I shouldn't have been so much surprised. And I should even have beenexpecting it or hoping for it. Still, I was stunned when, on that day inseptember 2000, I got the e-mail that Howe Gelbhad sent to all the members of the Giant Sand discuss list.
In his peculiar style, elliptic and far gone out to the point of being nearlyincomprehensible, Howe was announcing nothing less than the return of Theband of Blacky Ranchette, his occasional country band, with a fourth albumto be released ten years after the previous one and fifteen years afterthe first one.
'Blacky is back' was the subject of the message, and it was enoughalready to make me jump with joy and to fill me with anticipated excitation,but it was nothing compared to the effect that the message itself had onme, explaining that Blacky has decided to unite one more time to recorda tribute to their dear friend and founder member RainerPtacek, who died in Autumn 1997, and that, on this occasion, the grouphad invited another friend of Rainer to take part in the recording process,...Jonathan Richman!
At that point, I was not jumping with joy anymore, rather, I was petrifiedwith surprise ! If I add Jonathan Richman's albums to those byt he GiantSand galaxy of bands, I must have nearly fifty albums in my home - and I'mnot talking about singles - and both these artists are awarded regular andsystematic chronicles in Letslivappy!So, to see them recording together was completely unhoped for.
And yet, as I was saying, it shouldn't have been such a completesurprise. After all, since 1995 at least, Jonathan has been playing allhis concerts with Tom Larkins, who played a long time in Giant Sand withHowe Gelb and Rainer and who has also played on the Blacky Ranchette albums.And at the time of 'Surrender to Jonathan !', Nick Augustine wasplaying bass live and on record with Jonathan, and before that Nick hadbeen for years the bass player for Das Combo, the backing-band for... Rainer.
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The Band of Blacky Ranchette discography and songs: Music profile for The Band of Blacky Ranchette. Genres: Alt-Country, Country Rock. Albums include Heartland, New Rose Story 1980-2000, and Acres for Cents. & THE BAND OF BLACKY RANCHETTE'S TRIBUTE TO RAINER. I shouldn't have been so much surprised. And I should even have been expecting it or hoping for it. Still, I was stunned when, on that day in september 2000, I got the e-mail that Howe Gelb had sent to all the members of the Giant Sand discuss list.
And then, it wasn't the first album in tribute to Rainer. To helpcover its medical expenses, the Tucson musicians had released 'Woodfor Rainer' in 1996 as soon as news of Rainer's illness had comeout, a compilation of recordings made during the 'Wooden ball',a mainly acoustic festival which regularly gathers the Tucson scene.
The other Rainer tribute album, 'The inner flame', hadcome out in 1997, at the time when a remission in his illness had led tothink that Rainer was on the path to a complete cure. On this album, overseenby Howe and Robert Plant, there was a song by Jonathan Richman, an instrumentalcover of Rainer's 'Broken promises', recorded in Paris duringthe Spring 1996 tour, with Nick Augustine, Tom Larkins and keyboard playerDan Eisenberg.
Another clue could link Jonathan with Rainer, and thus with Giant Sand,since the lyrics for 'Rock'n'roll drummer straight from the hospy-tel'on the 'Surrender to Jonathan !' album in 1996 were credited toRudy Ptacek and Jenny Rae Richman, without precision of their family lineage,but this could led to think that Jonathan and Rainer knew each other wellenough for their children to write know each other too, and this was confirmedby the Tucson Weeklywhich, at the time of the release of 'The inner flame', presentedJonathan as an old friend of Rainer's.
And so, despite all these connections, I would not have imaginedeven in a dream that I'd be able to listen to an album recorded by GiantSand and Jonathan Richman.
In his message, Howe explained in a few words how this album came to be,and he went back to Spring 1999, when Howe had invited Jonathan and Tomfor a drink at his home in the barrio after their gig at the ClubCongress in Tucson.
As they visited the house, Howe had talked about the building works he wasplanning, and Jonathan, excited, had explained that he had been trainingin stone masonry for a few years already, and that he'd be happy to comeback when he had a little more time to give a helping hand for this buildingwork.
That's what was done during Spring 2000, when Jonathan came to spend tendays at Howe's home. They would work during the day, but, obviously, theywould find themselves in the evening playing guitar in the living-room,without even realizing it.
Until one day when they came to mention Jonathan's country album that hehad released in 1990, with The Skeletons backing him.
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From one thing to another, the conversation switched to 'Sleepwalk',the instrumental Jonathan had recorded the year before his country record,on his first album without The Modern Lovers, then to the version of thesame 'Sleepwalk' that Rainer had recorded in 1985 for his 'Barefootrock' album, produced by... Howe, less than a year after the firstBand of Blacky Ranchette album.
Howe was saying that, without Rainer, Blacky would probably never recordagain, but Jonathan remarked that 'Sage advice', in 1990, hadbeen decided upon very quickly, and that it had been done without Rainer.And suddenly, without anyone knowing who had had the idea, it was obvioushere in the room and in everyone's mind : if Rainer could not record withBlacky Ranchette anymore, Blacky Ranchette could get together around Rainer,who was still present in the hearts of his friends.
