Bob Drake & Mike Johnson interview about Moonsongs

[Bob Drake]

Klemen Breznikar interviewed us about Thinking Plague, the Moonsongs album, and other things. He wanted to do each of us individually, could have been more fun all together but there it is:
https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2...interview.html

BD

[Scrotum Scissor]

Interesting, as usual - and great fun too!

[Kavus Torabi]

That was great!

[Gravedigger]

Bob Drake: "... the mystery of music and how it can suggest things there aren’t words for."

That pretty much nails it for me, although I'm word-challenged to begin with.

[Steve F.]

Very interesting and GROOVY, Bob; thank you for bringing this to my/our attention!!

[Scrotum Scissor]

Based on this read I decided to pull out another binge on TP, the first in a couple of years. And btw I haven't yet got around to ordering the Moonsongs vinyl, but I'm getting there.

I didn't really get to hear the entirety of the album until Steve F. reissued it on The Early Plague Years, although I'd heard "Warheads" from a copied cassette sometime in the late 80s and I'd obviously encountered the somewhat shortened Version II of "Organism" from the Ré Records Quarterly Vol. 2 no. 4, which I remember particularly well because that's the Quarterly which also had the Expander Des Fortschritts track and Jean Derome's "Intolerance/Resistance/Hope" on it, the latter being one of the most beautiful pieces of music I ever came across.

What really sets me off about this whole thing is the fact that a work as stupendously creative and challenging as "Etude for Combo" was actually recorded live-in-the studio, textured detail and whims and dynamic all real-time. Considering how Bob's first instrument was NOT the drums, his self-assurance in execution and accomplishment here is simply astounding; this is truly some difficult, angular and hard-hitting yet amusing shit! And especially the part in which a groove sets in and the whole thing starts to really rock along - I mean, who the hell else were doing stuff like this back then?

Interestingly, that exact last question is a bit intriguing to me. Because there WAS a sense of (admittedly) faint reminiscence, right? With acts that you'd probably never heard of at the time, like Virginian artwave combo Orthotonics or Philly cartoon-punks The Stick Men or perhaps Ohio's Proof Of Utah? Nothing near the formal intricacies of Moonsongs, but they carried the (hidden) load of 70s progressive virtues into waters of almost complete cultural opposites. Certainly a case of shared influences though lack of acquintance, but also collectively prone to an environment which was non-receptive to modern advanced rock music of this affiliation. A fate also bestowed on a handful of artists with at least some minimal regional renown (like The Muffins, Cartoon and MX-80), yet little overall acceptance, it would seem.

Still, none of them had anything even close to the resource of Susanne Lewis' voice, which I think cuts through on all levels. While I actually enjoy Sharon Bradford's (trained) input on the debut - "Possessed" being prominently featured as bonus on ReR's release of In This Life, and "Thorns" one of the eeriest tracks I know by an 80s US band - the essential TP arguably kicks off with those first lines of "Warheads". The 'chorus' section with the "[...] chairman of the board of trustees!" and ensuing "[...] sickening grasp" part - these passages never fail to encapsulate new listeners to whom I've presented it.

I suppose one of the main reasons why the Plague aren't even -more- appreciated with "prog" circuits is this precise faccet of authenticity in gritty fury combined with sometimes secluded refinement. Treasures of immense sophistication reserved those who know they should dig deeper into this, no matter the risk of discrediting or compromising what's already installed.

Thinking Plague: still one of the most genuinely radical and progressive rock groups I ever knew.

[Bob Drake]

What really sets me off about this whole thing is the fact that a work as stupendously creative and challenging as "Etude for Combo" was actually recorded live-in-the studio, textured detail and whims and dynamic all real-time. Considering how Bob's first instrument was NOT the drums,

It's Mark Fuller drumming on Etude for Combo, I'm playing bass. And actually, drums was my first instrument, I started around 1969, and only first picked up a bass in 1972.

x
Bob

[Scrotum Scissor]

It's Mark Fuller drumming on Etude for Combo, I'm playing bass.

I just listened again, and thought "I must be wrong in what I wrote", 'cause that's definitely your inimitable bass right there!

My bad. None can do the bass and the battery at the same move.

Mofo song all the same.

Btw, Bob - when did you learn the 6-string guitar? Did you get into it from scratch or did someone give you offhand directions? Some of the stuff on your solo records makes for quite unusual approaches to the instrument, I'd say.

[Bob Drake]

Btw, Bob - when did you learn the 6-string guitar? Did you get into it from scratch or did someone give you offhand directions? Some of the stuff on your solo records makes for quite unusual approaches to the instrument, I'd say.

