Our fearless leader of Rock Remnants, Peter Kreutzer, does a fantastic job churning out a Night Music every 24 hours to save this site from total dead time when the rest of us don’t feel like it. He asked us to do our own Night Musics more often than we do (ideally every night) and I’m gonna try and do more because Peter’s an all-around great guy. Mine will be called “Good Night Music” because I only deal in Good Music.
I’m gonna start with my favorite tune off the Japanese Hellas CD I got last week. This is a Roky Erickson song. I know a little bit about Roky. You might know more. I’m guessing Peter knows a lot.
This song was good for me to begin with, but has really gotten into my blood upon repeated listenings:
Here’s the original, not exactly chopped liver either:
The Hellacopters are a great rock band, you can tell it when the material is good. They kill on this tune, as they seem to on most if not all covers, but I’d sure like to hear their music with Roky Erickson’s vocals.
I mostly know Roky as the founder of the archetypal Texas psych-garage band the 13th Floor Elevators, and as a guy who battled more demons than most during his life.
It is good news that he’s still out there, performing, after all his trials.
I am with Peter:Hellacopters are really good. Every song you have presented was driving,with great vocals and crunchy guitars and pretty good words and even some pop to them (i am such a sucker).
What I might never get, Steve, is how you can like both them and KISS.Although I suppose this is like Joni and me for you. Or me giving a not to an Eagles or Elton John or Sammy Hagar song (just cos I like the tune,doesn’t mean I love the band or performer, though).
But, the best thing about this song is the Roky tribute.
“You’re Gonna Miss Me”is a song I have thought about putting in Night Music,and is a favorite psychedelic song of mine.
I could always see it as an opening cut for a movie with the great opening guitars (so did Stephen Frears who put as the opening title cut to “High Fidelity”).
But, I have this vivid memory of being on vacation in 1966 (I was 14) and stopping at a restaurant. My dad let my mom and brother out to get at table, and stayed in the car with him to park and walk back (in fact it was the Pine Cone restaurant, in Merced, which had great fried chicken and creamed spinach, and which is no longer in business, sadly).
For some odd reason the car radio was not tuned to a classical station, and the Elevators came cranking out of the radio.
I knew and loved the song already, but man, what a great moment in time!
The ironic thing here is that a major Hellas influence is KISS. Those sweet, singing, duel lead guitars in the midst of “Alligators” reek of Ace Frehley. You might say Thin Lizzy, but not quite the same – more Ace. My advice to you, Lawr, is to pretend KISS quit after the debut album. Nothing that followed was ever as good and everything after “Love Gun” (arguably even before that) pretty much sucks.
By the way, I’m gonna check out that Swedish Roky tribute album. Seems promising.
I’m listening to it now.
Reverberation (Doubt), The Cheaters: Mid tempo boogie, running bass line. Lots to like.
Well, stopped playing on my computer. Can’t find it on my phone. Later I guess.