickson reprises a couple of Buddy Holly classics, traditional folk tunes, and the Elevators "May the Circle Remain Unbroken." Just to remind you that this is Roky Erickson, "The Singing Grandfather" (different versions of which open and close this album) begins with the line "The singing grandfather will saw off your head." Sound (played into a portable recorder) is fair but quite listenable, and Ericksons plaintive, yearning vocals are quite touching. His acoustic picking isnt bad either, although he stumbles or loses the beat once in a while (and for Erickson, once in a while is quite an acceptable margin of error). This doesnt deliver the outrage that many have come to expect from Erickson, but shows a glimpse of the man behind the madness. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: You’re Gonna Miss Me: The Best of Roky Erickson Released: 1991-09-27 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:01:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Shake Me Lucifer (02:50) 2 Bermuda (03:13) 3 Nothing in Return (02:51) 4 Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play (02:31) 5 I Am (02:27) 6 I Have Always Been Here Before (03:07) 7 White Faces (02:31) 8 Night of the Vampire (04:18) 9 Don’t Slander Me (03:28) 10 Starry Eyes (03:09) 11 If You Have Ghosts (03:08) 12 Can’t Be Brought Down (05:01) 13 Creature With the Atom Brain (04:12) 14 I Walked With a Zombie (02:48) 15 The Interpreter (03:38) 16 Two-Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer) (03:20) 17 You’re Gonna Mis Me (live) (03:01) 18 Wake Up to Rock and Roll (live) (03:11) 19 Gonna Die More (live) (01:07) 20 I’m a Demon (00:21) 21 Leave My Kitten Alone (01:02) |
| You’re Gonna Miss Me: The Best of Roky Erickson : Allmusic album Review : The title is not entirely truthful, as this compilation covers only Roky Ericksons 80s work for the Enigma/Pink Dust/Restless family of labels, and much of the Texas singer/songwriters best work, including the title track (showcased here in a 1981 live performance in his hometown of Austin), was recorded in the 60s. Still, this is the best overview of a confusing period in Ericksons career, when the same basic set of songs were recorded several times and released on a variety of labels around the world. (Versions of these songs, most of them recorded in the early 80s, were still showing up in the late 90s.) The versions collected here tend to be the definitive ones, most of them produced by ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook in the late 70s and early 80s. Theres an unfortunate element of "Hey! Lookit the weird crazy guy!" in some circles of Ericksons admirers, a disturbingly voyeuristic quality that largely ignores the fact that although Ericksons legendary mental problems are part of his mystique, hes also an incredibly gifted songwriter. There are songs on here, particularly the remarkably catchy Buddy Holly tribute "Starry Eyes," the manic rocker "Dont Slander Me" and the dreamy "I Have Always Been Here Before," that would cement Ericksons place in the underappreciated pop genius category even without the legacy of his early 70s stay in a Texas state mental hospital. However, he will unfortunately always be better known for inferior but more lyrically provocative tunes like "Creature With the Atom Brain" and "I Walked With a Zombie." Despite its flaws, Youre Gonna Miss Me does a fair job of summarizing this sad state of affairs. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: Mad Dog Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cold Night for Alligators (04:38) 2 Bermuda (03:15) 3 The Intepreter (02:41) 4 Alien I Creator (04:28) 5 Don’t Shake Me Lucifer (02:43) 6 The Wind and More (05:22) 7 White Faces (02:35) 8 Burn the Flames (01:33) 9 Mad Dog (03:07) 10 I’m a Demon (01:12) 11 The Beast (05:17) 12 Bo Diddley’s a Headhunter (08:00) |
