Spiritualized

Sure quite a few of you know about this now available for pre order lucky for me ive got my birthday so that my pressie sorted!
http://www.internationalartistsrecords. ... ottem.html

OMG OMG I want that so fucking bad. That's about $150 USD, I think I could afford it, I assume no vinyl of those missing albums? I thought I had all the 7"s and stuff, but there's some stuff there I've never seen before. Holy cow. I guess I'll be soulseeking for this one.

that's unbeliveable, anybody wanna start a fund that we can all chip in to ?!?!

i'm sooooo gonna try to find a way to get this.


thanks a million for the link.

sonic124 wrote:this now available for pre order

I'm thinking about it.

dselevan2 wrote:OMG OMG I want that so f****** bad. That's about $150 USD, I think I could afford it, I guess I'll be soulseeking for this one.

Even with quite a biggish shipping fee it won't cost you that much. Being able to afford $150 USD and it will be cheaper than that for sure which will be even better for you, why don't you just buy the damn thing and avoid soulseeking...You want it so bad, can afford $150 USD, it'll be cheaper than that for you......soulseek ?

You know, I'm not a big fan of buying things I already bought on vinyl.
After Soulseeking the new New Order re-issue, I realized it sounds exactly the same as the old one.
I need proof that it's actually stuff I don't have.

Really want that! Bit too close to Christmas to justify spending 75 quid on myself. but it looks amazing!!!!

dselevan2 wrote:You know, I'm not a big fan of buying things I already bought on vinyl.
After Soulseeking the new New Order re-issue, I realized it sounds exactly the same as the old one.
I need proof that it's actually stuff I don't have.

Instead of the $150USD, how about using a tenth of that to buy a new stylus...as you're sounding like a broken record with this vinyl > cd < soulseek pash.

Did the elevators ever make a song that sounded like the noise an elevator makes as it ascends?
I seem to remember some "extract" from an a larger elevator piece on a free cd by the che label...think it had mad cats on the cover. Basically it was a sound akin to a turbular (as in turbO) ascent...all mad whoosshing and sheet.

Gave that all of about 5 minutes thought and the card was out. A cool sound-track to take on a trip around Europe next summer.

I hope all the other 2999 people who buy this don't put it on soulseek.

well done shaun, looks like i'm gonna have to come round and have a listen.

On second thoughts I thought Ive worked really hard this year and I thought I'd deserved it. so i bought it. I fantastic piece of Christmas shopping...

supershonn wrote:well done shaun, looks like i'm gonna have to come round and have a listen.

, of course.

simon wrote:On second thoughts I thought Ive worked really hard this year and I thought I'd deserved it. so i bought it.

Yeahhhhh...

I know I sound like a broken record but...
I put the Psychedelic Sounds on my turntable last night, and Splash 1 made my whole living room sparkle. This record is magic. It's not necessarily the songs or the mix or his voice but everything is just perfect. It's like an underwater outer space odessy on acid on the moon. I don't have any CDs that can make my room sparkle, but if you don't have these records than you should buy this and experience the magic.
D.

dselevan2 wrote:I know I sound like a broken record but...
I put the Psychedelic Sounds on my turntable last night, and Splash 1 made my whole living room sparkle. This record is magic. It's not necessarily the songs or the mix or his voice but everything is just perfect. It's like an underwater outer space odessy on acid on the moon. I don't have any CDs that can make my room sparkle, but if you don't have these records than you should buy this and experience the magic.
D.

