Search - Roky Erickson :: You're Gonna Miss Me: The Best Of Roky Erickson

Where do I start? It's not the easiest thing in the world t

07/31/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where do I start? It's not easy giving a subjective opinion about an album that never leaves ones' personal "top three." With that in mind, I'll list some of my favorite moments from this wonderful collection: 1) The first 20 or so seconds of "Click Your Fingers Applauding The Play," which I think very well could be one of the most beautiful intros in rock history. 2) "I Am," which is one of the prettiest, and creepiest, things I have ever heard. 3) "Can't Be Brought Down," and "Don't Slander Me" for rocking as hard as ZZ Top and Motorhead in "Beer Drinkers and Hell-Raisers' mode. 4) "Starry Eyes" and "Nothing in Return" for summoning the ghost (reverently!) of the great Buddy Holly. In short, the whole thing is filled with flashes of brilliance, so just buy th' damn thing. In fact, buy two copies and enjoy it twice as much. Everybody should also run down to the corner store and pick up the equally wonderful albums by Roky's 60's band, The 13th Floor Elevators. At least snap up "The Psychedelic Sounds Of..." and "Easter Everywhere." Classics both! (Avoid "Bull Of The Woods" or any of the crappy sounding "live" recordings unless you are an undiscriminating completist type.) The Elevators were prob'ly the greatest rock band of the 60's, and undoubtedly the greatest psychedelic band ever, bar nothing. I know that both of those statements are pretty stout, and that damn near anybody who reads this (IF anyone reads it) will probably balk. Again, I encourage any naysayer who thinks that The Jefferson Airplane or Santana was the end-all-be-all to LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OF ROKY ERICKSON before they laugh too loudly. The proof's in the pudding! Anybody who would like to discuss this matter further, drop me a line and I'll reply _J. Hoyt"

Goat Heads & Pentagrams

06/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mercy me! This was my first introduction to the hilarious yet somewhat disturbing world of Roky Erickson. Sometimes sweet, sometimes possessed by the hoards of Satan, but guaranteed to bewitch, bother, and bewilder. If you're curious yet unfamiliar with this character, let's just say he's a mixture of Screaming Jay Hawkins, Buddy Holly, and a Baptist preacher on acid."Don't Shake Me Lucifer" is scary as hell, but once you get over the lyrics, it won't leave your head without a fight. And I will go so far as to say, "If You Have Ghosts" has to be one of my favorite songs of all time (right up there with The Only Ones' "Another Girl Another Planet"). Despite all the horror show theatrics & demonology, there's a couple of good old fashioned love songs that makes you wonder if it isn't all an act. Amid all the fire & brimstone, "Starry Eyes" and "Nothing In Return" come off to striking effect on this particular collection. I have to confess, however, that the novelty of "Night Of The Vampire", "Creature With The Atom Brain" & "I Walked With A Zombie" wear off pretty quick. And though I like all the live tracks, I would have preferred the inclusion of say, "Bloody Hammer" or "Wind & More" over "Leave My Kitten Alone". But why quibble when you have roof raisers like "Don't Slander Me" , not to mention a spellbinding live version of "You're Gonna Miss Me"?For fans, I'd say this is as concise a collection as your likely to find. For tenative beginners, this may be all you ever need."

Goat Bless You, Roky!

Otto | San Antonio, TX | 04/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is a "best of" compilation of Roky's hard-rock years from the mid '70s to mid '80s (my personal favorite era of his entire career). In the late '60s he put out the two classic psychedellic rock albums THE PSYCHEDELLIC SOUNDS OF THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATERS (1966) and EASTER EVERYWHERE (1967) two other albums followed but weren't that great. In the '90s there were some acoustic releases. An entire career retrospective can be found on the 2CD: I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE BEFORE. As for the straight ahead guitar-driven hard rock material, I'd recommend this disc...then buy all the individual albums from these years.



As for the music, it's fairly basic three chord heavy metal (although the majority of his fan base seem to be punk rockers) and may sound cheesey on the first few listens. But due to Roky's LSD use and mental handicaps you realize he's dead serious when he sings, "I Walked With A Zombie" or "The Creature With The Atom Brain". Play it loud and rock out!"