Friday, November 18, 2011

Lost Durangos: Evil Town (1986)



Lost Durangos were Vancouver's entry into The Cow-Punk 2000, a short-lived mid-eighties race to hype a new genre into the charts. Like the races' front-runner, Lone Justice's (more HERE) Maria McKee, Lost Durangos featured a highly-talented country song-bird, Kelly Brock, who'd go on to a lengthy solo career. Unlike Lone Justice, Lost Durangos came with a genuine punk legend in tow, one Mr. Buck Cherry former member of the Modernettes, Active Dog and Los Popularos.


 B & W photos from Alex Waterhouse-Hayward 's site


Another sharp contrast with many so-called cow-punk bands, would be in the songwriting department. A band like Lone Justice's song were written any number of band members and outside writers, diffusing their focus, whereas the hand of one superb song-writer, Greg Potter, makes Evil Town, one of the best things ever relegated to the 'cow-punk' pasture. Mel Brooks once claimed that, "Critics can't even make music by rubbing their back legs together" but music writer Potter soundly proves the 2000 Year Old Man wrong. Each of these tunes is baited with an irresistible hook, part folk-rock, part country, part power-pop, all with plenty of drive. While the album's photos are pure forties noir, lyrically Potter keeps his feet planted in the urban reality that spawned the band. Even within that urban context, Potter infuses the album with enough biblical language ("Oh Lord, What an evil town", "The sins of the father are visited on the son", "My father's house has many mansions") to make the whole thing seem timeless. And it's that timelessness, each of the six songs here sound like it could have been written forty years ago or today, that makes this such a must-hear.




Kelly Brock (vocals)
Buck Cherry (guitar, vocals)
Paul de Bourcier (drums)
Greg Potter (guitar, vocals)
Matt Rickson (bass, vocals) 



A1         Evil Town                        2:59    
A2         Every Leaf's Gotta Fall     3:41    
A3         Sins Of The Father           3:46    
B1         Living Nowadays              2:46    
B2         Never Say How Far          3:52    
B3         I've Seen The Rain           3:47     

1986, Armadilo Records




So readers, let us know what you think of Lost Durangos in the COMMENTS section, which is where you'll find the Evil Town link.


P.S. For a nicer front and back cover scan go HERE!

11 comments:

  1. "Oh
    Lord
    ,
    what
    an
    evil
    town
    ,
    you
    try
    to
    get
    up
    they
    only
    kick
    your
    ass
    down

    Oh
    Lord
    such
    an
    evil
    town
    ,
    keep
    your
    back
    to
    the
    wall
    and
    your
    nose
    to
    the
    ground




    http://www.mediafire.com/?oa6su2m1eryuppb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. anyway this could be brought back

      Delete
    2. http://digivinyltal.blogspot.com/2007/12/lost-durangos-1986-evil-town.html

      Delete
  2. cheers! i always thought that nobody did cowpunk quite like canadians. looking forward to hearing this - haven't listened since... i dunno ... 1988? Active Dog - that brings some memories back... makes me think of the Animal Slaves and other of those Vancouver artsy bands. like maybe I, Braineater? speaking of Vancouver bands - i've been dying to hear some Brilliant Orange.... you wouldn't happen to have that Happy Man EP from what, 1985/86? lying around would you? i'd actually be very curious to hear the full length brilliant Orange LP - or any graham brown stuff - but that first EP - yeah, that's the stuff.

    -M

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Jeffen

    Thanks for Lost Durangos.

    A little birdy said some Los Popularos may be in the pipeline.You know how much I like Art!

    Right on to 'Justin Crash' re Brilliant Orange.
    1985 Brilliant Orange "happy man" - EP (Zulu Records)

    Man,I left a lot of cash at Zulu Records.

    Doug

    ReplyDelete
  4. Never heard of "cow punk." Now I have, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So happy I found this in a Value Village some years back. I can't remember if it was your own bad self that told me to pick it up or the realization that Buck Cherry was in the band that finalized my purchase.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've found myself obsessively listening to this over the past week - thanks so much for posting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. JC
    Glad that Spavid found the B.O. for you. I'll have a little something from them tomorrow...

    Doug
    Me too - used to bike over there when I lived in the West End.

    Woodworker
    Glad to introduce you to a forgotten genre, thanks for being a regular commenter.

    CPJ Buys a Record

    A One-Act play by Jeffen

    Phone rings, Jeffen picks it up.

    CPJ: Hey I'm at Value Village and I found the Lost Durangos, do you want me to but it for you?

    Jeffen (excited because he thinks CPJ said 'Los Popularos') Is that the one with the green cover?

    CPJ "Ah, it's got a guy passed out in front of a brick wall..."

    Jeffen "Oh that's the LOST Durangos. Buy it for yourself, it's amazing

    CPJ "Okay" (Hangs up phone).

    Anon//Zak
    Enjoy.

    Anon II
    Glad to hear this record still holds that power for others.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for clicking the COMMENTS link.
Now that you're here,I should mentions that
without reader feedback blogs slowly wither and die