Well if a vinyl can make the whole of your living room sparkle and no CD that you own does not, then there is no way on this earth (or internet forum) where you can tell me or the rest of us that a crumby soulseek MP3 download will make your living room sparkle. So i agree, if anyone don't have these records or missing records, then definately do buy this. And if you do own these records and think this boxset will make a nice addition to an already overflowing collection and can afford it, then still buy this too.

it's actually $112. the pound is is the shitter, thanks G-- for us US peoples

edit: well with shipping it's $150ish slightly less

The Jig wrote:

dselevan2 wrote:I know I sound like a broken record but...
I put the Psychedelic Sounds on my turntable last night, and Splash 1 made my whole living room sparkle. This record is magic. It's not necessarily the songs or the mix or his voice but everything is just perfect. It's like an underwater outer space odessy on acid on the moon. I don't have any CDs that can make my room sparkle, but if you don't have these records than you should buy this and experience the magic.
D.

Well if a vinyl can make the whole of your living room sparkle and no CD that you own does not, then there is no way on this earth (or internet forum) where you can tell me or the rest of us that a crumby soulseek MP3 download will make your living room sparkle. So i agree, if anyone don't have these records or missing records, then definately do buy this. And if you do own these records and think this boxset will make a nice addition to an already overflowing collection and can afford it, then still buy this too.

correct. mp3s dont sparkle. Except for some Bob Dylan for some reason. I cannot explain.

.

the end isn't that near Multi!


it's one of those things, i'm selling a few bits on ebay, yet still manage to buy a few things as well.

.

Multi wrote:

supershonn wrote:the end isn't that near Multi!

It is for the American dollar.

Try using sterling at the moment - that's even worse.

.

China is backing everything up. Apparently. Not good.

Multi, rewind to little over 12 months ago when there was an acoustic mainline at the Apollo in Harlem. If things were as gloomy then as they are now, absolutely no way would i have forked out what i did to travel over for that show. But, as it's already been pointed out, if you've worked hard and think you can afford a nice little end of year treat (which i can just about stretch to), then splash out and keep the economy rolling.

Multi wrote:In no way am I trying to insult anyone in this thread, but I find it strange/amusing that people are still running around spending $100-$150 on boxsets while we're in the midst of an economic shit storm. Of course, I say this as I've just sold $5000 worth of records in the last two months on ebay and spent $75 for a mint (sleeve and vinyl) copy of Lazer Guided Melodies with the bonus 7".

The people who put this together may not have been playing with a full deck. Or maybe they forgot to take their meds.

Okay, lets forget about the cash talk, what I'm most interested in is the claims that this discs will be remixed by Walt Andrus - the original engineer. Paul Drummond states in his book that the original masters are long lost, and apparently that these mixes are done from masters that Charly records have had lying around. But what are these masters, are they in 4 track mode , are the on 1/4 inch or i/2 inch tape....to cut to the chase.......how will they make them sound better ?

any thought comments ?

I was listening to the Elevators last night and really would love to know what the remixes sound like. Personally I think the original recordings are some of the most interesting, exciting, psychedelic mixes ever. I hope they didn't just boost the vocals to make it sound more commercial. Anyone hear the new Splash 1?

i have the promo disc that came from IA, and i think the songs on it sound pretty awesome. i can stop listening to the Your gonna miss me vocal only track. something about it is pretty awesome, shows the power of his voice or something...

His voice is so powerful - but I love putting on the record and having to really listen - you know - through all the reverb and jug to hear his voice. I'd love to hear a promo song or something before deciding whether or not this is worth the buy. I'm most interested to hear the new Bull of the Woods.

Ive heard the promo and talking as an elevators obsessive it blow me away.Sampler features 1 song from each disc The Bull of The Woods song "Livin On" i think sounded excellent.Theyve not messed about boosted etc just tried to make the best transfers and like i say sounds like theyve done a fantastic job. Havent paid yet as im awaiting a confirmed date for release and id rather have the money in my account than Charleys.Think the source for Psychedelic Sounds is a safety mixdown? ive got no problems paying the money works out at roughly £8 a disc and thats not taking into account the book that comes with it.3000 does sound a very big press though cannot believe there gonna sell out (once its available)

i love that version of Livin' On, the way he sings it is so almost layed back compared to the single version. im fairly new to the elevator, ive been listening to them for like 2-3 years but i dont have any of the bootleg type albums, just the three full legnths and that singles 7" inch box that was released a few years ago. i cannot wait untill this thing shows up at my door. to me this thing seems like a need to have(cuz i dont have any of the live stuff yet) not a want to have

also. i read Eye Mind and i would recommend that to anyone who hasnt read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

marc...

