Been There, Done That

Back in the day, I used to pore over Pete Frame's Family Trees like an Egyptologist studying hieroglyphs in a newly-discovered tomb. Tracing the connections and progress of band members through shifting combinations was revelatory, and addictive. I met Pete a couple of times at his cottage deep in Merrie Olde Englande (no, really - this isn't a spoof piece). I bowed in respect before his album collection (Safe As Milk with the bumper sticker!!), genuflected before his drawing board and Rotring pens, and listened to an apparently endless stream of anecdotes - his description of Linda Ronstadt is unforgettable - with a bunch of scary-eyed, like-minded obsessives who'd found sanctuary under his thatched roof.

Pete Frame, yesterday

I no longer have his books, but a chance discovery today makes me wish I had. I was spinning the Fine Wine album in the Conversation Pit Of Sound© while Cody trimmed my ear hair, and was struck by what a first-class piece of work it is. Now if you're half the fan of The Moby Grapes that I am, then I like 'em twice as much as you, but you will also be aware that this is a Grape album in all but name, albeit with only Jerry Miller and Bob Mosley from the original line-up on board. As such, it's mistakenly been relegated to the interesting, but not essential pile. The same pile you'd find the Lovecraft album in [see Give the Drummer Some More - Ed.].

It was recorded in '76, in Germany, with the loathsome Matthew Katz still

Mmm! Ear hair!

making life hell for the band and preventing them from using their own name. Don't let's get started on Katz. Anyway, given that context you'd expect them to be working with a pick-up band, with ho-hum results. And here's where it gets interesting. At least to me it does, pally. Because that "pick-up band" includes the unfeasibly talented Michael Been. Who he? He was in Lovecraft for the wonderful Valley Of The Moon album, and later, in Aorta for their equally neglected and equally terrific second album (Aorta will have their own piece soon). Wiki is your friend, and his page is well worth reading. Wotta guy!

So here's Fine Wine, and what a glorious vintage it is. Been is entirely worthy of induction into the Grape ranks, and his participation is inspired. And check out the Lovecraft album, if you haven't already.

Michael Been died in 2010, age sixty, from a heart attack while he was working as sound man for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Hey, all right.