The Perlich Post: Ty Segall, Billy Gibbons, Margo Price & others salute Roky Erickson

Saturday, April 24, 2021

Ty Segall, Billy Gibbons, Margo Price & others salute Roky Erickson

May The Circle Remain Unbroken – out July 17th – was produced by Bill Bentley who also did the Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye tribute in 1990.

Here's the scoop...

Now more than 30 years since Bill Bentley put together his first multi-artist tribute to 13th Floor Elevators' mainman Roky Erickson – 1990's acclaimed When The Pyramid Meets The Eye – Light In The Attic has tapped the former Warner Bros. publicity executive to assemble May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute to Roky Erickson. Bentley, who most recently knocked out the coffee-table book of photos Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Seen and Unseen, also penned the notes for the compilation which will include a 16-page booklet with some rare photos and a bonus flexi disc of an unreleased Roky track "Love Hieroglyphics" from the early 70s. Sure it sounds like a tossed in after thought to entice Roky completists but I wouldn't bet against that being the highlight of the set.

While not quite up to the high-bar Bentley set with his first kick at the can, or even his commendable projects which followed in honour of Skip Spence (1999), Doug Sahm (2009) and Lou Reed (2013), his new 12-track Roky redux troublingly relies heavily on contributions from alt-country celebs who you would expect to care not for two-headed dogs 'n' such. Jeff Tweedy (remember Wilco?) Neko Case? Margo Price? Lucinda Williams? I don't recall seeing any of those folks in line at Austin's Ironworks to their copy of Openers II signed by Roky. However, I do clearly remember an exasperated book publisher Henry Rollins trying to convince the doubtful Mr. Erickson that a Sharpie was actually a pen for a good ten minutes as the line-up overflow stretched down the street. "Look, Roky, it writes just like a pen. See?" Nope. Nope. That's not a pen. No siree!"

And what about Brogan Bentley? Who? You may well ask? Why, it's Bill Bentley's son of course! Although Brogan's swell dad took him to the New Orleans Jazz Festival a few times as a toddler, does that really qualify him for placement on a Roky Erickson tribute album? Maybe not. But Brogan also likes getting dressed up in camouflage gear and riding quad bikes in the woods to spooky synth dirges (watch the hilarious video) so perhaps that's what cinched it. Who knew Roky was such a big fan of the Twilight Saga? At least Bill had the good sense to invite a few notable Texans with requisite guitar rippin' skills, namely ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons, Austin's Black Angels who backed Roky on various outings during his short-lived comeback bid and Gary Clark Jr.

Lynn Castle duets with Mark Lanegan

It would've been nice to hear Roky's songs revised by some other Texas artists with more familiarity with Roky Erickson's milieu say, Khruangbin, Okkervil River, Alejandro Escovedo, Brownout, Joe Ely, Cotton Mather, Johnny Dowd, Black Pumas, Walter Daniels, Butch Hancock, Geranium Drive, Terry Allen, Golden Dawn Arkestra or ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. It could be that with the possible exception of Escovedo (with whom Bentley worked on 2016's Burn Something Beautiful for Concord), they simply weren't in Bentley's Rolodex.

And there will be some left wondering why isn't Neil Young involved. You'd think that since Bentley put in serious time as Neil Young's PR rep and continues to write for the Neil Young Archives, it might've been an idea to ask Neil if he'd like to record a song for the compilation. Worth a shot, right? But then again, there may not have been room left for Brogan to stretch out on the title track. There's always a lot to consider when producing this kind of a package.

At least we know that Sacramento goth rocker Chelsea Wolfe was already familiar with Roky Erickson's work prior to getting the call from Mr. Bentley's people. Just days after Roky died on May 31, 2019, Wolfe shared a haunting acoustic cover of "Night of The Vampire" (which Ty Segall cut for the comp – listen to Chelsea Wolfe's version here). And Mark Lanegan has also previously recorded a great cover Roky's chilling "Burn The Flames" which, for whatever reason, was not included on May The Circle Remain Unbroken.

However, on the upside, Lanegan is paired with L.A.'s 60s songwriting hairstylist to the stars Lynn Castle who famously cut a few songs with Jack Nitzsche for Lee Hazlewood's LHI label back in 1966. Castle went on to do some soundtrack work using the alias Madelynn von Ritz but hasn't been heard much since she sang "When I Close My Eyes, I See Blood" in William Friedkin's Crusing back in 1980. You can watch Lynn's memorable 1966 appearance on What's My Line? with Frank Sinatra right here.

May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute To Roky Erickson will be released on July 17th to coincide with Record Store Day, Drop #2 and thus, not available for pre-order. Check the complete track listing below followed by a few clips Roky Erickson performing his songs.