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: The 1966–1967 Unreleased Masters Collection Released: 1994 Tracks: 44 Duration: 2:26:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dust (alternate take) (03:58) 2 You Dont Know (How Young You Are) (alternate mix) (02:56) 3 Thru the Rhythm (alternate mix) (03:13) 4 Roller Coaster (alternate mix) (05:07) 5 Monkey Island (alternate mix) (02:46) 6 Fire Engine (alternate mix) (03:20) 7 Tried to Hide (alternate mix) (02:52) 8 Fire in My Bones (alternate mix) (02:04) 9 Dont Fall Down (alternate mix) (03:20) 10 Youre Gonna Miss Me (02:07) 11 She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) (02:41) 12 Ive Got Levitation (02:32) 13 Reverberation (02:38) 14 Roller Coaster (03:45) 15 Dont Fall Down (03:06) 16 You Dont Know (How Young You Are) (02:46) 17 Levitation Blues (take #1) (03:09) 18 Levitation Blues (take #2) (04:15) 1 Levitation (03:36) 2 Roller Coaster (05:34) 3 Fire Engine (03:23) 4 Reverberation (Doubt) (04:10) 5 Dont Fall Down (03:53) 6 Tried to Hide (04:16) 7 Splash 1 (04:49) 8 Youre Gonna Miss Me (04:27) 9 Monkey Island (03:33) 10 Kingdom of Heaven (04:15) 11 She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) (03:27) 1 The Ballad of Hattie Carroll (04:47) 2 The Chimes of Freedom (07:41) 3 Catch the Wind (03:44) 4 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (02:37) 5 Colors (02:33) 6 Honey, Give Me One More Chance (01:59) 7 When the Ship Comes In (03:57) 8 Ill Sing for You (02:53) 9 Lay Down Your Weary Tune (02:18) 10 Im Gonna Free Her (02:24) 11 Bermuda (02:42) 12 Splash 1 (02:18) 13 May the Circle Remain Unbroken (00:46) 14 I Had to Tell You (02:07) 15 Hide Behind the Sun (01:18) |
| The 1966–1967 Unreleased Masters Collection : Allmusic album Review : A spotty but basically worthwhile three-disc set, Collectables 1966-1967 Unreleased Masters Collection scours the International Artists vault for previously unreleased songs, alternate takes, rehearsals, and demos of songs that appeared on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators and Easter Everywhere, and a couple of live cuts for good measure. Its excessive length, coupled with the often-iffy sound and performance quality, makes it hard going for all but the most devout Roky Erickson fanatics; its definitely best to be sampled no more than a disc at a time, and even then, judicious use of the forward skip button helps a lot. Most of the alternate takes sound pretty similar to the official releases, and the rehearsals are as shambolic as one would expect, especially the three falling-apart attempts at an early blues-based version of what would eventually be released as the faster, punkier "Shes Got Levitation." On the positive side, the demos often feature interesting early drafts of the lyrics, and the fairly straightforward versions of folk-rock standards like "Chimes of Freedom" and "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" show where the band was originally coming from. This set is strictly for the hardcore, but its much better than most of the collections of Erickson ephemera out there. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: All That May Do My Rhyme Released: 1995-02-13 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’m Gonna Free Her (03:03) 2 Starry Eyes (03:37) 3 You Don’t Love Me Yet (04:23) 4 Please Judge (04:28) 5 Don’t Slander Me (04:14) 6 We Are Never Talking (03:45) 7 For You (I’d Do Anything) (02:16) 8 For You (03:00) 9 Clear Night for Love (02:47) 10 Haunt (03:40) 11 Starry Eyes (03:15) 12 We Got Soul (03:08) |
| All That May Do My Rhyme : Allmusic album Review : His mind may be fried, but Rokys vocal talents are relatively intact on this mid-1990s effort, which turns out be one of his more subdued, folkier outings. (About half of the tracks, however, are actually remixes of sessions from the mid-80s.) Rokys most excessive traits are mostly absent; he sounds sort of like an eccentric, updated Buddy Holly. Its the kind of roots rock that may well please the more open-minded fans of, for instance, John Fogerty or Van Morrison, although the compositions are more pleasant than inspired. Charlie Sexton and Butthole Surfer Paul Leary make low-key session appearances; Texas singer Lou Ann Barton duets with Roky on "Starry Eyes" (reprised at the end with a version on which Roky handles all the vocals). A significant bonus, not listed on the sleeve, is "We Got Soul," the rare and fine mid-60s single cut by Rokys first group, the Spades, before Erickson joined the 13th Floor Elevators. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: Never Say Goodbye Released: 1999-02-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 46:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unforced Peace (02:45) 2 I Love the Living You (03:27) 3 I Pledge Allegiance (01:37) 4 Pushing and Pulling (04:36) 5 Save Me (02:07) 6 Think of as One (03:08) 7 Birdsd Crash (03:06) 8 Never Say Goodbye (01:27) 9 Be and Bring Me Home (04:34) 10 Ive Never Known This Til Now (04:05) 11 @2 Gone and Number (02:28) 12 I Love the Blind Man (03:53) 13 Something Extra (06:27) 14 Youre an Unidentified Flying Object (02:38) |
