“demon_angel”
Roky Erickson
Demon Angel: A Day and Night With Roky Erickson
Amsterdamned
This is a subliminal CD. The soundtrack to the 1984 documentary of Mr. Erickson sneaks up and subtly envelopes you in its folky cocoon of unadorned guitar-driven musings. Each track slips quietly into the next, and most end with a smattering of applause, indicating a live audience of some sort (sounding like all of three people), which adds tremendously to the intimate feel. Mr Erickson might as well be playing in your living room. The first two tracks, “Bloody Hammer” and “Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer),” sound like the same song; although it took me a few listens to get past “Splash #1;” with its haunting fuzzed-out electric and crisp acoustic guitars (provided by producer Mike Alvarez), this is the best song here. (I even clap along with the other people at the end.) “Night of the Vampire” lures and lulls with its soft strumming. Rounded out with a twangy cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” nothing here is overshadowed by overindulgent solos or self-absorbed lyrics. Most songs leave faint tracks in your mind, like a warm, soft ghost
Triple X Records, P.O. Box 862529, Los Angeles, CA 90086; http://www.triple-x.com
