Monday, December 04, 2006

WELCOME BACK, GREEN ON RED !


This is my family on stage” : it’s Dan Stuart speaking, while introducing the band in the concert at the London Astoria, last 16th January.
If you loved the so-called Paisley Underground (though Dan would disagree about this label) and the “Americana” category of music, here’s a reason to be happy this year : the reunion of Green On Red.
Dan, talking in an interview, said once about himself : “If you live in New York City and are driving here in the west, you can see a sign like “Next gas station 100 miles” and think: “what the hell can I stay here ?” If you are from Tucson, Arizona, surely you relax and feel at home”.
Well, I think this is the sound of the band, pure “desert rock”, country and psychedelic music mixed together, a strange and explosive cocktail coming out by virtue of each member’s style: Dan Stuart’s lachrymose singing ( Neil Young revisited ?), Chuck Prophet’s ravaging guitar solos, Chris Cacavas’ mercury-like keyboards. You will find Jack Waterson too, playing a throbbing vital bass and here’s the whole original band, with the exception of drummer Alex MacNicol (who died in the meantime, his death maybe precipitating this reunion), Jim Bogios filling his place.
Last 16th January the band came back in London, to play the show that was cancelled exactly 19 years before, after Dan Stuart was declared insane while leaving the stage in Athens in a fit of spectacular crack-up. The set list was exactly the same they should play at the time and what a show it was. After London, Green on Red played a few shows this summer in Europe, always well received.
I do hope in a new album of the band now.
Meanwhile I’m still happy to be listening to their past discography.
If you have the time, try to do the same, you should not be disappointed.


GREEN ON RED DISCOGRAPHY
( 1 to 5 stars, subjective grading of course….)

“Two Bibles” (EP, 1981) (**)“Green On Red” (EP, 1982) (**)“Gravity Talks” (1983) (****)“Gas Food Lodging” (1985) (****)“No Free Lunch” (1985) (***)“The Killer Inside Me” (1987) (****)“Here Come The Snakes” (1989) (****)“This Time Around” (1989) (**)
"Live At The Town And Country Club" (1989) (***)
“Scapegoats” (1991) (***)“Too Much Fun” (1992) (**)

DANNY AND DUSTY (members of Green On Red, Dream Syndicate, Long Ryders) - “The Lost Weekend” (1985) (****)

2 comments:

Paolo Vites said...

'This time around' is my fav...

i think... if my memories serves me well.........

Fausto Leali said...

I loved The Killer (and the cover too..)