Computer Age

Roky Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators
Starry eyes

The story of Roky Erickson (Roger Kynard Erickson 15/07/1947, Dallas, Texas) is one of those rare pages of overcoming personal hardship and that occasionally leaves us the history of Rock and Roll. The success story, falling to the depths of madness and the resurrection of a name key to understanding the music of the twentieth century.
Roky Erickon is well known as a leader and founding member of The 13th Floor Elevators, a group emerged in Texas in 1965 and that in his short-lived career under several important milestones, such as being the first to use the term "psychedelic" applied to the world of music , Thus inaugurating one of the most important flows of 60. It was in the title of his debut album, "The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 12th Floor Elevators" (1966) an album that included the theme "You're Gonna Miss Me", an authentic commercial bombshell at the time, and even today remains its most recognizable theme.
The sound of The 13th Floor Elevators, despite what may seem, was not too much to do with the current of psychedelic groups that emerged in the U.S. (especially in the West Coast) in the mid-60. While some of these departing folk sounds that add new instrumentation to achieve this is characteristic sound "friendly", the Elevators started from principles much more savage and guitar, heavily influenced by the blues-rock to the point that some sources drawn to the band as a precedent more or less remote from the American Punk.
The sound of the band was characterized, in part by the strident guitars and the peculiar nasal voice of Roky Erickson by the instrument called Electric Jug-which no doubt was his trademark style more characteristic. The "Electric Jar" was simply a pitcher with a microphone attached to the bottom and which was obtained by blowing this peculiar sound.
But that first album, which was a part of its great success, it contained a lot of memorable themes like "Splash1", "Do not Fall Down" or "Fire Engine" that make this debut a benchmark rather than promising for the band.
The second disc of The 13th Floor Elevators, "Eastern Everywhere" is unanimously regarded by critics as his best work. With production more meticulous and a greater variety of records this album contains some of the best songs composed by Roky Ericson for the band. There is room for energetic and hypnotic themes such as "Slip Inside This House", "Slide Machine" or "Somebody To Love" but also for more introspective songs, an undoubted beauty as "Dust", "I Have To Tell You" or " It's All Over Now, Baby Blue ", cover of Bob Dylan.
"Eastern Everywhere" (1967) does not have a clear hit like "You're Gonna Miss Me" and though the reception of the criticism was favorable, the reception was not so much trade, and began to emerge early differences within the band, while Roky Erickson began to take refuge in the wasteful consumption of all kinds of narcotic substances.
"Bull On The Wood" (1968), the third studio album of training not only confirms the decline in the band and Erickson's own, very eroded and their mental faculties, to the point that most compositions are the guitarist Stacy Sutherland. It goes without saying that the quality of this work was greatly diminished by these factors.
Just at this time Roky Erickson begins to commit small crimes to pay for its many additions and finally in 1969 was arrested and sent to a psychiatric institution. Ends here the story of a band and began the descent into hell of a person reduced to the minimum expression of the human condition. A teen pop star turned into a disinherited sentenced to a life of madness.

Following the dissolution of The 13th Floor Elevators details on the biography of Roky Erickson become confused and even contradictory between the different sources. It seems clear that the period 1969 to 1972 Roky what happens interned in a psychiatric institution, some versions claim that there was subjected to electroshock therapy and heavy medication to treat schizophrenia, but what is clear is that his departure center, in 1972, Roky Erickson was no longer the same.
This is not the place to deepen some mental problems and a personal situation that undoubtedly had to be difficult. What is up is if we talk about the musical career of Roky Erickson after this point. A career much more unknown and that is truly brilliant moments.
At some point this stage Roky form a new band, Bleib Alien, with a sound much harder than for Elevators and with a thematic focus on science fiction and horror movies. With this new band is starting to give concerts in local garitos and compose new songs, like the remarkable "Two Headed Dog," "Cold Night For Alligators," "Starry Eyes" or "Stand For The Fire Demon."
While around the figure of Roky Erickson was formed in followed a large group of fans unconditional, the commercial success not accompanied this new phase and the various fraud on the part of promoters and producers to make before he saw his discography is a sort work practically impossible because it is guided by his mental condition Roky signed several contracts with record labels that are distributed obscure the benefits of their works and who edited many singles, 45Rpm, lp's semi and all kinds of material with songs that sometimes not were more than pure models with a tiny recording quality and for which Roky Erickson did not see a single dollar.
To get closer to a good start to the work of Roky Erickon solo recommend the box "I Have Always Been Before: The Roky Erickon Anthology" (Shout Factory, 1994), which collects all the rigorous work of the musician.
Throughout the 70 Roky Erickson up a huge amount of music of all kinds, solo, together with The Aliens and alongside other local bands or combos as The Ressurrectionists or The Explosives. Songs ranging from the fierceness of insane "Creature With The Atom Brain" and "Bloody Hammer" to the acoustic delicacy of beautiful songs like "I Have Always Been Here Before" and "You Do not Love Me Yet."
In 1981, Roky Erikson said they had been abducted by an alien, and is gradually disappearing from the musical now until early in the 90 different bands like REM begin to reclaim its leading figure on his return today. It begins concerts to give back and even recorded some new songs.
Roky Erickson, during these three long decades living on the edge of poverty, various state subsidies, abandoned to their fate without any specific treatment for his ailment. It is not until 2001 when his brother took their custody and Roky began to receive care and treatment.
Some of our readers surely had the chance to see him in concert recently, retrieved and very happy to devote himself heart and soul into what has become a living legend: The Rock and Roll.

Listen:
You Do not Love Me Yet

Dust

Pages recommended:
- Pagina official
- My Space for Roky Erickson
Rule-in Light Contratiempos
-Article in The Dream of 100,000 Philbert Desanex