Lost Music From A Lost Boy
Lewis Taylor is a genuine oddity. A massively talented musician, vocalist and arranger, his composing skills fell just slightly short of getting the hits he deserved. He started his musical career touring with a late-model Edgar Broughton Band. Why? We shall never know. Debuting his recording career as the whimsydelic© Sheriff Jack, he recorded two albums and a couple of mini-albums in '86/'87, of which I have only Let's Be Nonchalant (the internet knows Sheriff Jack Shit about this stuff).
Then he swerved inexplicably into blue-eyed soul, releasing his first album under his own name (oops, sorry, eponymous - nearly had my Rock Music Writer card taken away from me there), but even universally enthusiastic critics couldn't make it fly from the racks. There's a swell review here https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/w428/ In the likely event of your not having the energy to click and read - who has the time? - it calls it the "album that everybody talked about but few bought ... a slow-burning secret."
He followed it with more of the similar, in a confusing discography of international variations, none of which brought him the fame you - and he - might have thought due. Lesser talents (the tune-dodging clothes-horse Lenny Kravitz, for example) had greater success.
Then something dark happened in the life of Lewis Taylor, and he "retired from the music business." The Lost Album, a gorgeous homage [Fr. cheese - Ed.] to Surf's Up-era Beach Boys, was assembled for a belated release to gasps of wonder from those who loved his work and indifference from everybody else.
As a postscript, he left possibly the most baffling and left-field project in the history of recorded music - a cover version of Trout Mask Replica. A startling piece of work, neither slavishly accurate nor lazily loose, it remains unfinished, and doesn't appear on any discography I can find.
Here's what I have - not a complete œuvre [Fr. egg - Ed.], but all of it worth a listen. The Lost Album gets regular spins in the FMF© Conversation Pit O' Sound©, and makes Cody go all dreamy. Play it next time you pitch woo at your main squeeze.
The Lost Boy.
ReplyDelete(Any of youse guys got more? Pony up!)
In addition to the albums you've pictured above (one of your interns sent me the trout-mask set when we met on a different site) I have one from 2005 on Hacktone Records, called "Stoned". Deep red sunset cover and includes the wonderful "Melt Away". I can't see which titles you've listed (the link says I'm forbidden!) so maybe you've got the tracks.
DeleteI've also got 3 CD singles from his 1st album, each of which contains some what we merrily call b-sides. Tucked away as track 4 of the "Bittersweet" single is a gem: "Lewis III". I do hope you've heard that one.
Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.
Farquhar, where do you find this stuff? "Trout Mask" is extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is. Taylor is an extraordinary man. There's a good piece on The Lost Album here
Delete, but it doesn't mention Trout Mask (which, incidentally, I found behind a sofa cushion).
https://www.culturesonar.com/the-mystery-behind-lewis-taylors-lost-album/
The comments to this offer up a further link to what is apparently a relatively recent interview:
Deletehttp://souljones.com/exclusive-features/2016/6/14/questions-answers-lewis-taylor
Robbie Williams recorded a Lewis Taylor song "Lovelight" on one of his million selling albums so hopefully his composing skills have made him a bit of cash and freed him up to do whatever he wants. I wish that included making more music!
Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.
Doing a bit of digging around on the internet, it seems that Taylor is pretty hot on taking down links to his music, so don't expect these to be up for long - as soon as he asks I'll take them down, or they'll expire and not be re-upped.
ReplyDeleteThe above mentioned interview touches on his stance re this. There's a terrific performance from a 1996 Jools Holland show available on YouTube which has been up for years, so he clearly lets some things go.
DeleteIncidentally, in the interview he gives a full, albeit belated, chunk of credit to Sabina Smyth for her input to his music, which is nice.
Cheers, Peanuts Molloy.
Great to see some appreciation for Lewis...i've got all of those with the exception of the Sheriff Jack.
ReplyDeleteI've also got the Stoned and Lewis 3. I first heard him on a CD free with the Uncut magazine. It's actually quite hard to find all his stuff...so kudos to you for this post.
It's the Sheriff Jack albums I'm keen to hear, being more a fan of whimsydelia©.
DeleteThank you for introducing me to this guy. I concur. There's something about him. Would love to hear the other albums mentioned in the comments. Again, thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're welome, Mr Mac. Perhaps we'll get links here ...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAsk & ye shall recieve .....
ReplyDeleteLet's Be Nonchalant / Laugh Yourself Awake / What Lovely Melodies !
https://www.mediafire.com/file/tj1q4sn3d4h1z2c/JakSherif.rar/file
The Lone Stranger
Fan. Freaking. Tastic. Thengx!
DeleteThanks, Anonymous. Looking forward to hearing these. And to Unknown: I'm having trouble following Lewis' discography, but I, for one, would love to hear your kind offer of Stoned 1 and Stoned 2 and his third album. When you get a chance , of course. And thanks to Farquhar-my kind of humor. Which I need right now. Just got home from the Joker. Great film, but goodness.
ReplyDeleteOne final Sheriff Jack , Everybody Twist EP ;
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mediafire.com/file/3uhfipb858xnkee/SheriffTwist.rar/file
The Lone Ranger
Thanks for the Sheriff Jack/Lewis Taylor, Lone Ranger.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much everyone, these are all wonderful. Sure would love to have the "Stoned" and "Stoned II" if possible! I still think "Lost Album" is his best, but I haven't heard these two, so who knows?
ReplyDeleteHi Farquhar, any chance of a re-up for us Brits please, x
ReplyDeleteBambi - is you a real dame, or some guy in a dress pretendin'? I gots to ask. We get not so many tomatoes leanin' up against th' bar, on account the salty langwage an' off-color humor. If youse is one of th' lady persuasion, den as a gentleman I am behooved to assist. If youse is just one of the four or five guys in a frock hopin' fer special treatment, I will bounce a spittoon off yer head.
ReplyDeleteHopin' to be of assistance,
yrs esteemably
FT3
Farquhar, you got me, I'm so used to putting a X at the bottom of my communications with my girlfriend, that I sent one to you by mistake (sort of). I promise no more funny business.
ReplyDeleteBambi (real name Butch, and I hardly ever wear a frock)
I'll up the original post albums soon, Bam- sorry - Butch. As this is a mega-post, with commenters adding, I won't include those.
DeleteThanks Mr Throckmorton, I'm really enjoying the Lewis Taylor stuff (Wow Trout mask !!!!), but found Sheriff Jack too much of a challenge.
DeleteI've had 'Let's Be Nonchalant' on vinyl for many years and love it, so grabbed these when you posted them. I've just got copies of 'Stoned Part 1 and 'Stoned Part II', and there are two tracks on the end of 'Stoned Part 1' called Track 12 and Track 13, which are 10 and 13-minute live recordings with some stupendous guitar-work, but I can't find anything about them online. Anyone?
ReplyDelete