BOC:Kerrang Biog (At last)

[Ted O. Jackson]

>         Rumour has it that Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roesier wrote the three
> chrds to DFtR as a direct tribute to The Byrds. It became an immediate Hard
> Rock classic & is still the centre point to any live show, the spiralling
> riff always played on Buck's pre-set Gibsoon SG & Blom supplying the songs
> massive sustain with the help of the then revolutionary E-Bow. The song was
> an instant hit in America but didnt chart in the UK until 1978. It was taken
> from the album Agents of Fortune which could also boast another live
> favorite in the shape of ETI, as well as Patti Smith on backing vocals again.
> There it is. Writing this out has raised a few questions - what exactly did
> Bloom say to everyone at Donington? Why is it that every biog of BOC I read
> has  a different interpretation of the BOC logo? & If Imaginos had been
> released as a solo record by Al - would any of us have regarded it as the
> classic it undoubtably is? No offence to Al but over here in the UK we
> probably wouldnt have even known it was released, I say this as it is
> impossible to get the Brain Surgeons releases over here on my limited
> budget, & the same would probably be true for Imaginos. There that might
> stir up a can of worms - maybe I should have put an IMHO in there somewhere :)

Wow,
Excellent work, and no IMHO necessary.  Fine bit of writing.  My one
beef, though, is that the guitar Buck used for 'Reaper' is, in fact,
a replica of a Gibson SG which was made for him by a fan of the group
who was an amateur luthier.  The white guitar that Buck used in the
old days was a Gibson, though I believe it was refinished from the
original wine red color.  I believe that this guitar was either
stolen or possibly destroyed in a truck crash.  In the later 1970s,
he played a Les Paul Deluxe for many years, then alternated
between that and a custom-made axe that looked like a cross
between a Flying V and an Explorer that was made by Giuliano
Balestra (sorry for butchering your name).  Circa 'Club Ninja', he
started using a St. Blues which was sort of a Telecaster copy with
more Gibson-like electronics.  Lately he's been using a Steinberger.
Before Robo et al flame me, I must point out that he occasionally
used a Strat with humbucking pickups in the 70s, and also a Les Paul
Custom, though not too much.  Eric's coolest guitars were a Les Paul
Custom with chronos symbol inlaid in the top, and a huge guitar
(custom) that was in the very shape of chronos.  I believe this was
made by Giuliano, but I'm not sure.  Sadly, he's been playing junk
guitars the last few times I saw him, but that hasn't been in the
last 3 years.  Allen has usually played Les Pauls.  Albert played an
SG and I think, a Melody Maker, though I'm not too sure.  Joe used
Fenders in the early 60s, then played an Alembic for a long time...
theo