Roky Erickson's best albums of his career

Roky Erickson - one of the best performers garage rock of all time. He came to the forefront of the group "13th Floor Elevators."by composing "You're Gonna Miss Me"the most popular the band's single, and his febrile voice and exciting playing on guitar gave the song a special atmosphere. Group disintegrated in 1968, when Erickson started getting more and more skip gigs.

Arrested on the charge of storing of illegal substances, Rocky cited his own insanity (he had already been diagnosed before "schizophrenia"), so that avoid of imprisonment. The musician was placed в Rusk State Hospital for mentally ill of criminals. Erickson was released in 1971. and started solo career, having recorded several singles with a new group "Bleib Alien.". В 1980. the guitarist concluded contract to record with "CBS Records."but the resulting album "Roky Erickson And The Aliens." disappointing and compromised the artist's vision of a clean, crisp. sounds.

Subsequent releases Erickson has appeared on several secondary labels. Quality the records were changing, as befits a fickle. character and the madness of the artiste - he persistently arguedthat I was born on Marsé.

This article compiles the best albums Roky Erickson for his entire career. Speciality is that majority of the tracks that make up composition records, there were recovered by Erickson and other musicians after a while. time. But that didn't make them worseeven on the contrary, they've acquired a kind of atmosphericity.

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"The Evil One" (1981)

According to Priestawho worked at psychiatric at the hospital during conclusions Roky Erickson at the end 60-х and the early '70s, it was writing musics supported a musician during those horrific years of forced electroshock. therapies:

"He wanted to write and play his music. And that was it. At least it took his mind off where he was."

The official solo debut Erickson's album "I Think of Demons" was released on the channel "CBS." in 1980. However, it was recorded at the same time Stu Cook of "Creedence Clearwater Revival" with tracks from "The Evil One"which came out in 1981. after Erickson crossed over on an indie label "415". "The Evil One" is one of his strong works. Played by a new band "Aliens.", "Two Headed Dog" и "Bloody Hammer" rocking and clapping with a hard accuratelywhich is as good as style. "13th Floor Elevators.". Nevertheless, the album has as much general with progressive, science fiction-obsessed hard rock. "Blue Öyster Cult" or a sinister phantasmagoria Alice Cooper with punk. Best known track "I Walked With a Zombie" accurately reflects Erikson's perception rock 'n' roll in the 1980s.

"Never Say Goodbye" (1999).

"13th Floor Elevators." saw their music as healing power. Their hallucinatory rock 'n' roll and skilful fulfilment Roky Erickson they don't leave anyone behind indifferent. In their music there was a kind of spirituality -escapistbut communal. Erickson in 1975, he said:

"We were known as the first psychedelic band, the first that could play music that made you see certain things if you wanted to."

During his years at the "13th Floor Elevators." Erikson believed that utilisation of illegal substances is arta way to surround yourself positively. В Raske he immersed himself in a world negativesgetting electroshock therapy and strong sedatives. Among his fellow patients were convicts murderersand some of them he's founded group and trying to overcome the daily nightmare of his position. Psychiatrist Ruska Bob Priest reminisced:

"Most of the time Rocky had a yellow notebook and would sit in a corridor somewhere and write music, very weak and hunched over."

Erickson's wife Dana once brought him cigarettes, TV set and a 12-string guitar. Later, the musician calculatedthat in Rusk he wrote about hundreds new songs. His motherEvelyn, the talented singerwho gave her son his first lessons guitarand I recorded him at the hospital tape recorder. Sitting across from her, Rocky played quiet onesthat sounds like a hymn compositions and frank and pure songs about loves. These works have, for the most part, remained unheard almost 30 years. In 1999, a record called "Never Say Goodbye"who collected these and other homemade records from 1971 to 1985.

Musician Doug Sam invited Erickson into the studio for records single "Starry Eyes". Recording Sama inhaled new life into Erickson's career with his band "Aliens."with whom he recorded "The Evil One" in 1981, as well as two solo albums "Don't Slander Me" и "Gremlins Have Pictures."both released in 1986.. Throughout 80-х he continued write other new songs whose home recordings were left on the cassettes.

Songs included in the line-up "Never Say Goodbye" have a distant soundingwhich seems deliberate. metaphoricalas if they were coming from the depths tunnelreinforcing loneliness of the seeker in the very heart of it all. On the cover. Scott Newton Erickson is pictured charming and scruffy, in a corduroy jacket and a guitar in his hands, with a dog trailing behind him.

"I Have Always Been Here: The Roky Erickson Story" (2005).

Tragic the irony behind the success Erickson as a father psychedelic rock: those thingsthat make it so important и conspicuous for listeners, also ensured him a hard life in the sanatoria and studios. Reason Rocky was so devastated with shock therapy and medication that he spent residue of life in the fight against a serious mental a disease. It made the musician a lightweight prey for the unscrupulous promotersthat forced him to give up fees for the many reissues.

Compendium "I Have Always Been Here: The Roky Erickson Story." includes only a few tracks from previous albums: "The Psychedelic Sounds." и "Easter Everywhere.". Composition "Slip Inside This House" - masterpiece of psychedelic ingenuity. The tracks "I Had to Tell You" and heartbreaking composition "Right Track Now" Erickson is abandoning his usual hysterical vocals in favour of a much more direct one, thoughtful Approach.

"You're Gonna Miss Me" (2007).

Roky Erickson did not invent psychedelic a rock, but he's with "13th Floor Elevators." gave him title. It's becoming clearly in the first few minutes "You're Gonna Miss Me", excellent. documentary a 2005 film about the life of Roky Erickson. "You're Gonna Miss Me" not so much about the musical legacy Erickson, as much as about endeavour to restore this legacy by allowing Erickson get yours back pastso he could have future. Given that Erickson is playing again liveand the task is done, and the reputation Erickson was restored. Nevertheless, for many his music remains either hopelessly obscureor too much scatteredto catch a glimpse sense. One of the unique advantages of this disc is an unreleased song from the last generation "Goodbye Sweet Dreams."that plays over the end credits "You're Gonna Miss Me" and hints at a new start in a stalled career Erickson.

"True Love Cast Out All Evil" (2010).

Erickson partnered with a musical group "Okkervil River" for his first album in recent 15 years. Vocalist Will Sheff selected a dozen songs for "True Love Cast Out All Evil." out of more than 60 songsthat Erickson wrote over the past four for decades, and then turned them in set listwhich emphasises biography и latitude the executor. For my part, Erickson sounds betterthan in the last decades: him voice saved growling и hardness. But at times, it seems like Sheff is paying too much attention biographies Erickson, especially when he interrupts "Please, Judge." escalating cacophony of found sounds taken from old households. video recordings or recorded at Rusk State Hospital. It's not just the one sad chapter, but also to schizophrenias Erickson, which caused him to turn on TV setto muffle voices in my head. Transformation of these artefacts into a sound element is more of a academic idea than musical. Sheff wants to introduce Erickson and rock legendand hereby manbut Rocky just wants sing. On this touching and a triumphant album Erickson comes out to first location.