S/D: Thin White Rope?

One of my very favorite bands. I just love the whole package so much. Guy's basalt vocals, the thick twining snake guitars, the natural-history-tinged lyrics, the twang wedded to the dino-hevviness, the "this is a song about waking up with an acid hangover and a boner".

I miss them so. If I were to send someone home with two of their releases to try'n make a fan outta them, it would be Moonhead and the very well-chosen best-of When Worlds Collide.

FISH!!!

I listened to White Heaven first album the other night and Kurihara's super-scorching guitar sound blew me away as usual.
Suddenly it reminded of Thin White Rope.
The Kyser/ Kunkel interplay was obviously impressive in its Television-inspired detail, but it is the monstrous sound of their guitars that really made TWR. So dark, powerful and impossibly sad.
And the way Guy Kyser concocts haunting, spooky natural images like a cowboy Georg Buechner: "Ants are cavemen" is him channeling a delirious Woyzeck-like enthomologist of sorts and sounding at the same time frightening and funny.
Best 80's American band, period.

:-) Definitely encourage everyone again to check out ML's blog I linked up there for more TWR stories, among many other things. Need to break out the albums again.

I checked it a couple of times and its fun.
Give the albums another try, Ned: the production unfortunately isn't always that good, but the songs are ace. Kyser was a very personal writer. Also no other band in the world is equally in debt with Marty Robbins and Joy Division!

One of my favorite bands of the 80s. So alien, unlike almost anything else, either in their time or out of it. People often mention Television and Paisley Underground contemporaries like the Rain Parade and the Dream Syndicate in describing them, and while that's fair, it doesn't get at how strange they were underneath. Love the snaky, heat shimmer guitar tangles, the super-creepy storytelling and Kyser's wobbly, wierdly affected vocals. They're about the most Halloweeny band I can think of, and the best part is that they manage it without ever resorting to campy spook-show schtick. They rarely sound like they're trying to be scary ("Disney Girl" and the Ruby Sea LP being clear exceptions), but they scare the crap out of me anyway.

'Course, it isn't an accident, either. Most of the lyrics read like ghost stories, and the ones that don't rarely have anything reassuring to say. Creeping you out was obviously a big part of the intent. Still, for all the theatricality, there's never anything forced about it. The vibe of alienation and depersonalization fits with the music and with the subject matter, making it ring true, at least in the sense that it doesn't seem like an act.

Agree that they never really got the production they deserved, but it doesn't bother me much. I like the records the way they are.

Their version of 'Some Velvet Morning' was fantastico.
Fuck - i forgot about the Rope!
Saw them live too. Excellent

Totally love the "Yoo Doo Right" cover.

gygax! started a thread about it once.

TAKING SIDES: "Yoo Doo Right" by THIN WHITE ROPE vs. "Mother Sky" by TH' FAITH HEALERS vs. "The Sad Skinhead" by TRUMANS WATER vs. "Jenny Ondioline" by STEREOLAB

contenderizer: They always reminded me of Television crossed with Skynyrd.

Gimme three steps toward the ghost-cow.

along with thinking fellers, this is one of those bands I'm surprised has/had the cult following they did, they seemed like not such a big deal when around. glad to see shasta still flying the flag for them. what is guy keyser doing now?

also it dawns on me that I actually know someone who was in this band, which I forgot about.

see also:

http://www.myspace.com/acmerocketquartet

Moonhead is a classic (listening right now). I also always had a soft spot for The Ruby Sea, which some seem to find a little slick.

Can't believe I never posted on this thread. Still one of my favourite 80s bands. Moonhead is a deathless uber-classic, especially the title track. One of the few bands where I'm *really* bummed out that I never saw them live properly, only in a tent at the Reading festival, and even in that setting they sounded monstrous.

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erm... I mean this:

#1 on my "reunite for ATP" list.

I only ever had The Ruby Sea, but o how I oved it, "Puppet Dog" especially. That one hit me right away, the rest was a grower. I haven't thought about them in years, but this thread is making want to seek out some of their other records.

Puppet Dog is a great song. One of the best on The Ruby Sea. If you like the Ruby Sea, do seek out Sack Full Of Silver and Moonhead

Moonhead really is a stone classic, but the first album Exploring The Axis is worth seeking out too, especially for the first track 'Down In The Desert' which is fantastic.

also it dawns on me that I actually know someone who was in this band, which I forgot about.

― akm

now I have no idea who I was talking about. who did I know in this band? I know someone who produced them at one point, at least.

