Thursday, June 17, 2010

Rocky returns

There's a new Roky Erickson album out - 14 years after his last. He's backed by Okkervil River and it's produced by their main man Will Sheff. And it's great!
The production incorporates "found-sound and archival recordings culled from Erickson's home videos and recordings made in the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane", where Erickson spent several years in the early 70s. These hissy snatches of birdsong and bits of conversation add a real atmosphere to the album.

Here's the title track on Youtube -



... and here's another track from the album for you to listen to -

Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - Goodbye Sweet Dreams

Erickson has been plagued by mental illness for decades - his life was chronicled in the excellent 2005 documentary You're Gonna Miss Me.