In the messy history of the Holy Modal Rounders, it came to pass that there was, at one juncture, a division into east coast and west coast Rounders, a separation caused mostly by Steve Weber's decision to head west. When a west coast performance happened, much of the band was Jeffrey Frederick's Clamtones, who also performed to great acclaim from their Oregon base under their own name. The gleaming gem in the discography of this schism is the amazing Have Moicy! on Rounder, which is credited to Michael Hurley, the Unholy Modal Rounders, and Jeffrey Fredericks & the Clamtones.
If you're confused (not least by the fact that Rounder Records spells Jeffrey's surname with an s and his widow Kathryn, who has released the records under discussion, doesn't), you're in the right mood to appreciate the music on these three discs (Clamtones B.C. is a two-disc set), which were recorded, not Before Christ, but in British Columbia on June 4, 1976. They were, I am told, part of the same performance, Weber coming up to do the middle set with the Clamtones sans Frederick and harmony vocalist Jill Gross.
Neither of these discs is going to change history, but the plunge into Frederick's catalogue is fun, with previously obscure songs such as "Honolulu" and "Griselda" alongside classics such as "Sweet Lucy" and "What Made My Hamburger Disappear", as well as a few Michael Hurley songs. If only the band were better: no folk-rock band is ever enhanced, in my opinion, by a sax/flute/piccolo player, and yes I'm talking to you, Teddy Deane.
I don't recommend the Weber disc. It's a sloppy set, with Weber sleepwalking through some Rounders classics. Its only surprising moment is when he announces, "This is a song about a drug I don't like," and in the few seconds before the band starts playing, you can almost hear the audience wondering what on earth it could be. Ipecac? Nope, it's "Cocaine Blues", the ragtimey one with the magical line, "Come, Doctor, ring the bell, there's women in the alley," which Weber somehow sucks the life out of.
The performances were recorded by a radio station for live broadcast, and the sound is pretty good. The Frederick set might have been edited down to a single disc with good effect -- I don't think I need to hear "Penile Malfunction" or "Paraplegic Waltz" again -- but it's a good way to hear an underdocumented songwriting wildman. They don't seem to make 'em like that anymore, which is, indeed, a mixed blessing.
Comments ()