I have the 3 reprint albums: in total 60 songs...I think they're enought for me..I listened the songs of the box set (Soulseek) and most of them are the same of the bonus tracks present in my albums...I think the box set doesn't worth it.

anyone pick up the new johnny cash box set of folsom prison? the early and late show in their entirities also the support (carl perkins playing matchbox is worth it alone) plus a two hour dvd about the show. a snip at £15

Hey
I have managed to get hold od a promo copy of the sampler CD , and I have to agree with the other poster who says the quality is excellent. I'm usually very dubious of remasters as it usually means dynamicaaly compressed, but there mixes are spacious, clean and well defined.Good separation I believe to engineer bods call it. Any way I'm beside myself now with excitement about the whole box set. Anyone who thinks they will sound the same as the bonus tacks on the CD discs that have been previously released is wrong........and thats a good thing
"You've gotta open up yer mind and let everything come thru" I know I will.

had this on my email yesterday...

The boxed set is in full production with a shipping date in the first week of June. This is slightly later than the "spring" timing first announced, due to the intricacies of putting such a comprehensive set together. We feel sure you will not be disappointed with the end product on the basis of the excellent reviews in many key music magazines we have already received of the pre-release sample materials. Extracts from these will be added to the website in the near future.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused by the delay.


Slightly annoyed as I paid out for it before Christmas when I was skint.

Looks very very good!! (this is a video of the box set beats any porn!)
http://www.internationalartistsrecords.com/

Looks very very good!!

Hi, yes it looks like money well spent judging by that video (but where's the white gloves and magic wand ) and only two weeks to wait. Is it really going to be posted first week of June, no delays beyond that ?

spacemanT wrote:Hey
I have managed to get hold od a promo copy of the sampler CD , and I have to agree with the other poster who says the quality is excellent. I'm usually very dubious of remasters as it usually means dynamicaaly compressed, but there mixes are spacious, clean and well defined.Good separation I believe to engineer bods call it. Any way I'm beside myself now with excitement about the whole box set. Anyone who thinks they will sound the same as the bonus tacks on the CD discs that have been previously released is wrong........and thats a good thing
"You've gotta open up yer mind and let everything come thru" I know I will.

I work in the NSA and we've received promos of all ten CDs. I'm not normally anal enough to pay much attention to remastering, but in this case the original albums sound immediately and strikingly superior to any previous re-issues I've heard (vinyl or CD).Can't believe the master tapes were lying undiscovered in Charly's vaults all that time whilst they were still putting out cruddy needledrops. Seems we have Paul Drummond to thank for searching them out. The live disc from '66 is blistering too.

Sign Of The Three Eyed Men, the long-awaited 10 CD 13th Floor Elevators boxset has now started to ship. Available only from http://www.internationalartistsrecords.com, this is the ultimate package the band has long deserved. Strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies worldwide, with excellent sound quality from newly discovered sources and rare previously unavailable recordings plus unique reproductions of original band memorabilia.

The box set, endorsed by the band and graced and named by Tommy Hall, includes:
• The band’s three landmark albums ‘The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators’, ‘Easter Everywhere’ and ‘Bull Of The Woods’ including rare mono versions, outtakes and alternate versions.
• Two ‘lost’ albums featuring previously unreleased material
• Rare and previously unreleased live recordings.
• A 72 page hardback book written by the band’s biographer Paul Drummond, enhanced with posters, ephemera, discographies and many rare and previously unseen photos.
• A selection of reproduction memorabilia including photographic prints, reproduction posters, stickers and handbills.

