You know, I kind of love when I’m an idiot, because it means pleasant surprises happen all the time.
I was never a fan of the 13th Floor Elevators (yeah, I know, might as well shoot me now) so I never checked out Roky Erickson.
Fast forward to the ‘fork reviewing some recent vinyl reissues of his 80s catalogue, I decided to check them out.
Holy shit, this is top notch 80s power pop or off-kilter pop-rock, but it’s totally weird and all of the songs are about monsters in one way or another.
It’s excellent!
This guy blogged it for you 4 years ago so I could bring it to you today:
http://earlspsychedelicgarden.blogspot.com/2009/01/roky-erickson-evil-one-one.html
‘The Evil One’ Roky Erickson’s first solo outing. Opening up with a massive bone crunching Riff that is Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer). ‘ Creature With The Atom Brain’ and ‘I Walked With A Zombie ‘ are Horror movies come to life. Most of the tunes have a late night ‘B Movie ‘vibe to them . Plus One, The second disc features the album in demo form inter spliced with an interview and phone in Roky did for The Modern Humans Show in 1979 . Very entertaining it is too. DJ’s trying in vain to get their heads round tales Rocky has spun them . The ‘Bloody Hammer’ story is ultra creepy…. If you Rock’n’Roll. …You need this album…. !
Evil One..
1. Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)/2. I Think Of Demons/3. Creature With The Atom Brain /4. The Wind And More /5. Don’t Shake Me Lucifer /6. Bloody Hammer /7. Stand For The Fire Demon /8. Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play /9. If You Have Ghosts /10. I Walked With A Zombie /11. Night Of The Vampire /12. It’s A Cold Night For Alligators /
13. Mine Mine Mind 14/. Sputnik /15. White Faces
Plus One.
1. Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play /2. Modern Humans Show /3. It’s A Cold Night For Alligators /4. Modern Humans Show /5. Creature With The Atom Brain /6. Modern Humans Show /7. The Night Of The Vampire /8. Modern Humans Show /9. White Faces /10. Bloody Hammer /11. Modern Humans Show /12. Sputnik /13. Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer) /14. Modern Humans Show /15. Modern Humans Show /16. Modern Humans Show
17. Modern Humans Show /18. Mine Mine Mind /19. Modern Humans Show
20. I Walked With A Zombie