Search - Truth & Janey :: No Rest for the Wicked

HMR - true and real

Golovanov Alexey | Limassol, Cyprus | 01/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an EXCEPTIONAL band and album - for anyone who knows something about hard'n'heavy and the roots of heavy metal.

If this band is (was) inspired by Cream, definitely it was not by sunshine of love, it should have been spoonful of blood. The influence of Leslie West ("Mountain") is even more obvious - no wonder, because "Truth & Janey" worked as an opening act for L.West for few years. But one should keep in mind that "Mountain" was conceived as an American version of "Cream", although much heavier. I would suggest that the music of "Truth and Janey" is a soulmate of the darkest and heaviest side of early "Grand Funk"Survival, and has the spontaneous simplicity of "Suck"Time to Suckand "Blue Cheers"Vincebus Eruptum, but without boyish vocals. This is a very dark, menacing hard'n'heavy rock blended with heavy R & B - if you wish so, these are the proper seeds of doom metal.

"Truth and Janey" had a misfortune to be another uknown soldiers of hard rock, who were born in the wrong time and wrong place - that's my guess. Together with some other astonishing US musicians ("Fever Tree", "Pacific Gas & Electric") they are not even mentioned in any available complete discography, guide, and/or reference.

The band dating back to the end of the 60s in Iowa (under better circumstances they should've become better export than corn), Cedar Rapids. By 1969 they were: Steven Bock on bass, John Fullingsworth on drums and Billy Janey on guitars. In 1969 Fullingsworth was replaced by Denis Bruce, and the band borrowed its name from Jeff Beck. The first single was released in 1972 only, and one year later - the second (Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" was used for the B-side). Both went almost unnoticed, and the band adopted the name "Truth and Janey". For few years "Truth" was flogged around local venues as an opening for the likes of "Blue Oyster Cult", "Cheap Trick", "Kansas"... Finally, in 1976 they managed to release (and to pay for it out of their own pockets) debut album - the same one available to us on this excellent CD. The same year another album (live) - "Erupts!"Erupts! was pressed also. Both vinyls had minimum circulation, and went almost unnoticed - although they were far better than legions of contemporaries. In 1977 Billy Janey tried to resurrect the band with new musicians, and recorded "Just a Little Bit of Magic". Magic didn't help either, and the band was no more.

"Truth and Janey" is a part not only of American heritage - it's a lost cornerstone of world hard'n'heavy rock legacy. That's real staff - not fake spandex poodles P.S. I've heard the rumours that a bootleg concert (Live in Dallas, 1976) is available, but I didn't find it. Also: vinyls of "Truth" are reported to fetch small fortunes, but: (a) beware of fakes; (b) have you ever tried not to buy, but to sell?"