The result of five years of work looks truly incredible and we are so pleased with the results that we have posted a video on http://www.internationalartistsrecords.comso you can see what it will look like!

This 10 CD box set includes not only the ultimate collection of the bands masters – many for the first time taken from original tapes – but also the incredible chronological story of the first dog-gone, true-to-the-cause, psychedelic rock-rebels ever to place their feet on the good earth of the free state, if not the world.

In addition to the band’s three landmark albums “The Psychedelic Sounds of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators”, “Easter Everywhere” and “Bull Of The Woods”, the 10 CD set also features two ‘lost’ albums – all fully re-mastered and with restored sound by the band’s original producer/engineer Walt Andrus – along with rare and previously unreleased live recordings.

Material recorded as the band’s ‘lost’ first album is presented with session outtakes remixed by Andrus, whilst Stacy Sutherland’s work in progress for the aborted third album - often referred to as “Beauty & the Beast” - is presented for the first time from unreleased multi-track tapes, safety masters and acetates, along with unheard session rehearsals!
All of the band’s singles are included along with rare mono editions of the albums, live recordings and unreleased material including previously unheard outtakes in breathtaking quality.

Aside from the 10CDs the box set includes a selection of reproduction memorabilia including photographic prints, reproduction posters, handbills and a 72 page hard backed book written by Paul Drummond, author of ‘Eye Mind’ (the definitive book on the Elevators).

The book, enhanced with posters, ephemera, discographies and many rare and previously unseen photos, examines not only the chronological history of the band but also the mystical concepts behind their music. Drummond spent several years in Texas talking to all the surviving members of the band and Tommy Hall in San Francisco, the Elevators’ lyricist and cosmic svengali. Hall spoke about the band for the first time in many years and gave the box set its title.

The band’s leader Roky Erickson has also recently re-emerged after years in the wilderness and has started touring again including triumphant shows at Coachella Festival in California and Meltdown Festival in London. Roky returns to the UK on August 20th for a gig at the HMV Forum.

The influence of the band can be heard in countless acts as their sound has influenced generations of artists but this box set allows you to hear for the first time the complete original story.

For more information please go to http://www.internationalartistsrecords.com

The set has been getting so many great reviews that it may well sell out soon, so please forward this link to anyone you know who might be interested in case they miss out on what is surely the re-issue project of the year.

A lot of love has gone in to Sign Of The Three Eyed Men and it’s a honour to be able to do justice to one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. You won’t be disappointed.

Best Wishes

International Artists

“This box is a labour of love that restores the 13th Floor Elevators to their rightful position as the fearless trailblazers of psychedelia, and as one of the most kick-ass bands ever... Now you can finally hear the true Elevators - and it’s like sunlight bursting through cloud.”
★★★★★
MOJO

“Sign Of The 3 Eyed Men is the long-dreamed-of trip to the promised land for Elevators fans everywhere... get your skates on or risk missing out on something very special!”
★★★★
RECORD COLLECTOR, Reissue Of the Month

“Lavish 10-disc salute to the Texan psych lords... lovingly restored and meticulously expanded”
★★★★★
UNCUT, Reissue Of the Month

"Sign Of The Three Eyed Men stands as a hugely impressive monument to the work of the 13th Floor Elevators… any serious fan of the Elevators or psychedelic music in general should consider this an extremely worthwhile and rewarding investment."
UGLY THINGS

“Wow. This must surely be the very last word on The 13th Floor Elevators. Sign Of The 3 Eyed Men is an inexhaustible package by this seriously unhinged group of wide-eyed Texan trippers.”
SHINDIG

Ok just got an email to say mines been shipped thurs cannot come quick enough!

Had an email about the boxset this morning. Its been posted
will report back when it arrives.

Mine arrived today.

Nice one! Do tell us all about the sound quality and differences to the previous versions and other things us nerds want to know about. The big thing for me is knowing how much better Easter Everywhere sounds. Does the packaging produce an instant hard on?