| Never Say Goodbye : Allmusic album Review : Never Say Goodbye features previously unreleased Roky Erickson material from 1971 to 1985. Much of the music is of a stripped-down or solo acoustic nature; the five solo 1971 cuts were recorded, for instance, at Rusk State Mental Hospital (where Erickson was an inmate). Although a sticker on the cover notes that these are "lo-fidelity field recordings," in fact the sound quality is listenable and not a hindrance, save for a brittle (and brief) version of "I Pledge Allegiance." Ericksons solo recordings are noted for their preoccupations with ghouls and comic book imagery, but these songs (which are not available in any other form) -- particularly those from 1971-1974 -- omit those traits almost entirely. Instead, they are tender, sincere, and melodic performances, with a naked vulnerability shining through both in Ericksons yearning vocals and the folk-rockish turns of phrases. There is little else in the Erickson catalog to compare it to, other than maybe the Holiday Inn tapes, except that the performances here are far more committed and together. Ericksons colorful bouts with mental instability, both inside and outside his recordings, have tended to overshadow his more straightforward musical gifts. This is the recording, above all others, that demonstrates the strengths of his uniquely gentle and mystical writing and singing, when these qualities are not subsumed by his inner demons. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology Released: 2005-03-01 Tracks: 43 Duration: 2:35:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We Sell Soul (03:18) 2 You’re Gonna Miss Me (02:30) 3 Reverberation (Doubt) (02:51) 4 Tried to Hide (02:47) 5 Fire Engine (03:22) 6 She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) (02:59) 7 Slip Inside This House (08:03) 8 Splash 1 (03:57) 9 Dust (04:02) 10 I Had to Tell You (02:28) 11 Postures (Leave Your Body Behind) (06:31) 12 Right Track Now (03:02) 13 Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) (03:31) 14 Starry Eyes (03:34) 15 Bermuda (03:17) 16 The Interpreter (02:43) 17 Mine Mine Mind (02:34) 18 I Have Always Been Here Before (02:58) 19 Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play (03:18) 20 I Think of Demons (02:47) 21 Don’t Shake Me Lucifer (02:53) 22 White Faces (02:35) 1 It’s a Cold Night for Alligators (03:03) 2 Creature With the Atom Brain (04:13) 3 Stand for the Fire Demon (05:26) 4 Bloody Hammer (04:22) 5 The Wind and More (04:01) 6 If You Have Ghosts (03:11) 7 Song to Abe Lincoln (live) (02:25) 8 Anthem (I Promise) (04:24) 9 Warning (Social and Social-Political Injustices) (02:10) 10 The Beast (05:46) 11 You Don’t Love Me Yet (04:23) 12 Clear Night for Love (02:47) 13 Don’t Slander Me (03:27) 14 Nothing in Return (02:50) 15 Burn the Flames (06:08) 16 When You Get Delighted (03:07) 17 True Love Cast Out All Evil (03:35) 18 For You (I’d Do Anything) (02:17) 19 Please Judge (04:28) 20 We Are Never Talking (03:48) 21 I’m Gonna Free Her (03:03) |
