A psychedelic look back

Swirl of cutting edge rock and personal turmoil paints the life so far of Roky Erickson

By Joe Gross
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Roky Erickson turns 60 on Sunday. On Friday, there will be a massive celebration of his life and music at the Paramount Theatre. His music, both solo and with the legendary Austin psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators, has touched fans around the world. His life story is one of the great rock 'n' roll comebacks. The following examines the way that Erickson's music embodies everything thrilling, powerful, dangerous, touching and eternal about Texas music. Happy birthday, man. We wouldn't be here without you.

Essential Roky

His legitimate output is confusing enough, but few musicians have been subject to as many bootlegs, sketchy reissues and outright frauds as Roky Erickson. There are dozens of singles, EPs and albums of dubious legality in the Erickson canon. Here's one everyone should own, plus a few worth having in your collection:

'I Have Always Been Here Before: The Roky Erickson Anthology' (Shout Factory, 2005): This is the only Erickson anthology covering everything from his first band, the Spades, to his '90s recordings. This is the only Erickson some people will ever need; that said, anyone with even a passing interest in la musica rock needs this. Kicking off with the primal garage whump of the Spades' "We Sell Soul," the anthology summarizes Erickson's 13th Floor Elevators songs with 10 well-chosen tracks, including such essential '60s moments as the single versions of "You're Gonna Miss Me," "Slip Inside This House" and "Reverberation." But it's the elegantly chosen collection of Erickson's solo work that makes the case that, yes, he was and is one of the major American talents of the past 40 years. It's dazzling, from proto-punk as potent as anything by Pere Ubu or Suicide ("Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog)") to folk-rock (the moving title track) to grimy power pop Kiss would be jealous of ("Don't Shake Me Lucifer"). And then there's That Voice, a direct link between blues shouters and space rockers, between the earth and the moon. For neophytes and the devout alike. (In print)

Worth having

The 13th Floor Elevators 'The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators' (International Artists, 1966): A visionary moment in rock qua rock, it starts with the garage fury of "You're Gonna Miss Me" and takes off from there, trading off folky clang with spacey frenzy and finding the place they meet. All told, it's the sort of thing that should make you proud to be an Austinite, Texan, American and human being. (In print)

The 13th Floor Elevators 'Easter Everywhere' (International Artists, 1967): An essential document of '60s acid culture and all that flowered from it, "Easter Everywhere" contains such pysch rock head-expanders as the epic "Slip Inside This House," "She Lives (In A Time of Her Own)," the finest-ever cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and the heartbreaking "I Had to Tell You." Unreal. (In print)

The 13th Floor Elevators 'Bull of the Woods' (International Artists, 1968): This, the difficult third album, was completed after Erickson split the Elevators and contains a mere four Erickson-voiced tunes, the highlights of which are "Never Another" and the fantastic deep-focus oddness of "May the Circle Remain Unbroken." Written largely by guitarist Stacey Sutherland, it's a nifty pysch-rock slab in its own right, even without much Erickson. (In print)

Roky solo albums

'Roky Erickson & the Aliens' (CBS UK, 1980)/'The Evil One' (415 /Restless, 1981): Here's where things get complicated. Both of these albums contain cuts from the sessions produced by Stu Cook in 1979. "Roky Erickson & the Aliens" was the UK version, "The Evil One" was the U.S. version. They feature some of the same songs, and both are tough, grimy rock albums, full of punk drive and horror movie lyrics. (In print)

'Don't Slander Me' (Restless, 1987): Recorded in '82 but released four years later, this is more Erickson-as-rocker. While stone classics such as "Bermuda" and "Don't Slander Me" had already appeared in different single versions, here they sound as Texan as they ever would. Also features another version of "Starry Eyes" and the seriously whacked "Burn the Flames." (In print)

'Gremlins Have Pictures' (Pink Dust, 1986): One of the most controversial albums in Erickson's catalog, "Gremlins" is a hodgepodge of the original "Bermuda"/"The Interpreter" single, outtakes, demos and live burble. The Aliens are on here as are the Explosives, the latter of whom are also Erickson's 21st century backing band. Check out "I Have Always Been Here Before" and "Anthem (I Promise)" for the softer side of Erickson, while the cover of the Velvet Underground's "Heroin" trades menace for fury. (In print)

'All That May Do My Rhyme' (Trance Syndicate, 1995): Backed by genuine Texas all-stars (Charlie Sexton! Paul Leary! Lou Ann Barton on yet another "Starry Eyes"!), "All That May Do My Rhyme" finds Erickson's voice still working with the clearest instrumentation and production his songs have ever received. (Out of print, but easy to find used.)

'Never Say Goodbye' (Emperor Jones, 1999): A let's-get-Roky-some-cash stopgap, "Never Say Goodbye" is nonetheless a fascinating album, acoustic demos recorded mostly between 1971 and 1974 when Roky was a guest of the state at Rusk Hospital. Erickson's vocals are at their most Buddy Hollyish (the album is reminiscent of Holly's oft-bootlegged "New York Apartment Tapes"). The fidelity is, naturally, quite low, but the title track is simply one of the most shattering things Roky ever recorded, which is saying something. (Out of print, but can be found used on such sites as eBay and Amazon.com.)

'Don't Knock the Rok' (Norton, 2004): A rehearsal tape from 1978, it shows the punk-era Roky & the Aliens running though "Evil One" era tunes, as well as songs such as "Teenager in Love," "Stand By Me" and Buddy Holly covers. Odd, but the covers make it fun, especially because it seems as though the big man is calling them out seemingly at random, with the band struggling to keep up with Erickson's brain. Just like the rest of us. (In print)