Search - 13th Floor Elevators :: Bull of the Woods

A band with a good bench

Gary Millstein | Port Washington, NY United States | 05/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My appreciation of this band contiunes to grow by leaps and bounds. This is the Elevator's swan song, recorded under incredibly difficult circumstances. Their second album failed to land a hit single, as the first one did.PSychedlia was perhaps, on the wane, which this band with irretrievably tied to, which is fair.

Of course, the obvious circumstance of Roky Erickson's breakdown and hospitalization were the primary reason for the band's demise, but the chemistry had been upset for some time. Electric Jug-ist Tommy Hall had been the main lyricist and LSD as revolutionary tool advocate. The rest of the band were becoming more into hard escapist drugs and grew tired of Hall's philosophy.

Taking the needle and the mantle was the late lead guitarist Stacy Sutherland, truly an unsung guitar hero if I ever heard one. His playing is just enough country and Syd, not sounding overly slick,and a bit of laid-back Jerry Garcia. His lyrics a more accessable bridge abutting conventional songwriting and Hall's metaphors for the psychedelic journey to self-enlightenment. Sutherland is more grounded, down to earth, dirty and dead-end. Despite his dark nature, band members regard him affectionately.



Great Stuff"