I've just been saved from redundancy so may well have to treat myself to this as I've been wanting to order it for months now and my collection deserves it.

eh up

mine turned up yesterday, wow!! the package is fantastic and the hardback book is beautiful, not digested it all yet but the quality throughout seems much improved on the various issues and reissues i've heard over the years( especially on the psychedelic sounds of . . . ) , Really loving the contact sessions disk which holds a great shortened version of rollercoaster complete with surf guitar licks! One thing i will say is that the mixes on easter everywhere seem slightly different and i'm not sure i like the mix of Levitation ( one of my faves ) as much due to the fact you now can't really hear the background slide guitar in the chorus! but this is a minor gripe, i'm really happy with the whole package and i'm looking forward to getting to know these songs again!

you know what i've just listened to both the mono and stereo versions of Easter Everywhere and they're both fantastic, not only different mixes , but possibly different versions too, i'll have to consult the book when i have more time. If you are a fan . . . BUY THIS BOX, you will not be disappointed!! i'm sure it will leak soon and be available for all, but this , for me was worth every penny and the wait!! and for once, a free download is not going to come anywhere nerar having your hands on this baby!

stoffa wrote:you know what i've just listened to both the mono and stereo versions of Easter Everywhere and they're both fantastic, not only different mixes , but possibly different versions too, i'll have to consult the book when i have more time. If you are a fan . . . BUY THIS BOX, you will not be disappointed!! i'm sure it will leak soon and be available for all, but this , for me was worth every penny and the wait!! and for once, a free download is not going to come anywhere nerar having your hands on this baby!

My box set arrived too...a true testiment to the legacy of the band and put together with loving hands that only a fan could have. Drummond is the man!

Regarding the 'Easter" tapes in the box set...one disc is mono the other a variety of stereo sources compiled to make the familiar album. The mono version of "Psych sounds" is rightfully considered the superior version but most feel that the stereo mix of "Easter" is the superior version. HOWEVER, that said I wonder if people feel that way because the mono version of EE is so rare...I mean we are talking you can count the number that were pressed on one hand. So we are much more familiar to the stereo version. The compiled disc in the box set was to give an alternative to the more familiar versions we all have. Good thinking.

As I type I'm listening to 'Bull of the Woods"...not their best album but one I have always admired. I went to this disc first as I have always had a crappy, muddy LP version and wanted to hear this one. This definitely sounds much, much better but inferior audio still remains...in fact, on brief listens you can still pick up some of this. For example on disc 1: Headstone Sessions. At about 1'36 of track one ("You're Gonna Miss Me") does yours have a little dip in its audio? If not, might just be me or my stereo. I'm not griping, I fully expect this due to the age of the tapes but just want to make sure it's on all discs and not just mine.

Now, for the good stuff. Disc 8: the long lost session recorded between Easter and Bull is PHENOMENAL. I mean, truly awesome stuff and hinting towards where the band may have headed had it not all gone horribly wrong.

Right now, I'm still somewhat overwhelmed with the set due to its size, the book etc. I've waited so long for it and now to have it I don't know where to begin.

I hope though, that people don't leak this. Drummond is owed his fair share and I suspect he put up a fair amount of his own money on this project. Fortunately, my wife keeps saying what a great deal it was too (when I first mentioned to her that I wanted to spend $150 on a set of albums I had to do some convicing but seeing the product she feels its well worth the price).

Mine arrived this morning as I was laying in bed having a sick day from work. Only ordered it last week after much fretting about money.
IT'S AWESOME!!
And that's just the packaging. True labour of love from Paul Drummond. What a guy! Totally agree with Red Cloud saying he hopes it doesn't leak online. The quality is on the discs, in the book, the box, the stickers, the handbills etc etc etc.
Just working my way thru disc one 'Headstone' and it's marvellous.
It's all rather overwhelming so may go mad come the mono v's stereo versions of Easter Everywhere. Which is best blah de blah.
Go buy one if you haven't already. It's only money afterall. Just live on packet noodles for a month or 3 afterwards.

