4/19/12

Epitaph for a Legend - International Artists Story

Epitaph for a Legend is the story of the International Artist(s) (IA) label, which operated out of Austin from 1965 to 1970. The label was run by Lelan Rogers, brother of country music star Kenny Rogers (everyone considered him the coward of the county). IA developed a mystique in the 1960s as it was the label of the 13th Floor Elevators, but a number of other artists were on IA, including Red Krayola (known on early recordings as Red Crayola) and Lightnin' Hopkins. Epitaph for a Legend is a frustrating compilation because the story of the label is as interesting as the music it released, but little of that story is told on this compilation. Everything about this compilation is raw, from the sound quality of the recordings to the stark black-and-white graphics to the interview with Lelan Rogers printed (in maddeningly small type on the booklet—would it have cost that much extra to have used a larger font and another sheet of paper?). The interview ends because, as the liner notes explain, the tape ended. The interviewer gives no information about Lelan Rogers except to waste several lines describing his office in Century City at the time of the interview (but I have no idea when interview took place because, of course, that information is nowhere to be found. Some time in the 1980s perhaps?) From the content of the interview, readers will be able to figure out that Rogers ran the label but had a tenuous relationship with the rock acts on the label because of his age (he was around 40 when the 13th Floor Elevators were recording for IA) and because he was more "establishment" than the musicians on the label. Still, under his leadership the label released some significant music and he is justified in claiming that the San Francisco sound first emerged in Texas with the Elevators.

Epitaph for a Legend - International Artists Story
Disc 1
1. Chaynes - "Night Time" (3:02)
2. Patterns - "In My Own Time" (2:21)
3. Chapparrals - "I Tried So Hard" (2:54)
4. Thursday's Children - "A Part of You" (2:11)
5. Electric Rubayyat - "If I Were a Carpenter" (2:40)
6. Sonny Hall - "Poor Planet Earth" (2:11)
7. Inner Sense - "Communication Breakdown" (2:55)
8. The Red Krayola - "Hurricane Fighter Plane" (3:56)
9. The Red Krayola - "Pink Stainless Tail" (4:14)
10. The Red Krayola - "Nickle Niceness" (2:59)
11. The Red Krayola - "Vile Vile Grass" (2:20)
12. The Red Krayola - "Transparent Radiation" (2:53)
13. Emperors - "I Want My Woman" (2:41)
14. Lost & Found - "25 M.P.H." (2:08)
Disc 2
1. Big Walter - "Breakfast in Bed" (2:31)
2. Dave Allen - "C.C. Rider" (2:34)
3. Dave Allen - "Saturday A.M. Blues" (4:02)
4. Lightnin' Hopkins - "Conversation with Lightnin' Hopkins" (3:40)
5. Lightnin' Hopkins - "Black Ghost Blues" (3:52)
6. Various Artists - "Excerpts from Interview With Roky, Ksam 4/1/78" (2:43)
7. Spades - "You're Gonna Miss Me" (3:24)
8. Spades - "We Sell Soul" (3:14)
9. Roky & C. Hall - "Splash I" (3:12)
10. Roky & C. Hall - "Right Track Now" (3:12)
11. 13th Floor Elevators - "Wait for My Love" (3:41)
12. 13th Floor Elevators - "60-Second Radio Spot/Bull of the Woods" (1:07)
13. 13th Floor Elevators - "Fire Engine" (3:17)

http://chocoreve.blogspot.com/2007/06/epitaph-for-legend-international.html