| I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology : Allmusic album Review : If Roky Erickson had vanished from the face of the earth after the 13th Floor Elevators released their epochal debut single, "Youre Gonna Miss Me," in early 1966, in all likelihood hed still be regarded as a legend among garage rock fanatics for his primal vocal wailing and feral harmonica work. But while Erickson has become something of an icon among fans of rock at its edgiest, far too many regard the man as some sort of acid casualty who peaked with his first record and has been babbling about movie monsters ever since. Though Ericksons first two albums with the 13th Floor Elevators are watershed works of the early psychedelic movement (especially the wondrous Easter Everywhere), his later solo releases (recorded after a stay in a Texas mental hospital took a fearsome toll on Ericksons psyche) contain many moments of brilliant, bare-wired rock & roll despite their freak-show reputation, and his occasional forays into folk-rock (especially on the lovely All That May Do My Rhyme) possess a gentle wisdom and mesmerizing beauty that are genuinely inspiring. Ericksons body of recorded work has long merited an intelligently assembled critical overview, and thankfully Bill Bentley, a longtime Erickson partisan who assembled the 1990 multi-artist compilation Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson, has created just such an album with I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology. Beginning with Ericksons first single (a magnetic 1965 side with his early band the Spades), I Have Always Been Here Before swings into a well-chosen ten-song overview of Ericksons tenure with the Elevators (and while the liner notes claim the version of "Slip Inside This House" is a rare single edit, its actually the full-length album cut). Even more importantly, the bulk of I Have Always Been Here Before sorts the pearls from a number of poorly assembled collections of Ericksons solo recordings, and the switchblade proto-punk rock of "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play," the twisted pop of "Creature With the Atom Brain," and the plaintive folk-rock of "You Dont Love Me Yet" make clear that Ericksons talents went in a number of different directions, but his bright, clear vocals, fine songs, and sharp rhythm guitar work shine like a jewel in any context. 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 Ericksons 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. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: Youre Gonna Miss Me Released: 2007 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Miss Me (02:27) 2 Fire Engine (03:20) 3 Starry Eyes (03:33) 4 Bloody Hammer (04:21) 5 Two-Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer) (03:19) 6 For You (Id Do Anything) (01:56) 7 Mine Mine Mind (02:34) 8 Unforced Peace (02:43) 9 You Dont Love Me Yet (04:20) 10 The Wind and More (04:00) 11 Its a Cold Night for Alligators (02:57) 12 Goodbye Sweet Dreams (02:05) |
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: Halloween Released: 2007 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:08:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Two Headed Dog (03:57) 2 Dont Shake Me Lucifer (02:54) 3 Bermuda (03:18) 4 The Wind and More (05:21) 5 Starry Eyes (04:27) 6 I Walked With a Zombie (04:24) 7 Stand for the Fire Demon (07:55) 8 Bloody Hammer (04:59) 9 Wait for You (03:47) 10 Wake Up to Rock & Roll (03:12) 11 Youre Gonna Miss Me (04:08) 12 Creature With the Atom Brain (03:53) 13 I Think Up Demons (03:02) 14 The Beast (04:39) 15 Ive Just Seen a Face (02:19) 16 The Interpreter (02:31) 17 White Faces (03:00) 18 KLBJ Radio Ad (00:29) |
| Halloween : Allmusic album Review : Roky Erickson may have been living across the border from sanity in the late 70s and early 80s, but he hadnt lost touch with his considerable gifts as a singer and rhythm guitarist, and with the right band behind him he was a rock & roll force to be reckoned with. Austin pop-punk pioneers the Explosives frequently did double duty as Rokys band during this period, and this collection of 17 live performances from the bands vaults (recorded in Texas and California) captures both Erickson and his accompanists in great form. Demons, zombies, and other creatures from a steady diet of late-night horror movie broadcasts dominated most of Ericksons songs from this period, but he sings stuff like "I Walked with a Zombie," "Creature with the Atom Brain," and "Dont Shake Me Lucifer" with enough lucidity that he appears to still have one foot planted in reality even at his most bizarre, and his vocals are consistently strong and on point. Roky is every bit as impressive when he ventures into more benign territory -- "Starry Eyes" may