Originals
OK, maybe not
all that
original, but
these ones were
written by the
band and made it
onto tape and
gigs....
Just because
you're
paranoid...
Commissar Rod
"Prof" Macraeski
& Agent CJ
Mitchellburger
(in hats) stalk
the
Subterranenans,
Dec 1984
I Was Murdered
By The C.I.A.
Rock’n’roller
about conspiracy
theories and
paranoia written
by Leroi and
Emil in late 81,
and played at
pretty much
every gig the
various lineups
ever did.
Started off with
a “Jean
Genie”/”Blockbuster”/”The
Wasp” riff, and
became more
“Peter
Gunn”-like
during the
latter days of
the Dark Visit.
By the time the
Subterraneans
came along it
was a straight
ahead, fast,
rock ‘n’ roll
number with a
slow blues in
the 2nd
last verse. This
track was the
centrepiece of
the
“Subterraneans
Show” (1985),
and appears on
just about every
tape in the
tapeography as
well
Nail
Me to the Floor
Emil and Steven
lifted the riff
from “Get Off My
Cloud” and put
some tortured
and anguished
Emil lyrics to
it. This one got
played at the
early Dark visit
gigs in Coll,
but didn’t last
into the final
Dark Visit
lineup. No
recordings
available, but
it’ll be on the
Coll live tapes
if they ever
appear.
Wherewolf
Surfin’
instrumental
inspired by
Link Wray
and The Cramps.
Etheridge, Bob
and Emil on
harmonica and
lupine howlin’
all get a chance
to do their
thing. Appeared
first on The
Subterraneans
“Garage Fuzz” in
83, so it was
probably worked
out in
March/April/May
83. Heard in
most subsequent
gigs and
recordings.
18
‘Gators in Space
2-chord Leroi
original from
1984, about
being pursued by
a posse of alien
alligators.
Psychedelic
lyrics inspired
by the sleeve
notes of a Seeds
LP and odd
phrases from a
mixture of 13th
Floor Elevators
songs. Nice
droning raga
rock guitar
parts from Bob
Bitchin’. The
versions on the
85 Memphis Louie
practice tapes
have actual
vocal harmonies!
Nobody
Now
“My Baby gone
back to Mars /
she done flied
away in a
Cadillac car”.
More alien
subject matter,
this time over a
Bo Diddley riff.
Etheridge
Lockjaw Jones
1st’s rock
steady drumming,
combined with
the deadpan
backing vocals,
led to
accusations that
this 1984 effort
sounded like ZZ
Top, which was
never the
intention.
Appears on the
1984
Subterraneans
practice tape.
Recorded and
gigged by
Memphis Louie.
From My
Window
This track came
about at Easter
85 when Leroi
started playing
about with Bob’s
busted old
Baldwin
semiacoustic
tuned to open E,
Bob's busted
Baldwin (Left),
Leroi's bass git-tar
(Right), lookin
mean at Leroi's
garage
and discovered
how easy it was
to get a nice
resonant riff (a
bit like The
Who’s “I Can See
for Miles” or
the opening
chords to Joy
Division’s “Love
Will Tear Us
Apart”) without
actually being
able to play
guitar at all.
Slightly dubious
voyeuristic type
subject matter,
but the tune was
the main thing.
Leroi liked a
good drone and
the versions on
the Memphis
Louie practice
tapes make the
most of this to
psychedelic
effect.
Your
Love is a Chain
Gang
Another Leroi
track from 85.
Leroi had just
acquired US
country punk
pioneers
Jason & The
Scorchers’
“Lost and Found”
LP, and decided
to write his own
number in the
newly invented
genre. Appears
on the Memphis
Louie practice
tapes and “Live
at the Royal”
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