More people should cover TWR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4KDvgt3rcQ

Damn you Ned for a sec I thought this bump was for a reunion!

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/38867781/Moonhead%20IMG_9238.jpg

xpost -- alas

i'm surprised they haven't reuinted but maybe i'm not surprised by that after all

Maybe we can force them to, via Kickstarter

Man I love that footage of It's OK, it totally kicks butt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtRRxU5vddg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDCYIyIhLc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60B-TlpfIUg

There's a scorching tape from '88 up on D1m3adozen right now, recorded in Germany and it's EX quality. God damn, this band.

ty for that, maresnest

Moonhead really is a stone classic, but the first album Exploring The Axis is worth seeking out too, especially for the first track 'Down In The Desert' which is fantastic.

― MaresNest, Sunday, March 29, 2009 3:57 AM (4 years ago)

tbh, i prefer the debut to moonhead, though they're both great. don't think they wrote a song as "disney girl" until "astronomy".

lol, a song as good as "disney girl", but either way yeah

When World's Collide was a great compi and also hangs together as both an lp and individual tracks.
THink I also have a live set on my walkman.

The website of Kyser's lyrics was quite revelatory though I fear it is long gone. I'd tried to note down his lyics by listening line by line to a tape of lps and failed wholesale since his points of reference seem to be way outside my own, or at least twisted slightly askew.

Do wish there was more video footage of them around, though I've yet to see The One That Got Away, the cd of that gig is pretty great though.

I'd tried to note down his lyics by listening line by line to a tape of lps and failed wholesale since his points of reference seem to be way outside my own, or at least twisted slightly askew.

yeah, i've done this too, though not with a tape. worked out a bunch, though several key tracks remain mysterious.

XXXXP - Moonhead probably remains my favorite by virtue of it being the first TWR record I'd heard. I think I rewound Come Around like 6 times and sat boggle eyed at the ferocity of the vocals.

i think "Take it Home" might be my favorite twr track now. I wish the already lengthy coda were ten times as long.

I wonder if I could
Enter suburban homes
Say 'hi' to trusty dogs
Soothe them with meaty bones
Wander from room to room
Moonlight on every bed
Haloes my chosen one
The axis in her head

the axis buried is a pivot in your head
around which buried things revolve that
most people leave unsaid
and it's probably a good idea
'cause things could happen in your town
the police come by coincidence and
find it written down

Well this thread caused 'Exploring the Axis' to get pulled out. Sounding great now... Guess Moonhead will be next.

You could do a hella decent twilight zone style short story antho based just off the first album's lyrics

I think Moonhead is, to my ears, the only TWR album that actually SOUNDS fantastic. Which is a heartbreaking shame to me bc every one of the albums is a masterpiece. Spanish Cave is like Raw Power levels of mixing wrongness and there is something abt the sound on Sack Full that drives me up the fuckin wall.

Totally agree ... 'The One That Got Away' kinda makes up for any studio production mis-steps.

Like WTF is happening with the volume levels of the gtr on Triangle Song? What the hell is that? Some kind of noise gate keyed to the cymbals?

Xpost otm. Best fucking double live ever.

otm. they rarely if ever got the production/mix they deserved. someone's weird fondness for relentless, crashing snare hits amidst relative calm nearly wrecks a bunch of songs throughout their career. and yeah, moonhead sounds awesome, but i think i prefer the songs on exploring and sack full of silver. also strange to compare their fairly restrained studio albums to the devastating, almost metal-heavy live band documented on the one that got away (and elsewhere).

You could do a hella decent twilight zone style short story antho based just off the first album's lyrics

oh hell yeah (i am mr agreement). all the way through, really, from "disney girl" to "the ruby sea". strange tales.

FYI for anyone interested in correct information on their recordings: this one "1988-04-02 - Goez Beest, Amsterdam, NL - Sbd" doesn't make sense.

venue = Podium 't Beest
city = Goes (and that is 120 km / 75 miles away from Amsterdam)

Here's one I found that wasn't shared here last time around (have been looking for confirmation about the date (or if it's MM/DD or DD/MM?) but can't find that either) - it's one of the most impressive sounding ones yet imho. soundboard.

https://we.tl/t-M2QEIp9q5N

1990-11-09 RKCNDY, Seattle, WA

01. Wire Animals
02. The Ruby Sea
03. Astronomy
04. Eleven
05. Puppet Dog
06. Some Velvet Morning
07. Tina And Glen
08. Triangle Song
09. Elsie Crashed The Party
10. Valley Of The Bones
11. Munich Eunuch
12. Ants Are Cavemen
13. Fish Song
14. Roadrunner
15. Bartender's Rag
16. Hunter's Moon
17. Silver Machine

Ooh I definitely don’t have that one

(I could have fixed the last three tracks' MP3 tags but anyway)

or flac tags, whatever they're called when it's flac

This one is new to me too - thanks!

