In the history of rock, there have been a number of gifted artists who struggled with mental illness: Syd Barrett, Peter Green, Daniel Johnston. I think there is a tendency to treat such individuals as having an extra cool cachet, like rock musicians with extreme drug addictions. Having schizophrenia ain’t nothing cool, kids.
Roky Erickson was one of those people. The Texas musician was one of founding members of the psychedelic band The 13th Floor Elevators. In 1969, facing a ten-year prison term for possession of marijuana, Erickson pled insanity and was sent to the Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he was subjected to electroconvulsive therapy and Thorazine treatments. Much of his output in the Seventies and Eighties focused on horror movie themes and his personal life seemed as dark and scary.
This 2005 profile of Erickson shows how his life has since turned around. I’m happy he seems stable and productive these days. But it’s interesting to hear his eerie portrayal of the menacing side of life.
First up is a live recording from 1982 backed by The Explosives (Cam King, Waller Collie and Fred Krc), recorded live at Raul’s in Austin, TX (which is now the Texas Showdown Saloon). The original version of the track is on The Evil One from Roky Erickson & the Aliens. Then we have a cut from the soundtrack to The Return of the Living Dead (1985); the song also appears on Erickson’s album Don’t Slander Me.
By the way, The Return of the Living Dead is an incredible movie, and possibly the only successful remake/sequel of an earlier movie not made by the original team. These days, they’re cranking out remakes of all the classics of the Seventies: Texas Chainsaw, Hills Have Eyes, Dawn of the Dead, etc. But TRotLD completely lived up to the original, while making it more contemporary. It was one of the rare punk horror movies. And it’s not nearly as campy as its reputation might suggest. Yes, it’s funny, but writer-director Dan O’Bannon uses humor to draw you in and catch you off-guard.
I saw it back when it came out and loved it. I saw it again for the first time a couple years ago, watching commercial TV late at night, at home by myself. I was not prepared for how freakin’ scary that movie is. The second half spirals into paranoia and fear, ratcheting up the tension and then delivering a completely dark and depressing ending (while still being satirical and political).
From YouTube:
Roky Erickson & The Explosives – Night of the Vampire — BUY
Roky Erickson – Burn the Flames — BUY
Tags: Roky Erickson, The Return of the Living Dead, MP3s