Here's a clip of George Kinney Kohoutek playing recently at a cool little bluesy sort of bar in Memphis (ie. cheap beer and unhealthy food),, it's a bit of the old and newer stuff,, cancer and being stranded with a batch of morons for a week can't keep him down,, love ya George, thanks so so much for all the the great times... Kohoutek.
George is battling liver cancer right now. Please GO HERE to learn how to contribute to the George Kinney Medical Fund. Be sure to circulate the Medical Fund page around to other music and arts lists.
OK, let’s put this Cold Sun discussion away for good. Over the last few years there has been a concerted effort, by some few, to *magically* elevate the band – Cold Sun to “legendary” status in the pantheon of Texas Psych.
To those thinking that this album will be reminiscent of the fabled Sixties Texas Garage Rock Sound will be in for a major disappointment. There’s a reason this album was never released in 1970; it sucks! It’s nothing but a bunch of meandering, devoid-of-melody, uninteresting, noise and ill conceived modality exercises. And let’s face it folks, Cold Sun IS NOT somebody like the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (East West) or Frank Zappa or (fer Christ sake) Neil Young on his Trans album. Guys like that can pull off "different". Cold Sun? They’re a bunch of tuneless tools. Yes Elizabeth, YOU can be able to listen to Billy Miller learning to play his autoharp.
There’s been a lot of talk that this album is some sort of "missing link" between legendary groups like the Velvet Underground, the Doors, the 13th Floor Elevators, the Golden Dawn and more modern music. Uhhhh… the four groups above could do something that Cold Sun, seemingly, cannot accomplish: carry a tune. Additionally, this *talk* is manufactured stuff. All of these opinions are being concocted by a select few, a circle-jerk, of people who want to push Cold Sun up into undeserved status. Those who talk about Cold Sun in the same breath as bands like the Velvet Underground and 13th Floor Elevators should have their tongues torn out with red hot tongs.
Really? Cold Sun Dark Shadows sounds like Miller and his cohorts had been listening to the first Yes album and the first King Crimson album and were trying to affect some sort of “Prog-Rock” sound with a gimmick. But, again, Yes and King Crimson knew what a melody was. The effort isn’t helped that Bill Miller can put an alley cat, howling at night on a fence, to shame. Omigod! It’s horrific. He goes up and down and upppppp and downnnnnn with this pasty little voice that sounds like he’s getting corn-holed rather roughly.
Miller’s vocalizations, combined with the tuneless music, make for an exercise in pain upon listening. Oh yes, just in case you’re thinking that, like Captain Beefheart, Cold Sun just needs to be “appreciated” well… Captain Beefheart was a genius; Cold Sun is a bunch of, gawd-awful, posers. Again, there’s a reason their album never came out. There’s a reason only 300 copies were pressed when it did come out for the first time, years later.
Looking back, this whole Cold Sun emergence lately seems to be the invention of Patrick Lundborg aka: the Lama. Lundborg has written much prose about how wonderful Cold Sun Dark Shadows Bill Miller is. To me, Lundborg is trying to give Cold Sun props; Billy is his buddy. More like, Lundborg is trying to prop up the putrid, sagging, carcass of Cold Sun.
Beware! Buy this album at your own risk! Don’t buy into the cross-talk that these guys were “great”. Cold Sun couldn’t carry bands like the Red Crayola & Golden Dawn’s jockstraps.
If you’re unconvinced, I have pasted some samples below. It’s God-awful. It’s God-awful AND it’s late to the party God-awful. Don't be fooled into buying this album! Don't be a fool and put them up as a legitimate Texas Psych band from the Sixties.
I’ve got my tickets for the Austin Psych Fest! I can’t wait to see Roky and the Black Angels again! Billy Miller Cold Sun HERE I COME! What I am going to do is record Cold Sun and bootleg it on the Roky CD Club! I’m gonna whore it out. It will give me some more Liner Notes to write.
