Roky Erickson - "I Have Always Been Here Before", original Sponge EP
This record, released in 1976 or 1977, comes from the period of time just after Roky's release from the Texas mental institution. The demons he suffered from as a result of the inhumane treatment there were expressed in a series of recordings that were done at several smaller studios.
I had the good fortune to be in one of the studios for a short time when Roky was in session, brought there by a friend who worked there and knew of my interest in his music. My friend gave me this Sponge EP, which contains four tracks familiar to all Roky Erickson fans. I believe that this particular record was recorded and produced in Paris, France.
This 'All Music Guide' Review [reviewing a re-release, probably on vinyl] does an unusually nice job of critiqueing this EP:
- - - -
This brief platter was originally released as a 7" EP in 1977 by Sponge Records; thus, it contains some of Erickson's earliest attempts at a solo career after the demise of his 1960s group 13th Floor Elevators.
The first three songs here would be released in more professional-sounding versions on 'Roky Erickson and the Aliens' and 'The Evil One'. Listening to this re-release is a very frustrating experience. On the one hand, the performances here are extremely compelling, with the stripped-dowm, gutsy feel of punk and garage band styles. The title track ("Two-Headed Dog") gets a committed rendition that underscores the song's frightening excellence. "Mine Mine Mind" is a fine uptempo rocker strongly hinting at Erickson's mid-1960s psychedelic roots. "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play" is a worthy, funky midtempo number. And "I Have Always Been Here Before" is a ringingly memorable selection presented most effectively in singer-songwriter fashion. On the other hand, shockingly primitive production values, featuring badly distorted sound, make this record almost unlistenable. ~ David Cleary, All Music Guide
- - - -
Restoring this vinyl to acceptable listening quality took me about 10 hours, using Cool Edit Pro 2.0 and Adobe Audition 3.01, so enjoy!
Please visit Roky's official site here:
http://www.rokyerickson.net
and check out the Wikipedia page on Roky here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roky_eri...