Search - Roky Erickson, Aliens :: Don't Knock the Rok

Roky Trust Snookers the Fans with This One

K. Smith | Phoenix, AZ | 06/10/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a travesty. It finally puts to rest any doubt that Roky's former Manager has anything of value left. The sound is terrible. The recording processing/mastering is horrible. It's like they recorded this using a Realistic mono condensor mic onto K-Mart, normal bias, cassette tapes and then crapped on these tapes and let *that* sit in a basement for thirty years. Then they just ripped it to CD the cheapest and fastest way. Then they had the balls to talk about how "great" this utter piece of sheeeeeit was. This was the old Roky Trust under his brother's helm. Put Roky's little brother, Billy Alienate and Roky's former Manager in a room together and *this* is what they come up with. They are tools and this proves it. Stay away! Are you a Roky fan? STAY AWAY! BACK AWAY SLOWLY!"

You need to understand what this CD is before criticizing it

Jersey Kid | Katy, Texas, America! | 05/27/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is advertised as music made during the sessions of Roky Erickson and the Aliens that resulted in some admittedly odd, though, poignant music. When I see some reviewers complaining about the quality of the material, I have to wonder whether they bothered to read about this album.



Let's put this in context: Roky was making and album. He decided to screw around doing a mix of oldies and more-or-less whatever came into his head. At times, the band knew the song; at other times they didn't; the same can be said for Roky himself. The cuts also vary in quality and consistency; a little curious if they are, in fact, all from the same period of time and the same studio and staff.



This is no different than the scores of bootleg releases chronicling The Beatles recording process, especially those culled from the `Get Back' period. What you have is a case of the artist(s) trying to find mood and the groove that will make improve the final product.



And, that is exactly what you get with `Don't Knock the Rok!' MATERIAL THAT WASN'T FOR RELEASE.



So, within the parameters that it was practice material not intended for mass distribution, what can be said about this album?



It's really pretty neat having the opportunity to sit in with an artist when that person is performing. Roky cares not a lick about the tone of his voice (`Pitchy,' said Judge Randy); nor does he care that often he is singing the same lyric over and over. Amongst my favorites on this CD is `Untitled," where Roky is playing with some rifts. With this cut, we get to see the creative process at work.

"

Don't knock Don't Knock The Rok!

P. Pennington | Dallas, TX USA | 08/27/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is nowhere near as bad as some would have you believe. No doubt, it sounds like a rehearsal or a jam which was recorded, but for that it is a decent sounding recording. The beauty of this cd isn't its audiophile status, though. The beauty of it is that you get to hear Roky and his group doing songs which inspired him to do music in the first place. If you (like me) know the songs in their original versions, and enjoy those, and you like Roky Erickson's music, this could be a bit of a revelation. It's not a "great album"; it's a window to a particular time and place which otherwise we would not have access to. To hear Roky songing the song "Teenager In Love" and doing the chorus as: "why must I be a teenager in jail" is hilarious! The dude has a sense of humor, something not necessarily apparent from listening to his solo albums or the great 13th Floor Elevators. The first half of the album is mainly full band versions of the songs, and the latter half of the album has more acoustic versions of some of the same songs. I've had this album for a few years, and I will say that it has had to grow on me a bit over time. When I first got it, I was a little bummed out, wishing it sounded more like Roky's records with the Aliens and the Explosives, etc. But as I've listened to it over time, it has really grown on me. It's not what I thought it would be, but it is what it is. All that is required is an open mind. If you're a fan, give it a chance. If you "get" it, you'll be glad. The good things in life sometimes take a bit of effort to appreciate...."