I really, really want one of those.

I started thinking that in 10-15 years time I'd be kicking myself for not getting one so I bit the bullet and parted with the cash.

I don't regret it now the thing has arrived. It's a magnificent thing with the CDs housed in the front and back of the book. The most important thing is the music - these CDs shit all over my Decal issues - so clear and deep. I'm still wading through a lot of the stuff but none of it has disappointed so far. Someone mentioned the CD with the 3rd album sessions on it - it's absolutely superb and I agree about the frustration of what might have been. This is genuinely pioneering music and it's influence will continue forever either through the few releases the Elevators made or the bands that came out of hearing them. It's interesting that a group who were totally out of it at most gigs can sound really tight live - the Live in California disc kicks off with a tight-as-fuck intro to 'Everybody Needs Somebody' and the energy the band produce is something else.

I'm yet to read the book fully but a few extracts have made me smile. I didn't know about the influence on Janis Jopline but it seems obvious now. There's also a bit about Roky Ericksaon wearing an elastoplast in the middle of his forehead so that his 3rd eye wouldn't freak people out... It all sounds amusing but these guys lived and believed it.

I can't recommend this enough. It's a beautiful thing to have and my heart skips a beat every time I see it sitting by the stereo.

runcible wrote:I started thinking that in 10-15 years time I'd be kicking myself for not getting one so I bit the bullet and parted with the cash.

That sentence made me take the plunge earlier today and i went and ordered it.

not sure if they are sending them out in order but mine (which arrived today) was numbered three thousand one hundred and something, so maybe these aren't going to around for much longer, only listened to the first disk so far but have to say I'm very impressed - as runcible says above, amazing clarity of sound and superbly presented, hopefully they'll be a Spacemen 3 equivalent in a decade or so...

I'm into a lot of the live stuff that's in here at the moment. They could really play. A really excellent version of the Stones 'Shake Your Hips' was a very enjoyable surprise but there's one disc (I think called Death in Texas) which has these superb long jams on there. I haven't played the disc of very early stuff but I am spoiled for new stuff to play at the moment courtesy of various people (including several here).

I find it amazing that they were all on acid at every gig and for every recording session. Stacy Sutherland said they were doing it a minimum of twice a week for years, often daily in fact. No wonder brains got fried. This interview with him is really interesting. It was done just before a reunion in 1977:
[url]http://lysergia_2.tripod.com/LamaWorkshop/Elevators/lamaElevatorsStacy.htm[/url]

jesus son wrote:not sure if they are sending them out in order but mine (which arrived today) was numbered three thousand one hundred and something, so maybe these aren't going to around for much longer

think they are. i got my last week (around 25th/26th and mine was #3098 or something). i was surprised the 4000 copies weren't already sold out by the time i got round to ordering.


runci - i have gotten completely hung up on that Live in Texas disc. brilliant version of You Really Got Me. i too was surprised at how accomplished and majestic their rocking is. think maybe it's just the clarity of the sound, or maybe my ears have been trained since i first checked the band out a few years ago, but i was definitely blown away by the raw power of the sound that hadn't ever hit me before with the elevators till this release.

I first discovered these guys in '85 as a teenager perusing used record shops. I stumbled upon their 'Psychedelic Sounds' LP and the cover art blew me away so I had to buy it. When I first heard the grooves I thought it was odd and a bit weird but instantly infectious. I then searched out their other LP's and became a tape trader with other Elevator heads that I found in the back of magazines like 'Goldmine' and 'DISCoveries'. My various live tapes and outtakes I traded for back then pale in comparison to what Drummond has put together with this box set. I especially love hearing 'Bull of the Woods' with the clarity that it was intended to have. I feel like I am discovering them again for the first time.

Easily the best musical purchase I have made this year.

Plunge taken. Happy birthday to me!

