It’s like Halloween Time… Part 2

Under a different set of circumstances Roky Erickson could have been Jim Morrison, or at least a Jim Morrison…and maybe in an alternate universe he is…but as it stands today, in our world, he’ll likely never rise above a respectable cult status as his stint fronting the legendarily-hip 13th Floor Elevators didn’t bring him nearly as much lasting notoriety and fame is it could/should have and, as is so often true in similar circumstances, his rather rapid descent into mental illness – complete with all the misunderstandings and medical mistreatments that went on in the late 60s, etc – is often what folks focus on more than the man’s musical output.

When he returned to the world and the music scene in the mid to late 70s it was as a different man with a different approach to his sound, shedding the genre-defining psychedelic strains that made him infamous and turning in a muscular standard rock that was energetic, catchy and…oh yeah, freaky as all get out. The first two albums are a bit of an overlap as far as material goes and the one I’ve got is aptly titled The Evil One. Songs like Two-Head Dog, I Think of Demons, Bloody Hammer and If You Have Ghosts deliver just about what you’d expect, and are chock-full of macabre imagery, sinister riffs and soul-splitting yelps just in case you’re not getting the full picture. Really, if you changed the lyrics to themes of love or politics or drugs or whatever brand of classic R&R fodder, you’d have a solid standard rock album; but these songs being what they are makes them not so much “far out man” as way out…of this world. And from the listener’s perspective it’s all spooky good fun – a non-abrasive Misfits, a more straightforward Cramps, a less theatrical Alice Cooper – yet, if legend is accurate, this was all too real for Mr. Erickson.

And I didn’t even get into all the stuff about aliens…

While most any of these songs would fit nicely in my little Halloween themed series, my pick of the litter is Night of the Vampire. Why? Well, several reasons, one being simply because vampires are my favorite horror creature, but also because this song rocks like a dirge, creeping slowly and methodically as Erickson delivers his barely contained shriek, focusing more on imagery than story, for example:

THE MOON MAY BE FULL
THE MOON MAY BE WHITE
ALL I KNOW IS YOU WILL FEEL HIS BITE
TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE

Musically things sort of pick up for a bit of a middle eight, but that’s only slight and very brief before the funeral procession starts up again and things are back in full wail. Phasers, murky organ and a snaky lead guitar accent the overall ominous mood and by the fade you’re feeling your neck for teeth marks.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t include this ’84 acoustic performance that showcases just how powerful this song is even in a more relaxed delivery.