Thanks to Don for this suggestion. I’m sad to say I don’t have any proper records by The 13th Floor Elevators, by I do have some of their cuts on compilations. They are definitely psychedelic rock, but they have a lot in common with the protopunk and garage rock bands of the 1960s. I’ve always loved “You’re Gonna Miss Me.”
More about The 13th Floor Elevators
I respect this record, and this band, more than I enjoy the music. I’ve already told my story about seeing them live in London, and it was a great experience. That said, though Pere Ubu has created a lot of interesting music over the years, I guess it’s just not my thing. The Tenement Year has some great songs, but it also has some challenging sounds and noises layered in that I often find distracting, off-putting even.
I’m not cool enough, or maybe just not old enough, to have bought Pere Ubu’s early records when they came out, but I did get “Terminal Tower – An Archival Collection” when I was 19 or so. They make some pretty interesting music that’s not easy to describe, but someone at Wikipedia did a good job with this article about the band.
I saw them live at the Town & Country Club in London way back in 1987, or maybe ’86. The opening acts were Ut, followed by The Mekons. For the most part, it seemed like a Mekons crowd. That said, Pere Ubu put on a great, but abbreviated show that most people seemed to enjoy.
Unfortunately, some folks expressed their gratitude by throwing crap on the stage or even at the musicians. At one point Pere Ubu singer David Thomas made it clear that if there was any further silliness that they would walk off the stage. Sure enough, some bonehead had to throw something and Mr. Thomas immediately walked off in a huff. I can’t say I blame him. The rest of the band tried to carry on for a bit but it was clear he wasn’t coming back. The other band members eventually walked off too, looking rather frustrated. I’m not sure if Thomas, the crowd, or both were the source of that frustration.
Something about Jim Carroll just depresses me. He paints a pretty miserable picture of the 1970s. I remember hearing “People Who Died” on the radio as a teenager and really liking it. It seemed almost punk, but smarter or something. I also really like the track “It’s Too Late”, another of the more rocking cuts. I didn’t get the record right away, but eventually picked it up. I’ve also read his book “Basketball Diaries” and I don’t remember that being too uplifting either. Am I fan? Not so much I guess, but I’ll keep “Catholic Boy” in the collection.
This is the second record by MC5 and it was stunning in its restraint compared to the freaked out Kick Out The Jams. Of course I didn’t buy their records when they first came out but I did buy them in order. So, I was just as baffled as the original fans. That said, this album has grown on me over the years. It’s still high energy, and I’m tapping my foot as I type this, a good sign. Very catchy stuff for the most part. Roots rock/power pop/proto-punk if any of those make sense.
I’ve read that their third album was insane, more like the first, and that nobody listened. I’ve never heard it. I really need to start looking…
Read Leg McNeil’s Please Kill Me for some funny background on MC5.
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