Everytime we do an LP it means a series of deadlines. Finished tapes by such and such a date, cover art by another and sleeve notes by another. Even though everything is left to the last minute you always know they're coming . . . but this time . . . 10 minutes warning, This new fiendish reason for even more liner notes is a re-release of an earlier album on the Sunblest label. The first thing that comes into mind is a chance to make excuses for all those pitfalls we religiously fell into without exception because in those days we were naive and inexperiences, but seeing as we still fall into every pitfall jsut as religiously because we're still naive and inexperienced I'm throwing excuses out the window. If I don't I'll end up doing a series of sleeve note excuses everytime a record is re-released on the Sunset label.
The next thing that comes to mind isn't worth thinking about and the third thing is the word "sunset" itself. It's a bit final for a re-release label isn't it? It is for records that are sinking below the horizon and waving farewell to daylight forever, or is it a hope that they will re-surface every 24 hours. Why isn't it called the "Reincarnation Label" or the "Re-Birth Label", or better still, that wonderful friend of human beings who I met after miserably failing my "O" levels the first time, the Eighth Wonder of the World (it should have been the first or, even better, the second) and my lifetime companion . . . Second Chance. The Sunset label should be called "Second Chance Records". It's lucky nobody reads these "sleeve note things" because if they did they'd realize that they were buying the meandering drivel of some of life's worst casulties packaged to look like a real group. And if the great Gods who sit on their vinyl thrones and cause my world to revolve at thirty-three and a third revolutions an hour and not once a day like it used to do, were to read it, their wrath would echo down the corridors of revenge and deafen anyone who was unlucky enough to be within earshot until it finally reaches me. These are Gods who rule the lush valleys and airless peaks that comprise the record industry.
Then the Jehovas of the Immaculate Stylus would say unto me . . . "Did we in our infinite wisdom sign you, a vile, ulcerous rat scuttling around in the sewers of language, to this label"?
And I answer them most mysteriously (that's a good line) "We are all rats in the sewers of language"
And they say without a trace of mystery or even double entendre "Get thee hence and go forth from this label forever or we will kill you till you're dead. GET OUT"?
So you see I'm putting my neck on the line here. What are you doing Leonard? It's alright, nobody reads these anyway . . . I could say anything.
Now that I know that I don't want to say anything. This is a re-release on the Sunset label of the first Man album released on Liberty 5 years ago. In 1970 if you want the exact date.
Hey, I've just realised that Captain Beefheart and Johnny Winter are on the Sunset label. That's nice. Hullo Captain, Allright Johnny? How are ya doing boys?
My 10 minute deadline is up. There's just not enough hours in a day, is there?
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
I'm glad nobody reads these things,
Take care . . .
Deke
(One day the rest of the band are going to learn to read and write then they can do these things for a change. I never get any money for them anyway.)
Back To The Man Home Page and Discography