BOC: Creativity and production

[Ted Jackson jr. 6L6]

> From:          "<Nick English>" <nick at THECAMPUS.COM>

> Let's not discount the creative abilities of the remaing three
> founders here. I mean, Al's stuff is great, and probably the most
> highly regarded in the eyes of true BOC fans...but remember, whether
> you like the "Big three" or not, they're ALL Buck's tunes, and it was
> those three songs, plus Buck's playing, that garnered BOC the
> lion's share of the mainstream attention they  got. In fact, I'd argue

That's for certain.  Look at BD's playing on tunes that Al wrote,
like COF, DaS, etc.  Buck's playing is crucial to these songs being
classics.  What I was getting at was that Al had a way of propelling
the BAND foreward, that he provided a ceative spark which helped the
others play their best.  He was a great guy to bounce ideas off, and
a great collaborator, esp. w/BD in songwriting.  Believe me, it was
BD's gtr playing that hooked me on BOC some 26 years ago, as much as
the macabre feel of the productions themselves.  It always was a band
effort, but that effort was seriously hurt with Al's departure, not
just for the songs he wrote, but the one he helped everyone else
write...

> that it without those hits, we might not be talking about BOC at all
> in 1998. I know I personally was hooked into them after hearing
> Godzilla.

Well, BOC was doing pretty well before Reaper, but who knows if they
would've gotten as big as they were without it?  I've never disputed
Buck's writing ability, only the quantity of it.  Seems to take him a
while to write wheras Al has 3 Albums-plus in the last few years.  Al
is a prolific songwriter while Buck seems to take his time...

> And Harvest Moon, another total Buck-o-Rama, is arguably one of their
> best songs since well before Al and Joe left.

Couldn't agree more. HM is as good as anything the band's ever
done...

> Plus, it's done backflips around any Brain Surgeons tunes in terms of
> commercial success...although that could also have a lot to do with
> BOC having CMC in their corner.

Well this is apples and oranges.  BOC is on a semi-major label while
tBS is an indie act.  Personally I prefer HF to any of tBS albums,
but that doesn't meant that Al isn't producing quality music.  I
think tBS' material is a lot more 'out' than BOC, so it's always
going to appeal to a nich audience.  BOC still has its name
recognition and can still call upon Reaper and Burnin' as radio
staples to this day to keep it's identity intact.  So I believe it's
hard to compare Al's post-BOC work with BOC's...

> Not to diss Al, who I think is fantastic, both with BOC and without
> them, but to suggest that BOC can't play up to past standards anymore
> really shortchanges Buck, Eric and Allen.
>
Sadly, I believe Allen's pretty much along for the ride these days.
I think Eric can still deliver the goods, both on stage and in the
studio, though, like BD, he was never a prolific songwriter.  I
wasn't attacking HF in any way, I was just saying that EB and BD
aren't the kind of guys who crank out song after song, while Al
apparently IS a facile songwriter...


*******************************

theo


"...Power in the hands of fools..."