They're not being sent out in order. I ordered and received my one about 3-4 weeks ago and it was numbered 435 (or something similar).

Totally agree about the live stuff. It's amazing! It blows my mind thinking about how tight they were when their own minds were completely blown. Incredible when you think about it. I love reading about the early scene they had going and small club gigs at the Jade Rooms and what not. Must've been amazing to witness.

Pioneers in the truest sense.

Pretty sure this is not just the reissue of the year, but one of the best ever. I've been an Elevators fan for 20 years, have loved Easter Everywhere since I first discovered it...yet I feel as if I'm hearing this record (now clearly one of the greatest of the sixties) for the first time.

Wow.

A saint wrote:Pretty sure this is not just the reissue of the year, but one of the best ever. I've been an Elevators fan for 20 years, have loved Easter Everywhere since I first discovered it...yet I feel as if I'm hearing this record (now clearly one of the greatest of the sixties) for the first time.

Wow.

Agreed.

"Levitation" on the mono disc sounds completely revitalized and crystal clear. Awesome stuff!

Mine arrived this week, number 2435 or something like that. Looks fantastic, but fuck knows when i'm actually going to get a chance to listen to it at the moment! Glad i went for it anyway.

#3103 was waiting on my porch when I got home from the UK wednesday night.
So nice. These discs sound So, So good. And I still have 6 to go!

hmmm, i thought there were only 3000 of these, you got a number thats higher than 3000, weird???

yea, that is weird. hmm...

4000 according to the IA site

http://www.internationalartistsrecords. ... d_men.html

ooo, the original site said 3000, the positive reviews must've made them think the number over... i love my copy!!!

I hope they don't sell out too quickly, I'm gonna have to wait until payday before splashing out on this one.

I just get the new vinyl, maybe i can add one more..


_________________
Elevator shoes

Just received the following by email:

13th Floor Elevators
Sign OF The Three Eyed Men (10CD SET)

ONLY 500 LEFT... ORDER NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT... AS THERE WILL BE NO REPRESSINGS

Stocks of the strictly limited (4000 run) Elevators’ box set are now dwindling rapidly and we anticipate that it will be completely sold out by the beginning of September. There is thus only a short period left to obtain your copy of this historic edition, which has been so well received.

Alan Spzretent very kindly gave me his DVD of the Roky Erickson documentary 'You're Gonna Miss Me' which I watched last night.

It was a stark and sad film in many ways. For much of it Roky is at his mum's place or at his place with his mum in the background, describing various scenarios involving the guy. Both his appartment and his mum's house are chaotic with clutter. My other half, who isn't into a lot of psychedelic music really, couldn't believe the slim and good looking kid shown in black and white footage was the same person as the rather old & fat tramp-like figure who bimbled about looking goofy and unsure about things. It's tragic to think of the talent that was fried by acid and then fried some more with electro-shock therapy. He comes across as a nice guy albeit largely removed from what's going on. At various points where his mum is being interviewed he'll wander past in the background or interrupt with a bizarre question or statement. There's not much of the Elevators in it as it's about Roky himself but I recommend it to fans of the band or the man himself to see how he ended up. The happy thing is the fact that his younger brother Sumner (who comes across a genuine and caring person) now looks after Roky - the contrast between Sumner's plush and comfortable house and Roky's mum's cluttered and chaotic place is interesting. Sumner has helped Roky a lot from what I have read so this is the best ending you could hope for under the circumstances.

Alan compared this film to Crumb, the doc about Robert Crumb and his family and he's spot on. Crumb's deranged mum and brother are not dissimilar to the Ericksons. I'm just about to read Paul Drummond's Elevators book (he appears briefly in the film, asks Roky if he'd like to read what he's written 'about that band you were in' and Roky says 'uh, no, I'd rather not do that') and hope it will provide the answers I'm interested in.

If you get a chance then see this - it's worrying in some ways, very sad in parts but finishes with a degree of optimism.