As with with so many artists on these lists I encountered Erickson (13th Floor Elevators specifically) through tracks my brother included on mix tapes in the decade straddling the turn of the century. Laterally I encountered his newest music by way of the 2000's documentary with its rare (in the rock-n-roll walking wounded category) uplifting redemption tale. His life a real dark side contrast to the partly mythical "born on 3rd base" narrative of the Boomer generation: the authoritarian father trying to discipline him out of counterculture, followed by weaponized mental health "care", then weaponized drug laws, then that mixed up with the mental health system again, all striving after the same conformist agenda. Which broke him to a fair degree but never managed to beat the music out of him. At his most lost lows he never went all that long without putting out an album. I haven't got much into the alien and horror rock era and I'm glad to encounter it here. Mostly hit me like good old rock and roll but it has his signature flare in spades.
The Evil One
Roky Erickson
1980
- Album Summary
This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
The Evil One, also known as Roky Erickson and the Aliens or I Think of Demons officially, and as TEO, Five Symbols or Hieroglyph in some circles, is the first album by American psychedelic horror rock band Roky Erickson and the Aliens. The album was Erickson's first after his time with the band the 13th Floor Elevators and several years of personal problems. The recording sessions took place in 1978 and 1979, with 15 songs completed. A U.K. version was released in 1980, followed by a U.S. version in 1981, each with a different 10-song track listing. Subsequent digital releases and expanded vinyl editions of the album comprise all 15 songs. When Erickson died in 2019, his life's work garnered an outpouring of praise. Both longtime Aliens devotees and publications who had snubbed or overlooked Erickson in the past wrote lovingly about The Evil One. Billboard writer Morgan Enos said that The Evil One "brims over with propulsive bangers about harrowing visions. ... Every moment slams with a galvanic precision." Rolling Stone writer Hank Shteamer called the album "soulful and assured," noting that Erickson seemed fully at home even on the darkest material. In an obituary for Erickson after his 2019 death, British music magazine Kerrang! singled out The Evil One as perhaps Erickson's most influential album, calling it "an important precursor to the psychobilly and horror metal genres" for its "strange, cinematic approach to psychedelia." The magazine also praised "Night of the Vampire" as "easily the greatest vampire song in history. ... Roky paints on the vampire as he lives in the cultural subconscious, a being of film, literature, and ancient myth all at once."
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Had the chance to see Roky a few years before he died, and he was rocking all the way to the end – this LP captures his absolute love for performing well, and includes some of the better riffs and progressions of the Erickson catalog. Some of the songwriting does feel a bit stuck in place and somewhat repetitive, but it’s clear the whole time that the man is loving every second of performing and feels it in his bones. Great add to recognize an early psych pioneer and a Texan musician who deserves more recognition
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Two headed dog, I walked with a zombie, Night of the vampire, It’s a cold night for alligators, Mine mine mind, Sputnik
Ah, a solid choice by a truly unique artist. High energy tunes with dark imagery and spot-on rock musicianship. Bluesy, gritty and even grungy, a full decade before it was cool to be. Fave Songs: I Walked With a Zombie, I Think of Demons, White Faces, Night of the Vampire, Two-Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer), The Wind and More
This was very fun. Maybe it's the lyrical content but it reminded me a bit of, like, if you took the Meatloaf songs from Rocky Horror and made an album out of it.
Roky, a true legend. 4 stars.
A little weird, but I likes it
Psychedelic rock, horror rock, punk rock, hard rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Eh this is ok. Mildly catchy rock, rockabilly type stuff horror themes. 3/5.
This was a band I’ve never heard of and I’m glad this was added. A nice psychedelic classic rock album. The beast and creature songs are somehow really entertaining and would make this a pretty decent Halloween album. The instrumentals are solid with nice guitar riffs and good tempo on the drums. Overall this was better than I’d imagine it could be at first look. 7.2/10
It's good rock, but I didn't find anything transcendent, I didn't find any hits that made my skin crawl. To be honest, it's very generic.
I got Derek and the dominos flashbacks from this because this is also the most generic form of its genre, or genres in this case. Got nothing out of it.