Nearly everything was decided that evening, with a few phone calls: Jonathan was in Tucson for another week, and when he would leave the albumwould be recorded, and the tiles would laid as forecast in Howe's home.
A phone call to Craig Schumacher to book the Wavelab studios for two days.A phone call to the musician friends to explain the idea (stroke of luck: the Giant Sand following the release of the 'Choreof enchantment' album had just ended, and Calexico had not leftyet to go on promotion for their third album) and invite them, and a fewevenings spent choosing the songs and rehearsing them acoustically at Howe'sand, the next week-end, The Band of Blacky Ranchette was back in the studioto record 'I can't find my best friend', the release of whichon his Ow Om label had just been announced by Howe.
Apart from Jonathan Richman on guitar and vocals, The Band of BlackyRanchette reunited with its most regular musicians : Howe Gelb on guitarand vocals, Joey Burns double bass, cello and vocals, Tom Larkins on percussions,John Convertino on drums, Neil Harry on pedal steel and Bridget Keatingon violin.
As for the eleven songs on the album, they had been chosen among those byRainer ('I am a sinner' and 'Life is fine'), by BlackyRanchette ('Play an old guitar', 'Heartland' and 'Nowhere'),by Howe for Giant Sand or his solo records ('Soldier of fortune','Warm storm' and 'The inner flame',the title song ofthe compilation that Giant Sand and Rainer had recorded together), and finallythose taken from Jonathan Richman's repertoire ('Themorning of our lives', making it the first studio version of thissong that he was already playing in 1977, 'I can't find my best friend'and a cover of 'Satisfied mind', which he had already played onhis country album).
And as for the fans of Jonathan Richman, Giant Sand and Rainer, theyonly had to wait a few more weeks to listen to the album...
The above daydream was written on July 25th 1999.
Here's the technical info on the album, which might be released in the Autumn of 2000, if ever daydreams could come true :
Artist : Jonathan Richman & The band of BlackyRanchette
Title : 'I can't find my best friend'
Label :Ow Om recordings,an artist run mess of a label
Produced by Howe Gelb, Jonathan Richman and Joey Burns
Engineered by Craig Schumacher at Wavelab Studios (Tucson, AZ) intwo days during Spring 2000
Personnel :
Joey Burns : double bass, cello, vocals
John Convertino : drums, vibes
Howe Gelb : guitar, vocals, piano, harmonium, accordian
Neil Harry : pedal steel guitar
Bridget Keating : violin
Tom Larkins : percussions
Jonathan Richman : guitar, vocals
Songlist :
Life is fine
Soldier of fortune
Play an old guitar
The morning of our lives
Nowhere
I am a sinner
Satisfied mind
Heartland
Warm storm
I can't find my best friend
The inner flame
Rainerdiscography
Jonathan Richman discography
take me back home
Gelb e` intanto coinvolto anche nella Band of Blacky Ranchette, un combo con cui sfoga la sua passione per il countrydi Hank Williams e Jimmie Rodgers.The Band of Blacky Ranchette (New Rose, 1985) e` anche troppo fedeleagli originali, mentre gli album successivi annoverano qualche canzonenello stile maggiore:Moon Over Memphis e Roof's On Fire suHeartland (Zippo, 1986), e il Wild Dog Waltz.Sage Advice (Demon, 1990).
Il secondo album dei Giant Sand,Ballad Of A Thin Line Man (Zippo, 1986), compie un prodigioso passoin avanti, rivelando un sound davvero unico, influenzato in egual misura daicantautori decadenti (Lou Reed, Johnny Thunders) e dal rock psichedelico.Accanto a ballate atmosferiche nella vena del primo disco (Thin Line Man) si fanno largo esperimenti sempre piu` eccentrici(Last Legs).Alla chitarra c'e` Paula Jean Brown, ex Go-Go's, destinata a diventare suamoglie.
Il formato di Storm (What Goes On, 1988) e` quello della musica diconsumo: ordine e arrangiamento subentrano a estro e lo-fi. Ma il Gelb chescorrazza sornione nel ruvido garage-rock di Bigger Than That enel boogie sarcastico di Town Where No Town Belongs e Big Rock(canzoni anche troppo 'normali') e` soltanto il pretesto per mettere inscena alcune delle sue vignette piu` intense, che suonano anche come omaggialle sue radici: il forte honkytonk di Three 6ixes,l'elegia country di The Replacement,e soprattutto l'epica ballata Uneven Light Of Day, sorta di personaletestamento filosofico.Il milieu della provincia piccolo borghese ha trovato il suo Omero.
Love Songs (Homestead, 1988) prosegue sostanzialmente lungo quellatraccia, alternando canzoni robuste nella tradizione 'red neck' comeLove Like A Train e Mountain of Love a bizzarre interpretazionidella tradizione country(Wearing The Robes Of Bible Black, Fingernail Moon).La differenza e` che questa volta al suo fianco c'e` un tastierista comeChris Cacavas (ex Green On Red), che introduce un forte elemento gospel e soul.Ne risulta un matrimonio improbabile fra il piglio sciamanico di Nick Cave e il feeling'domestico' della Band (One Man's Woman).
