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LP
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ROAR 031LP
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2013 release. Black Phoenix Blues is the third Roaratorio collection of the best of Rodd Keith's vast output. Dating from 1966 to 1974, these sixteen previously unreissued songs showcase the scope of his work: the should've-been-a-hit "You And I", the elegant exotica of "I Love Lovely Chinese Gal", the history lesson of "The Explosion Of Holden 22 Mine", the harrowing psycho-killer musings of the title track, "I'm Proud To Be A Hippie From Mississippi," the stoner's answer to Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee", the lo-fi "The Game Of Love" (which, in the tradition of Keith's infamous "I'm Just The Other Woman," prompted the dissatisfied customer to request a more conventional re-take), the disturbingly desperate "Sing My Death Note," which was discovered on one of Keith's private reels, and the unclassifiable WTF?-ness of "Abidin' Tuh The Rule." To call Rodd Keith the king of the song-poems (also known as the "send us your lyrics" quick buck-demo mill) is damning him with faint praise; no one else in that shady backwater of the music industry possessed an array of talents as distinctively individual as his. As gifted a singer, composer and arranger as he was, his genius was destined to remain a well-kept secret during his lifetime by virtue of the complete disregard, verging on invisibility in which song-poem records were held. He was a commercial musician in the most literal sense of the word, but within those confines, he displayed an oddball, personal vision that frequently transcended the work-for-hire nature of his music. Black Phoenix Blues is presented here as limited-edition LP with artwork by Josh Journey-Heinz and liner notes from blues guitarist Debbie Davies, one of Keith's musical and personal collaborators from the early 1970s.
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LP
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ROAR 023LP
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2022 restock. "Song Poems Wanted" read the ads. "We need new ideas for recording!" The send-us-your-lyrics business was a borderline scam, taking whatever lyrics came their way from would-be songwriters and -- for a fee -- setting them to music. None of the results ever came close to being a hit, and to be sure, the vast majority was sufficiently bland or clumsy to insure no great karmic loss in their instant obscurity and miniscule press runs. But Rodd Keith -- the late, great genius whose prolific output was almost completely confined to the song-poem industry -- had a knack for turning sow's ears into silk purses. The nature of the business required him to work quickly, with no second takes, and his skill at writing and arranging on the fly was not unlike that of a master improviser. When at his best, he put his unique musical stamp on some lucky customer's submission. My Pipe Yellow Dream is the second Roaratorio anthology of the highlights of Rodd Keith's work. Compiling fifteen previously un-reissued songs from 1966 through his death in 1974 -- including a never-before-heard cover of "Choo Choo Train" -- My Pipe Yellow Dream showcases the full range of his talents. From exquisite mid-60s pop balladry ("Deep Velvet") to blue-eyed soul ("You Don't Have To Alibi") to folk-rock ("Tired Of Waiting") to solo Chamberlain creations ("Red Sports Car") to gospel testifying ("O Jesus My Savior") to a pair of patriotic screeds (the all-spoken word "America The Not So Beautiful" and the bizarre-world lounge funk of "Search Out Your Soul, American"), this collection continues the rehabilitation of Rodd Keith's recorded legacy from thrift-shop throwaway to celebrated cult artist. A limited-edition LP in a gorgeous gatefold jacket, with artwork by Josh Journey-Heinz and liner notes from song-poem vocalist Dick Kent. Download coupon included.
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CD
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ROAR 010CD
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2005 release. Rodney Keith Eskelin, aka Rodd Keith, aka Rod Rogers, would've certainly found the recognition during his lifetime that his talent demanded, if he hadn't chosen to work in the lowest depths of the music industry: the "send us your lyrics" field, known today as the song-poem genre. Saucers In The Sky gathers together twenty-six previously uncollected Rodd Keith gems from the hundreds upon hundreds of songs that he recorded before he leapt from a highway overpass in 1974. It would be inaccurate to call this a collection of forgotten pop classics; "forgotten" implies that they were known in the first place. Outside of the aspiring lyricists who bankrolled the proceedings, plus a few of their friends and relations, none of Rodd Keith's records registered the slightest blip on the musical radar of their time. The irony runs deep; the song-poem business was a stylus's breadth away from being an outright scam, capitalizing on the dreams of would-be songwriters and filling their heads with visions of breakout hits and fame and fortune. In reality, if the lyrics themselves weren't unwieldy or strange enough to hobble any chances of entering the charts with a bullet, the assembly line production style of the recording insured that the majority of the songs were musically undistinguished. The best of Rodd Keith's work, however, easily transcends its lowly, no-hope origins, and therein lies the kicker: if the pressing runs for songs like "Magic In Her Eyes" or "Go Go Girlie" had broken the triple digit mark, or found their first point of sale in a Sam Goody rather than a thrift shop, they could've undoubtedly attained some measure of the popular success that their hapless creators were led to believe would follow. While such tunes as "Ravens" or "Sawdust" were too lyrically bent for Billboard glory, they remain prime examples of Rodd's brilliance as a singer, composer and arranger. Saucers In The Sky also includes two never-before-released tracks: a cover of "Here Comes The Judge" from a soul-sound-alike session, and "Get On My Honda, Rhonda," written as a birthday gift for Rodd's best friend's son. Packaged in a mini-LP gatefold sleeve, with liner notes from Del Casher, inventor of the wah-wah pedal and guitarist on many of Rodd's early recordings, and Stacey Keith, Rodd's daughter.
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