be the best Buddy Holly tribute ever, and the rough but heartfelt run through "Ive Just Seen a Face" is a pleasant surprise. And the Explosives truly deliver the goods as Ericksons rhythm section; Cam Kings guitar leads are fiery but concise, bassist Walter Collie and drummer Freddie Krc lay down a truly relentless backbeat, and their harmonies add just the right icing to Rokys vocals. While the fidelity of these recordings varies quite a bit, Erickson and the band are loud and clear throughout, and the best moments leave no doubt that Erickson is one of the greatest wild talents in rock history; where there are plenty of live recordings of Roky Erickson on the market, this is easily near the top of the heap for sheer energy and enthusiasm. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: True Love Cast Out All Evil Released: 2010-04-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Devotional Number One (02:17) 2 Ain’t Blues Too Sad (01:23) 3 Goodbye Sweet Dreams (04:25) 4 Be and Bring Me Home (05:35) 5 Bring Back the Past (02:02) 6 Please, Judge (04:25) 7 John Lawman (03:56) 8 True Love Cast Out All Evil (04:29) 9 Forever (03:57) 10 Think of as One (05:20) 11 Birds’d Crash (03:59) 12 God Is Everywhere (02:40) |
| True Love Cast Out All Evil : Allmusic album Review : One of the most remarkable things about Roky Erickson’s collaboration with Okkervil River, 2010’s True Love Cast Out All Evil, is the simple fact it exists at all. The story of Erickson’s long struggle to regain his physical and mental health has been told often enough by now, and even after making a nearly miraculous recovery and returning to the concert stage sounding strong, fiery, and confident, it was anyones guess if Erickson still had a good record left in him. Thankfully, Erickson’s manager, Darren Hill, had the idea of pairing Erickson with Okkervil River in the studio, and the match proved to be both surprising and inspired. True Love Cast Out All Evil is easily the most ambitious and imaginative album to carry Erickson’s name since the 13th Floor Elevators’ Easter Everywhere, and it’s a bold, evocative effort to present Erickson’s music in a fresh context. Rather than mimic the sound of the Elevators or Erickson’s solo work of the 1970s and 80s, Okkervil’s Will Sheff (who produced the sessions) has used Erickson’s songs as the centerpiece of an elaborate aural collage that transforms these 12 tunes into a cycle that runs in intriguing parallels to the dominant themes of Roky’s life and music. True Love Cast Out All Evil begins and ends with augmented versions of amateur recordings Erickson made during his stay at the infamous Rusk Maximum Security Prison for the Criminally Insane, and in between these songs, the album moves back and forth between the themes of love and redemption and the pain and chaos he witnessed under incarceration. While the positive themes outweigh the negative, the songs and their presentation make it clear none of this came easily; “Be and Bring Me Home” and the title cut walk a fine line between weariness and strength, the gospel-influenced “Ain’t Blues Too Sad” searches for succor amidst his life’s many trials, and “Bring Back the Past” and “Goodbye Sweet Dreams” match Erickson’s philosophizing with spirited rock & roll. Sheff and his bandmates perform with vigor and vision on all 12 songs, and they chose wisely from Erickson’s archive of unrecorded and under-recognized material. Of course, none of this would matter if Erickson wasn’t up to the challenge of making new music, and every moment of this album bears his stamp. Erickson’s vocals are simply superb, and if the material often demands a more contemplative tone than the feral howl of “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” he clearly has plenty of vocal colors in his palette, and he applies them with soulful wisdom that’s the perfect match for his elliptical lyrical style. After spending decades in a personal hell, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to wonder if Roky Erickson had anything left to say in the recording studio, but True Love Cast Out All Evil is more than just a comeback, it’s the best and most deeply moving album of his solo career. | ||