Giant Sandwich (Homestead, 1989) raccoglie rarita` e inediti.
Long Stem Rant (Homestead, 1989) venne praticamente improvvisato conil batterista John Convertino durante un weekend nel deserto. Il caos regnasovrano, ma almenoGet to Leave,l'amara Loving Cup e la lunga jamPaved Road To Berlin vanno inserite nel suo canzoniere maggiore.
Fu l'inizio di una lunga serie di albumin cui l'umore del momento conta piu` della composizione a tavolino.I dischi successivi saranno quasi tutti costruiti alla stessa maniera,fidando fin troppo sulla capacita` dei musicisti di improvvisare buonecanzoni una volta riuniti nello stesso luogo. Ciascun disco sara` piu`che altro una fotografia psicologica dell'umore del gruppo.
Cio` non toglie che il successivoSwerve (Amazing Black Sand, 1990), forte dell'aiutodi Juliana Hatfield, di Steve Wynn e deiPoi Dog Pondering, segni un apice creativo.Gelb riparte dal gospel e dal soul di Love Songs (1988), di cui anziestremizza l'ibrido stilistico(country, blues, psichedelia, violini e fiati in dosi del tutto gratuite),Il risultato sono pezzi indefinibili come Brothers And Sisters, Angels At Night, Can't Find Love.Gelb e compagni sono in forma talmente buona chepotrebbero trasformare qualsiasi cosa in una canzone.
Ramp (Amazing Black Sand, 1991), molto meno originale, mitiga ilsuo isolamento musicale con canzoni finalmente decifrabili comeRomance Of Falling e Warm Storm (in repertorio dal 1987).Joey Burns e` subentrato al basso.
Da Seeded a Milkshake Girl passando per Sonic Drive In,anche Center Of The Universe (Restless, 1993) tentavanamente di arginare l'esecuzione caotica che e` il marchio di fabbricadell'autore; ma il talento di Gelb e` una forza grezza e istintiva, e toccanuovi vertici di follia nella title-track e soprattutto inLoretta And The Insect World. A tratti l'album sembra pero`arrendersi all'hard-rock radiofonico dell'epoca.
Idealmente, Swerve, Ramp eCenter Of The Universe compongono una trilogia del 'deserto', main realta` sono completamente diversi l'uno dall'altro.
L'album solista di Howe Gelb,Dreaded Brown Recluse (Amazing Black Sand, 1991),e` in realta` una raccolta di canzoni dei Giant Sand rivedute e corrette.
Il successivo Purge & Slouch (Amazing Black Sand, 1993)si avvale, oltre che dei fidi Joey Burns e JohnConvertino, di ospiti come Susan Cowsill e Vicki Peterson (ex Bangles).Gelb 'purga' di nuovo il disco di molti eccessi (una jam di trediciminuti che compariva nel nastro promozionale) e punta invece su ballate countrycome Bender e su filastrocche polemiche come Elevator Music eSong For The Accountants.Molte canzoni sembrano appena abbozzate, altre appartengono alla sua venapiu` allucinata (High Lonesome Curl). Il jamming prodigioso dell'ensemble nobilita il lungo blues diSmokey Joe's Deep Blue Pancakes e la novelty strumentaleSantana Castaneda And You.
Dopo il live Stromausfall (Normal, 1993), Gelb approda al malinconicoGlum (Imago, 1994), che in effetti e` suonato come se fosse anch'essoun live.Glum e Yer Ropes sono le canzoni meno caotiche.
Non a caso Backyard Barbecue Broadcast (Koch, 1995) e` di nuovo dal vivo.
Lean is another show of the band's epically demented cohesiveness and of the leader's tortured singing. Psychedelic excesses are kept at bay bya sense of purpose and become part of a larger picture rather than being theraison d'etre of the music.
Get To Leave andMope-A-Long are more traditional-sounding country ballads, but alsothe main vehicles for Gelb's soul to vent its holy gospel.
Goods And Services (Enemy, 1996) continua su quella falsariga.
John Convertino e Joey Burns partecipano nel1995 ai Friends Of Nina Martinez e nel1996 varano i Calexico.
Howie Gelb, comuffato dietro lo pseudonimo OP8 e accompagnato dalla solitasezione ritmica di John Convertino e Joey Burns fornisceil controcanto e l'accompagnamento aLisa Germano per Slush (Thirsty Ear, 1998).Gelb pennella tre lunghe ballate oniriche, bisbigliate sottovoce(The Devil Loves LA, Crackling Water e Leather) e lajam strumentale jazzata OP8.
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Il difetto principale di Gelb e` la prolissita`, che gli ha sempre impeditodi concepire un album che fosse veramente un capolavoro.I due album di Giant Songs (1989 e 1995) bastano forse a riassumerela sua carriera.
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Accanto ai Green On Red e ai Thin White Rope, Gelb ha dato il suo contributoa definire un suono fatto di allucinazioni sonore, un rock del deserto.Nella sua musica, pero`, rivivono soprattutto i miraggi e le allucinazionidovuti all'isolamento, alle paure e agli sconforti della gente comune chee` cresciuta ai margini dei centri urbani.