Amazing! Thanks

the only thing is... RKCNDY opened in 1991. Doesn't keep me from enjoying the show but it bothers me.

okay - it was 9 November 1991 (found it on this taper's list - among some other stuff that must be out there (on cassette at least) - https://digilander.libero.it/anti4it/bootlegscdnz.html )

Set list makes more sense with that date

Thanks for this StanM! Man I love TWR.

I'm just discovering this podcast has interviews with some interesting musicians. I listened to a 3 part thing with Gun Club drummer Terry Graham a few days ago and one with Stuart Moxham yesterday
This one is with Roger Kunkel, not sure if it was upped here before since its from April last year
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O7WleGyOc1CgJee2IiMdr?si=61e5267c92f24b73

Thanks! while scrolling down to that one (I'm not on spotify) I noticed a lot of other interesting stuff on C86. Suicide with Martin Rev, Green On Red with Dan Stuart (and then a couple of weeks later with Chris Cacavas), Whipping Boy, The Seers,...

I may have listened to that Martin Rev thing. I know I heard one on Martyn Ware's podcast recently.
Can't remember what specifically turned me onto that C86 podcast

I think I was looking for the podcast Almost A Mirror, couldn't remember what it was called so started looking for the small groups scene in Melbourne or whatver the scene was actually called . Wound up with a show with Clare Moore of The Moodists turning up, got around to listening to it and maybe got an announcement about a new episode in the series appearing. But it is a very good series and goes back to 2018 and has some very interesting guests so glad I got to look through it. Don't think it has any more TWR but it does have a couple of Galaxie 500, Robin Crutchfieeld of Pere Ubu, Dark Day etc and a loa dof other interesting looking people who I may get to hear later.
I still haven't listened to the last couple of Almost A Mirror episodes cos I keep losing temporary playlists

They are no longer on Bandcamp. Glad I got those remasters while they were available

Ah. I'm mistaken. They're there under Frontier. Just not under TWR. Sorry...

Hey Stan/Jon and everyone, some new recordings gone up on D1m3, one a week before the last gig in Ghent, Wein 1990 & Munich 1988. All sound really solid, room for three more?

oooooooooh yes please

Cool, here 'tis - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bdtwra5fqn09oi8yn677s/h?dl=0&rlkey=rueyq1ierm4dy3ygxfqdx23wm

Thanks indeed!

<3

No worries guys.

For fun, I downloaded that amazing Youtube footage of 'It's OK' from the last gig, matrixed the audio with the live album, pushed it around a bit to add a bit of low end, and made the guitars even more hellacious.

It's in the folder too, if you wanna have a look, just a pity the footage is fairly low quality.

<3 thanks so much MN!

great idea about that clip! thank you again!

(Vienna is June 5th 1990 btw - I had uploaded the mp3s earlier but this is an upgrade)

So here's an unjustly overlooked TWR obscurity. Quoting Skip King, whose longtime partner-now-husband ML Compton managed them:

While the band were touring in Italy their lead singer, Guy Kyser, was borrowed and utilized as the vocalist on a single track with a band named Avion Travel. The song, "On a Moonlit Night", was to be used as the theme song in the newest Lina Wertmüller film "In Una Notte di Chiaro di Luna" (AKA "Up to Date"). Starring Rutger Hauer, Nastassja Kinski and Lorraine Bracco, and featuring Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole, the film was released that year but was a huge flop internationally, and didn't even make it into cinemas in america, at least we don't think it did. To this day we've never seen the movie.

Decades later ML was able to get an audio copy of the track, and I found and bought online a region 2 (Europe) DVD of the film. I don't have a multinational DVD player so it has sat on our shelf for very many years. Just now I threw it into my computer's DVD player, for a lark, and I found that I can view it! It's a terrible copy, obviously transferred from a VHS or perhaps filmed secretly in a movie theater with a camera (!!!). but I don't care.

It is so eerie to have the DVD start up and immediately hear Guy's voice, the song used in the menu system. Then I started the film and there's the song again at the very beginning. And I fast forwarded to the end of the film and they used the same track during the closing credits. And here is Guy's credit. We didn't even know if Lina and company had credited Guy, until now.

I finally saw this credit, 34 years later.

Crazy.

And here's the track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHqGlOHCtc