10/05/2008

DROOGS - Stone cold world


DROOGS Stone cold world lp 1984 Plug n Socket records 320 kbps
Change is gonna come / Set my love on you / For these remaining days / Stone cold world / Mr Right / From another side / He's waitin' / Only game in town / I got a right* / Call off your dogs* .
* bonus tracks
Produced by Earle Mankey.
Droogs : Ric Albin : vocals / Roger Clay : guitars , vocals / David Provost : bass , keyboards / Jon Gerlach : drums , percussions.

The Droogs released their first full-length LP "Stone cold world" in 1984. Despite its favorable reception, ""Stone cold world" didn't receive the same level of attention that was given to albums by other California bands exploring similar territory. As noted in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, "Stone Cold World was sadly obscured in the flurry to praise Green On Red, the Long Ryders and Bangles, but Albin and Clay doggedly pursued their chosen direction when the fashion faded." Perhaps most frustrating to the band is that they've always faced a cool reception in their home base, Los Angeles. Puzzling and frustrating for the band, "You're never a prophet in your home town," says Roger Clay with some resignation. After years of releasing their own records, the Droogs signed to the label PVC/Jem in the mid-1980s, but that label folded while the Droogs were on tour supporting their second lp "Kingdom Day".
In his review of "Stone Cold World" in Melody Maker, Ian Gittens remarked that while the Droogs wore their 1960s garage rock influences on their sleeves, they "draw heavily on a whole range of influences to for an approach peculiarly their own; taking from all times". His concluding remark, calling the Droogs "a curious anachronism", clearly demonstrates a problem the Droogs have long faced. That is, despite the quality of their material, the Droogs have not fit easily into any of the trends that have come and gone during their career, making the band difficult to market to a larger audience. Though "Stone Cold World" contained a re-recorded version of the Albin/Clay's "Set My Love on You", along with a live version of "He's Waitin'", the Droogs incorporated influences that set them apart from other garage revival bands. Creem referred to "Stone Cold World" as showcasing their "new, streamlined moderne approach to punkadelic blues".
Despite being included on a couple of new wave compilations, the Droogs weren't really a new wave band, either. Being from southern California and playing 1960s-inspired music, the Droogs were often associated with the neo-psychedelic Paisley Underground. The Droogs' sound, however, was always more garage punk than the more psychedelic sound of Paisley Underground groups, such as the Dream Syndicate and the Rain Parade. Still, the Droogs had close ties to other bands from the area, particularly the Dream Syndicate. Dave Provost, the bassist for the Droogs since the early 1980s, has also played for the Dream Syndicate. Other Dream Syndicate members have made guest appearances on Droogs recordings. Karl Precoda played guitar on "I Want Something" and Steve Wynn joined Ric Albin on vocals for his song "Maria", both of which appeared on the compilation "Want Something".
Buy the Droogs music here !
Artwork for cd by Max !

7 commentaires:

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

Droogs: "Stone cold world" 320 kbps + cd artwork by the great Max !

Enjoy it & leave comments if you like it !

bosshoss a dit…

Fantastic LP, sadly never released on CD. Many thanks.

vex_voxtone a dit…

First of all I have to say that the Droogs were one amazing band. At the same time they were sadly one of the most underrated and underappreciated bands of the era. Formed little to late to be a part of the original sixties garage scene and little to early to be a part of the new garage revival scene they never fit in. Also the songs penned by Ric Albin and Roger Clay weren't just simple fuzz drenched garage cave stompers like some of the bands with whome they shared stage. Their songs at the same time had a prophetic and cynical side. For instance a great song "overnight success", which they wrote as a tribute to Sky Saxon can be put in the same sentence with the droogs too, also the amazing "ahead of my time". Anyway, although they were never darlings of the record publishers and such, they had a strong cult following among both local crowds and musicians. Some of the important musicians praised them at the time. For instance Peter Case or Steve Wynn. If there is a band that desrve a tribute album, it's gotta be Droogs. Sorry for such a long comment and thanx so much for all the Droogs shares.

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

That's what I thought but apparently there's a cd : "Stone cold world + Kingdom day" (2 lps on one cd ) Music Maniac records ...but I never seen it !

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

Mr Vex_Voxtone ,
Your comments are always welcome ...

El Capi a dit…

Hello friend, wanted to ask you about a disc, this one is the Señor No - Roy Loney Split. I see your post And I was wondering if you have it.
Thanks for all the good music, friend

MIDNIGHT RAMBLER a dit…

Thanks Capitain ! I have this vinyl single !