When Cold Sun is playing I’m going to go right down front and get the best possible recording. It’s amazing what they can do now with microphones; how small they are. I can lay my hands on a set that clip onto my glasses.
I’m gonna get this Cold Sun and blow it out! I’ll be sure to say “hi” to Billy when I am down front too. I didn’t think that I would be going back to Austin so soon but what the fuck! I own the company! I can take off when I want!
Really? I’m going to see Roky and visit folks. A crappy band like Cold Sun? I’m only there get the recording and blow it out. Billy Alienate. Live, in the flesh.
Get a load of that video! Boy, do they suck ass. But I'm blowing this out for fun.
Green vinyl picture sleeve 1978 re-issue of 13th Floor Elevators You're Gonna Miss Me by Radar Records (UK).This is two copies. Both are signed by John Ike Walton and Roky Erickson.
I finally got all my videos that I shot up and ready! Enjoy them!Read the Texas Psych Blog Post about this gig HERE.
This was at the Benefit Concert & BBQ for George Kinney at Uncle Billy's on Lake Travis 3/19/11. George is battling liver cancer. The gig was right overlooking the water on a gorgeous day. The weather was perfect and the BBQ was to die for. I got the "wet" BBQ with all the fat on it. Yum.
To read how to contribute to the George Kinney Medical Fund go HERE.
I have a special offer to make to whomever reads this over the next 30 days. As you all know, I have recently come back from THE Roky Erickson stash in the world. You know the tapes I brought to the light. Annnnnyway, the Owner of THE stash (like most of us) could use some extra money now. He has given me a stack o’ Roky and the Aliens, Longbranch Saloon, 1976 handbills and 1977 Sponge EP record adverts to sell for him.
We are making this a SPECIAL PRICE too; he wants to move these things. For $25.00 US dollars you will get both a copy of the Longbranch Saloon handbill and the Sponge EP record advert. That’s actually $20.00 for both and $5.00 to mail them to you. It’s a smoking deal! The Longbranch Saloon handbill, when it is available, goes for $40.00 - $65.00 on eBay.
Everything is in mint condition. This stuff has been stored in a shed in Texas for the last 35 years.
This is how we will work this: those interested will Paypal $25.00 to me at: rokysyd11@yahoo.com. I will then mail you the materials. I am not taking checks, or money orders, or cash, or nothing except paypal. If you don’t use it, learn. I’m not going to waste my time answering a bunch of questions either. Paypal me the dough and be sure to put your return address in the communication. DON’T try to do this a different way than outlined above.
I’m not making a cent off of this. I’m doing this to help my friend who has done so much for me for so many years. This is a GREAT deal. Please note: the Longbranch handbill pictured is signed by Roky. The handbills offered in this deal are not. This offer is void 30 days from April 14, 2011.
A new Stacy Sutherland image has appeared on the Internet. Please see it above. Today, it was being discussed on the Texas Psych Google Group. Please see the discussion below.
Eltex said: "This may be my earliest drawing of a musician, from a photograph while in high school. This I believe is Stacy Sutherland from the 13th Floor Elevators. My brother, Benny, was their original bass player" Darrel Thurman
Darrel Thurman was killed yesterday in a motorcycle accident. He was a great artist, and a fine person. He will be missed by many.
note: drawing is copyrighted by Darrel Thurman
Marc Minsker said: Careful, before you know it the drawing will be in the Paul Drummond collection.
holma...@gmail.com said: Appreciate you letting us know. I think he lived here in Austin, or around here, but I didn't hear anything about it until this. Thanks again.
You can see the entire discussion by clicking HERE.
I just got this back from the framer's! It's a 13th Floor Elevators poster - Vulcan Gas Company: 12/8-10/67. It's a dead-mint copy! They only printed 100 copies of these in '67; most ended up stuck in store windows. To even find one of these is remarkable, but to obtain one in such condition? Amazing.
Check out this 13th Floor Elevators Contact 45! It’s signed by John Ike Walton on the A side and Roky Erickson on the B. It’s in rough shape but… what the hey! It’s almost 50 friggin’ years old! This is from that same “Tut’s Tomb” collection in Texas.
