OFF: Way off, Richard Meltzer

[Andrew A. Apold]

>> From:          "Brevard, Adrian R" <adrian.brevard at EDS.COM>
>>
>> Is it my imagination or are the fringe people form BOC's history immature?
>
>I'm not sure I'd describe SP and RM as fringe dwellers.  I think they
>each had a huge impact [for ill or good--you decide] on BOC, esp. in
>the early days.  Compare the sainted first 3 albums to those that
>followed.  Perhaps 'cause I'm an old fuck who was there since the
>beginning, but to me the first 3 albums--those displaying the
>greatest  SP/RM influence--are the best.  Now maybe the band was just
>writing their best stuff back then as well.  How many times do we see
>bands whose first few albums represent their greatest accomplishment,
>only to overshadow subsequent work?  So, is the greatness of the
>first 3 due to RM/SP's participation, or simply the band was at a
>creative peak?  We need to call upon Al to offer an opinion here...

>From what I've read, the biggest changes from the first 3 to the ones
that followed were more due to things like the 4-track units that
allowed them to write stuff more on their own, that they weren't
living together in the same place like they used to, and they weren't
overtly trying to do the "paint a picture of hell" motif so much
anymore....

>AB, I think they are bitter because they realize the greatness that
>they were associated with, and they also realize that they couldn't
>sustain it, and that the band, for whatever reasons, decided to do
>things on their own.  They know they were part of a truly great band,
>but that, through their own failings, allowed it to slip through
>their fingers.  At one point, they were at the top of the heavy music
>heap, now:  where are they now!  Again, Al's insight would tell us
>volumes...

Meltzer, in particular, appears to have something out for Al Lanier,
some kind of falling out...

>> Teen Archer - Wow I'm so 360...somebody says it was the weakest song on T&M
>> and I always thought it the strongest.  Do hope this one makes the grade on
>> the new Sony package.
>
>You never heard it from me!  TA's a classic!

I think Teen Archer's keyboard riff is my favorite, recently passing Flaming
Telepaths (though I still like FT overall a bit more...)

===============
Andrew Apold
Systems Administrator II
Facilies Development & Operations
Palm Beach County