The Unheard Music (Volume XLIII)

My brother's getting married on Saturday, so the next 72 hours will be a whirlwind, hence me posting this a  day early.

It was 1986 and Timbuk 3 had just released their debut smash Greetings From Timbuk 3 featuring the single "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades".  They were booked at Cabaret Metro to do an XRT Budget Show for the meager sum of $3 (I still have the ticket somewhere).  While I was certainly interested in seeing the (then) husband and wife team (plus a boom box to play the rhythm tracks) from Madison, WI.,--who merit their own Unheard Music someday--I was primed to see the opener, a band from Marietta, GA with the unwieldy name of Guadalcanal Diary. I owned their second album, a 1986 release called Jamboree.  Despite the paltry cover charge and them being the opening act, they did a nearly hourlong set   which included all of Jamboree and most of their previous album, Walking In The Shadow of the Big Man. As any seasoned band will tell you, open a live set with two or three songs that are throwaways so the sound engineer can get the mix right, even if you did a soundcheck.  Even better, try to open with an instrumental, which Guadalcanal Diary did with the 'grab-you-by-the-throat' "Gilbert Takes The Wheel", which set the tone nicely for the next 55 minutes or so. Another highlight from Walking in the Shadow, "Trail of Tears" also sent me back to my history book to learn more. As often happens in a live setting, songs that lack distinction on LP come to life onstage, which was the case with "Michael Rockefeller". Even more impressive for the drummers who read this is that the sixteenth note hi-hat part on Michael Rockefeller was played one-handed. Sad tale about poor Michael.

After the decent 2X4 album of 1987, GD released one final studio recording Flip Flop which contained the alternate-universe hit "Always Saturday" and a rocker written by drummer John Poe "Pretty Is As Pretty Does".  The band never quite achieved the success of some of their Georgia bretheren but did release four solid LPs of music that still resonate with me to this day.  I never skip a Guadalcanal Diary song on the iPod.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the music.  Wish Kevin and Kate luck on their nuptials.

 

Comments

[TWM]

Thanks for the tunes, Ken. I was a fan many years ago -- I think I saw them headline a show at Metro, and I think I saw singer/leader Murray Attaway open for Robyn Hitchcock several years later.

See you Saturday. People keep telling me that rain on the wedding day is good luck...

[emma]

I guess I've been listening to FlipFlop for about 20 years now. I don't think I realized GD was from Ga, but listening to it with that in mind this morning after reading this, I think I can influences from Drivin n Cryin maybe mixed with Let's Active. What do you think? One of my favorite songs from Flip Flop has always been Vista. . .

[Jeff]

Love 'em - and it's been ages since I listened to them. Thanks for the flashback...

[ken]

I certainly see a bit of Let's Active, Drivin' n Cryin' and a pinch of dB's and of course, R.E.M., a comparison they couldn't shake.

I should've posted a Murray Attaway solo song, his In Thrall album had some moments.

[Jordan]

Well worth mentioning is the excellent last song on Jamboree, "Cattle Prod", at least it was heavy rotation on my WGHS show. Then again, so was The Beatles "Piggies", so maybe it was a subconcious anti-hip, anti-vegetarian thing.