The Contact Sessions were the first studio recordings by The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, recorded in January and February 1966. This single is the same version issued later in '66 on Houston's International Artists label.
In late 1965 Tommy Hall snapped up Roky Erickson from the Spades; who had recorded their own version of You're Gonna Miss Me. The newly formed Elevators then re-recorded the song for Contact Records. By the spring of '66, the record had been snapped up by an upstart label in Houston, International Artists Records, who was able to turn it into a small nationwide success.
Other songs were recorded at the Contact sessions. They were released in 2007 under a botched job overseen by Paul Drummond. These wonderful analog recordings were compressed and sound flat. To read more about this botched job go HERE.
Check out these two 13th Floor Elevators Tried to Hide slabs o’ vinyl! Everything is signed up! The “IA” one is signed by Ronnie Leatherman & John Ike Walton. The You’re Gonna Miss Me side of that one is (again) signed by John Ike. The paper sleeve is signed by Roky. The “AI” one is signed by John Ike on the B side.
This is what it’s all about! Rare vinyl signed by the artists! These discs represent the “correct” label: IA & the “misprint” label: “AI”. International Artists just put it out anyway! They didn’t give a flying fook!
I am posting these pictures for the vinyl fascists to drool over and click their beetle-like mouths together in rapid succession. If the artyfact is REALLY cool the vinyl fascists form that, all important, circle (jerk) around it. They have even been known to smoke a high school diploma on occasion (passing it with their free hand amongst themselves).
Check out these two Roky Erickson Sponge EP examples! One is signed by Roky and the other is a test pressing. Duane Alaskan signs the picture cover on one too. These came out of the famous “Tut’s Tomb” in Texas where “wondrous things” are stored. A signed Sponge EP? A test pressing of the same? The vinyl fascists are touching themselves right now.
Check out this Roky Erickson and the Aliens 45! It’s signed by Billy Alienate! Look, you can see his scrawl right by my finger. It’s actually TWO copies, both test pressings! The front sleeve of the one is signed by Roky. Billy made sure to get his signature all over the rest. And, I’ll be durned, it’s a test pressing! I wonder what Billy’s signature, on an actual test pressing, is worth?
The Aliens were part of, what became known as, the “California Group”. The original, original Roky Erickson solo band was known as Bleib Alien. They were comprised of Texans and were all friends of Roky. The Great Jerry Lightfoot was on lead guitar. It was Bleib Alien that worked up all of those solo songs that we have come to know and love.
When Bleib Alien approached Doug Sahm about recording he was keen to do this but wanted HIS band to back Roky. This produced the famous Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) bw Starry Eyes 45.
Somewhere along the line this California Group stepped in and Bleib Alien was no more. The California Group shortened the name to “The Aliens” and then set about looking for a record deal. This yielded the Bermuda bw The Interpreter 45 shown in these pictures.
The California Group went on to do horrible things to Roky. Roky was in a fragile state and his “Manager”, the Leader of the California Group, had Roky sign the Rights over to his whole solo catalog. Yup, that’s true. Billy Alienate is that guy’s best buddy. Ya getting the picture here?
It culminated in the days of the mid-Nineties, when Roky was living in desperate circumstances, and the California Group held ALL of his solo catalog Rights. They weren’t paying out a dime either. These were Roky’s, supposed, “friends”.
It took the creation of the Roky CD Club to begin funneling that, much needed, extra dough to Roky. See… we couldn’t call anything a “payment” or “Royalty” because Roky’s FRIENDS, the California Group, would swoop down and force the money into an escrow account to be determined after the LAWSUIT. See… these were “really good” friends of Roky Erickson and Billy Alienate was a core part of that crowd.
It took awhile, but the Roky CD Club cut the whole, pus-ridden, sac open. Now, the California Group are hiding like the bitches that they are. Roky is flying high and the Roky CD Club is entering a new era of glory.
