Roky Erickson has many stories to tell, and that may be the understatement of the century. The former leader of psychedelic rock legends (and some consider the founders of the genre) 13th Floor Elevators, has released his first set of recordings in fourteen years titled True Love Cast Out All Evil.
That is a mighty long time in between albums. If you understood what this man has gone through to get to where he is today only then would you have any comprehension as to why it took so long. Years of mental illness, jail, psych wards, and irretrievable loss added up to a literal living hell. Only until recently has he returned to sanity thanks to his brother pulling him out of this deep hole of insanity and getting him on the proper medication for treatment to bring him back.
True Love Cast Out All Evil is a return to form and an absolute masterpiece of psych, rock and folk. Roky gets a lot of help from producer Will Sheff and his band Okkervil River. The CD comes with a generously detailed booklet with commentary and lyrics to all the tracks. I would highly recommend reading the booklet prior to listening so you can get a feel for what this man’s lifelong pain has been and then listen to him cry out in the music. It just knocks you to the floor just like the mental illness that stole away so many things from this amazing and talented artist. No doubt Erickson is a poet on the level of Dylan and Lou Reed and definitely equally talented in every way.
“Goodbye Sweet Dreams” is the highlight of the entire album. The words say it all but hopefully Roky can get some of those sweet dreams back. Now that he is reunited with his estranged wife that may be a good start, besides recording one of the best albums of 2010. What I found most intriguing about this recording besides the compelling story of the artist himself was the way he explored so many different genres. Almost as if to say, “I missed the last 14 years so I have some ground to cover!”, and so he does and very well I might add. “John Lawman” has that punk-garage angst that made the 13th Floor Elevators so popular. It is a middle finger to the establishment, a perfect way to say “I’m back with a vengeance and you can’t screw with me anymore”. The title track is another gut wrenching heartfelt statement from a once tortured soul that finds the truth in love and strength in a higher power. These emotional waters run deep with Roky and the Okkervil River boys serve as a modern day 13th Floor Elevators for Roky’s impassioned play on words.
I have to say with certainty that every track is excellent. This is more than music, it is poetic justice set to music with the conductor announcing his return and at the same renouncing the evil insanity that had him so firmly in his grip. Let’s hope Roky Erickson is back for good this time and more great music can be part of his comeback for many years to come. We are listening Roky and your pain and suffering has not gone without recognition. Your words and music are food for the soul and a healing for anyone else that has suffered from mental illness.
Key Tracks: Goodbye Sweet Dreams, John Lawman, True Love Cast Out All Evil
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
May 31, 2010