Thanks! I started playing guitar even before I played bass, so maybe 1970 - '71-ish. I learned a few basic chords from a Mel Bay guitar chord book, and like most musicians I picked up tips and ideas from any older/more knowledgeable players I knew, but mostly by ear and trying to figure out how to do what I heard on records, eventually finding my own things. Still learning, on every instrument I play, how to be musical.
x
BD

[neuroticdog]

Still, none of them had anything even close to the resource of Susanne Lewis' voice, which I think cuts through on all levels. While I actually enjoy Sharon Bradford's (trained) input on the debut - "Possessed" being prominently featured as bonus on ReR's release of In This Life, and "Thorns" one of the eeriest tracks I know by an 80s US band - the essential TP arguably kicks off with those first lines of "Warheads". The 'chorus' section with the "[...] chairman of the board of trustees!" and ensuing "[...] sickening grasp"

That was a great review of TP, thanks for taking the time to write it up!!! This thread has inspired me to go back and listen to them since it’s been quite a while that I’ve heard them. I’ll be spinning Early Plague Years very shortly, can’t wait!!

The above paragraph in your review about Susanne Lewis really resonated with me because I always thought that her “untrained” voice added so much to the character of this band. Something about the “roughness” in her singing amidst all the complexity flying around was and still continues to be a winning combination for me. If you haven’t heard the first Hail album, I would highly rec that one too! (The second one is great too but I think the first wins out for me only because...well...I just like the songs better.)

Bob, since you are reading this thread...and I apologize for getting off topic a little here, but have you ever considered doing more work akin to what you did on Thirteen Songs and a Thing? I’m specifically talking about the Thing track, that was the album highlight for me, even before I got into all this Acousmatic stuff that I harp about. The out of control chaos of that track is splendid to these ears.

Best
Michael

[Scrotum Scissor]

If you haven’t heard the first Hail album, I would highly rec that one too! (The second one is great too

I only heard the second one, which I promptly gave my (first) wife when we parted ways in 2003. She absolutely loved Susanne Lewis' voice (as do I), namechecking it as "Liz Phair with balls and vengeance", as I recall.

Bob's later foray into "pure" rock/pop was covered when I got the Nimby record, I think. And I never got to hear that Venus Handcuffs!

[Bob Drake]

Neuroticdog: I used to do a lot of that sort of chaotic construction recording in the 70's and very early 80's but nothing as large at the piece you mention, and can't say whether I will do more or not!

Bob

[Bob Drake]

Bob's later foray into "pure" rock/pop was covered when I got the Nimby record, I think.

Nimby was James Grigsby's music. I just played bass and sang a bit, did the recording.

BD

[neuroticdog]

I only heard the second one, which I promptly gave my (first) wife when we parted ways in 2003. She absolutely loved Susanne Lewis' voice (as do I), namechecking it as "Liz Phair with balls and vengeance", as I recall.

Bob's later foray into "pure" rock/pop was covered when I got the Nimby record, I think. And I never got to hear that Venus Handcuffs!

That first Hail album is deeper and denser than the second while retaining that raw unbridled energy, even more so imo. It’s like a garage band record played by virtuoso musicians who YOU KNOW are virtuoso musicians and they know you know it... but are still trying their best not to sound that way...but cant help themselves so it’s sounds like the best garage band album ever...this of course makes it the ultimate garage band record.

I think the Liz Phair comp is a good one too...there is something almost psychotically “off” about her singing that is really engaging!

I have both that NIMBY and Venus Handcuffs, and now that Susanne Lewis is being brought up, will have to grab those to the top of the stack too.

Best
Michael

[Bob Drake]

"Trained"...."untrained"....we were just makin' music, man!

BD

[chalkpie]

Kirk and Hello Debris are both beyond wonderful, and might be my picks for the BD uninitiated progger if I tried to introduce them to the wild, wonderful world of Bob. Regarding Bob's solo albums, they are some of my absolute favs from the 90's and beyond. I was blown away when I first bought The Skull Mailbox (which I read about it here BTW in the early 2000's) and still love following the journey some 20 years later. It's crazy to think that Bob was making records some many years before I even heard Skull. These albums are so original and unique, creativity level at the 11/10 level for me. Some of my close musical buddies have found some of BD's music hard to penetrate, but I never stop trying. My teen daughter's favorite BD track is "Don't ask a Cat". Bob, you're a legend MAAAA'AAANN!!

[neuroticdog]

"Trained"...."untrained"....we were just makin' music, man!

BD

Yep, which is why I put the word “roughness” in quotes. It’s that “roughness” that makes it. Trained? Untrained? Nothing to do with nuthin!!!

[Scrotum Scissor]

Nimby was James Grigsby's music. I just played bass and sang a bit, did the recording.

BD

I know. But both a buddy of mine and I got it due to your (and Kerman's) involvement, although J. Wheeler's obviously in the wheelhouse. And your imprint is pretty prominent in tracks like "Tattoo Removal" and "Slap the Patch".

Very unusual venture for Grigsby, though.