wch@mcnc.UUCP (William Craig Hay) (12/05/85)
*** Take me, line eater, I'm yours! *** Recently a friend introduced me to the music of Tonio K. It's pretty cynical rock 'n' roll and excellently done. We have only found his albums as cut-outs; we've seen three or four. There seems to be somewhat of a mystery (perhaps created on purpose) 'cause none of the musicians are listed and everyone's faces are obscured (with bars across the eyes just like newspaper photos of the "innocent" bystanders) in the cover pictures of the band. Does anyone know more--its probably hard to know less :-) --about this? In his first posting (may he post many more), W C Hay
andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) (12/06/85)
In article <1030@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP> wch@mcnc.UUCP (William Craig Hay) writes: >Recently a friend introduced me to the music of Tonio K... >We have only found his albums as cut-outs; we've seen three or four. I've only heard of "Life In The Foodchain" and "America". What are the names of the others? >There seems to be somewhat of a mystery (perhaps created on purpose) 'cause >none of the musicians are listed and everyone's faces are obscured (with >bars across the eyes just like newspaper photos of the "innocent" bystanders) >in the cover pictures of the band. >Does anyone know more--its probably hard to know less :-) --about this? The musicians are identified on the inner sleeve of "Foodchain". I don't have my copy here at work - good thing for my co-workers - but I recall that they include ex-Bowie sideman Earl Slick, ex-Fanny bassist Jean Millington- Slick, ex-Buckingham Marty Grebb, the Band's Garth Hudson, and many others. I think even Dick Dale makes a guest appearance! AWR P.S.: Tonio K.'s real name is Steve Krikorian.
marcos@sdchema.UUCP (Marcos Hatada) (12/07/85)
> > I've only heard of "Life in the Foodchain" and "America". What are the names > of the others? (Tonio K. albums) Antonia (as his friends call him :-) ) released a "mini-album" on Capitol records in '83, called (if my memory serves me) "La Bomba". It did, at least at the stores. The title cut was a re- lyric'd version of the R. Valens classic. The critics went crazy, for the most part. As for me, well...my copy is packed away somewhere, along with 1000's of other records. I liked it more than "Amerika", but less than "Foodchain". David ("Dr. DAP") Pearlman
lewie@pur-ee.UUCP (Jeff Lewis) (12/08/85)
In article <729@grkermi.UUCP> andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) writes: >In article <1030@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP> wch@mcnc.UUCP (William Craig Hay) writes: >>Recently a friend introduced me to the music of Tonio K... >>We have only found his albums as cut-outs; we've seen three or four. As far as I know, there's only the two albums and an EP (Life in the Foodchain, Amerika (subtitled: Cars, Guitars and Teenage Violence), and the EP La Bomba). Yep, that's Amerika with a 'k'. All of these have been out-of-print for several years, so I'm curious where you're finding them in such quantities still in cut-out bins! The three copies of Foodchain and Amerika (that's two of Foodchain... one regular, one green vinyl!) that I've procured were all used records. >>There seems to be somewhat of a mystery (perhaps created on purpose) 'cause >>none of the musicians are listed and everyone's faces are obscured ... > >The musicians are identified on the inner sleeve of "Foodchain". I don't >have my copy here at work - good thing for my co-workers - but I recall that >they include ex-Bowie sideman Earl Slick, ex-Fanny bassist Jean Millington- >Slick, ex-Buckingham Marty Grebb, the Band's Garth Hudson, and many others. >I think even Dick Dale makes a guest appearance! All in all, about fifteen+ musicians are listed on Foodchain, including the infamous 'Robin Something.' It's all excellant straight-forward rock'n'roll with a strong cynical/humorous/ emotional bite to it. It seems that Tonio's main drive is that the world is going to hell in a handbasket and it's doing it faster than we think. The man's the finest dark humourist that I've heard, for the simple reason that his music won't get you depressed but will charge you up or make you "laugh at the fact that there ain't nuthin' funny." Very intelligent and very potent stuff. The thing to know about him is that he's very cynical, but he hopes he's dead wrong (taken from an interview in Stereo Review a few years back. BTW, Steve Simels of said mag., reviewed *both* of the albums as "the best rock and roll album of all time"!) As an example of his flexibility, on Foodchain, he has a serious song about breaking up, then turns right around in the next song and does a complete parody of it. From "put up the flag/lay down your weapon/ this perpetual battle royal here is a long way from heaven" to "no no/ don't you go and break my heart/no don't do it/if you do/i'll go crazy/ maybe even hurt myself/or more significant/i might hurt you." but now, a lyrical tidbit: "sweet rebecca/she's a go-getter. she'll tell you that she loves you for a price and she should know better but no one's let her take the time to think at all much less think twice and now all the glitter and all the human litter that surround her seem as normal as the sky and in the morning if you buy her diamonds she will always try to guess how much but never why" But I can't resist throwing in the following "choral notes" from "Merzsuite (let us join together in a tune)" (off of Amerika) "here the attentive listener imagines he/she hears the words i don't know i don't know i don't know i just don't know flying by with sufficient rhythmic/melodic singularity to be classified as "the chorus." and a fine and meaningful chorus it would be, what with all the confusing aspects of life in the twentieth century. upon closer scrutinization, however, we see the traditional repetitive/ lyrical powerbase being undermined by what can best and perhaps only be described as non-verbal ranting: nonsense in a word. as these more primal utterances - a rather sophisticated series of glottal stops and clicks in actual fact - gradually overcome the more conventional "chorus," the listener is invited to join in and - yes - express him/herself. in light of the frightening new hights to which "reason" has elevated all of us during this (last) generation, we feel that the "transformed chorus for the socio/emotionally unstable," makes a very special kind of sense indeed. the 1980's may well bear out our contention that there is very little left to say." But enough fer now! now where did I misplace my .signature file.... oh well, as they say: DON'T VOTE: DUCK. -- Jeff Lewis {ihnp4 | cbosgd | all sorts of other interesting hosts}!pur-ee!lewie