Three related CD’s:
- Dwight Twilley: Soundtrack. Released in 2012, I’m just now getting back into Twilley, the one-time would-be savior of Rock ’n’ Roll (The Dwight Twilley Band’s 1976 debut album on Shelter Records---Sincerely---is a Top-10 Power Pop masterpiece). Dwight is still writing great Pop songs, and singing them in his patented Elvis Rockabilly/Beatles Rock ’n’ Roll style. But he’s now doing it on a DIY level, the recording and mixing done by his wife Jan. This is the last Twilley album to include the guitar playing of long-time Twilley band member, the late Bill Pitcock IV, one of the most exciting Rock ’n’ Roll guitarists I’ve seen live.
- After finally breaking up with my ex-wife (it’s a long story ;-), and his big-time career as the guitar player in Dwight Twilley’s band fizzling out, Bill Pitcock IV (well la de da ;-) returned home to Tulsa; back to playing local bars. He finally released a solo album in 2009, entitled Play What You Mean. Mostly instrumental, Bill plays all the instruments heard on the album, including the rudimentary drums (probably programmed electronic). Pretty low-fi, and not very interesting musically, I’m sad to report. I’m free to say that, as Bill passed away about ten years ago, the result of being a 2-pack-a-day man.
- And then there is Phil Seymour, the drummer/singer on the first two Dwight Twilley Band albums. He left after the second, pursuing a solo career which was initially fairly successful. After his 2-album deal with Boardwalk Records ended, he joined L.A. band The Textones, back to playing drums and still singing (while solo, the drummer in his band was David Crockett, later in Dwight Yoakam’s band. His guitarist was fellow Twilley bandmate Bill Pitcock IV).
Sad and disturbing note: Some time in the 80’s Phil was diagnosed with one of the cancer’s (unlike Bill, not lung), and returned to Tulsa for treatment. He got really skinny, lost his hair, and in the pics I’ve seen, took to wearing hideous "old lady" glasses. But the need to make music was still alive and well, so he and a woman close to him---with whom I corresponded---decided to make the trip back to L.A. She made a comfortable bed in the back of her minivan for Phil to lay in, and hit the road. But somewhere in the Southwest Phil passed away, the woman unaware of that fact until she stopped for a road break. OMG!
I just received (via Amazon) an album (available on CD only) of Phil’s entitled The London And Los Angeles Unreleased Recordings. I haven’t played it yet (so many records, so little time ;-), but as long as I’m talkin’ Twilley.....
On a related note, I also just listened to the 2015 release (again, CD only) from my ol’ fave, Dave Edmunds. Do you know him? If not, you should. Master Rock ’n’ Roll guitarist, also an excellent producer (Fab T-Birds, The Stray Cats, The Everly Brothers, many others). Also a member of Rockpile, the Super Group he and Nick Lowe fronted. Their lone album is FANTASTIC! Second guitarist in Rockpile was Billy Bremner, heard on some Pretenders recordings. Drummer was the great Terry Williams, a former member of Welsh group Man, after Rockpile a drummer in Dire Straits. Fantastic drummer!
Anyway, Rags & Classics---mostly instrumental---is pretty darn good. You do know most older guitarists started out copying instrumental music, right? In the U.S. it was The Ventures, Link Wray, Dick Dale, etc. In the U.K. it was their Surf equivalents such as The Shadows, a favorite of Jeff Beck. But Dave was also drawn to the playing of Hillbilly guitarists such as Merle Travis. This album runs the gamut style-wise, ranging from a nice version of Brian Wilson’s masterpiece "God Only Knows" to the Motto Allegro from Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor. If the latter surprises you, know that Edmunds’ first band (in the late-60’s) was the Welsh Progressive unit named Love Sculpture. Cr*ppy name, ay? ;-)
