Royal Trux : Classic or Dud ?

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Law man--I'm afraid you just walked in here at the wrong time
my old man's gun has never been fired
but there's a first time and this could be
this could be the first time

Law man
you know you look to be a lot younger than me and
I'd hate to shoot a baby
you've got a long way to go before you're old and slow
and it could be
it could be a good time if you change your mind
well I'm tired and sweet from making love
and it's just too late
you'll have to wait
bring your business around here in the morning

well I've heard your line
and you've heard mine
and I'm just too tired to take a side
bring your business around here in the morning
Don't you want to be easy look there
let some of the things you see go on by or
you can burn them into your brain go on home
Don't you see the children, they're just like you
they want everything to be fine but they let it slide
and the laughing lets you know that smiling breaks the rules

Law breaker you know it could be me
and if you had your way we'd all be down
under the face of a clock that's just too old to be wound
and you can see now the old hands won't move around
one way or the other,
fool card brother this could be,
this could be, the first time.

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 17:27 (eighteen years ago) link

This song is unimpeachable - both versions.

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 17:28 (eighteen years ago) link

hey thanks for the ysis, mike.

hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 24 August 2005 20:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Mike thank you for the wonderfulness.

Does anyone have the 3rd one?

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Thursday, 25 August 2005 14:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Accelerator: A film inspired and soundtracked by Royal Trux's album "Accelerator"
Plot synopsis

1. "I'm Ready" - opening credits. As soon as the song abruptly explodes into existence, our hero is shown sitting straight up in bed in shock, facing the camera. As the song and credits continue, a sped-up montage shows him brushing his teeth, getting dressed, eating breakfast, walking out the front door, looking for a few seconds at an abused, dented dune buggy that sits in the family garage (foreshadowing), and riding his bike to school.
2. "Yellow Kid" - Hero sits mournfully in bathroom stall, having just been confronted by school bullies for being the "weird new kid" in front of an attractive young girl. He slams the bathroom wall with his fist in desperation. He IS the eponymous "Yellow Kid."
3. "The Banana Question" - Having gotten news that dune buggy racing is the hot teen activity in his new town, our hero decides to fix up his brother's old dune buggy, despite the fact that his brother was killed in a freak dune buggy accident. Another montage sequence ensues as he tightens bolts, polishes roll bars, gets squirted with oil, etc. Good wholesome teenage fun.
4. "Another Year" - Plays behind slo-mo footage of the race, the camera whips around often so the footage is blurred and chaotic. Sand flies as the buggies leap over the dunes, hanging suspended in the air. Our hero thinks he has a grasp on first place, but in an accident eerily close to the one that killed his brother, he spins out and collides with a palm tree.
5. "Juicy Juice" - Our hero, his arm now in a cast, has given up on dune buggy racing, has resigned himself to being unpopular for the rest of high school, and has taken a job working at an ice cream store in a mall. But who should walk in but the attractive girl from his school! As the camera slowly pans over her nubile young body, this song plays.
6. "Liar" - Our hero is confronted by his parents, who are angry that he has been racing and are afraid that he will be killed like his brother. But our hero is starting to regain his confidence and needs a way to impress the girl, so he rebels and says he will race in the state championship that weekend, and there's nothing they can do about it. Doors are slammed, tears are shed.
7. "New Bones" - Our hero and the girl have quickly fallen in love, he has confessed his fears of ever racing his dune buggy again, but she convinces him that he needs to race, and win, to honor his brother's memory. They kiss shyly, then passionately. Then they get really high on mushrooms and screw. This controversial scene earns "Accelerator" an NC-17 rating.
8. "Follow the Winner" - The climactic race. Spurred on by new love and his fresh lack of virginity, our hero has grown into a virile, manly specimen who intimidates the other racers with his masculine charm, making this an easy win for him. The lesson learned: Dune buggy racing is a sport of confidence and mind games, not to be trifled with by the weak.
9. "Stevie" - Following the award ceremony, the girl and the hero jump into the dune buggy and ride off into the sunset. Closing credits.

n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 25 August 2005 14:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm liking what I hear. Just a little suggestion. Maybe emphasize this part:

They kiss shyly, then passionately. Then they get really high on mushrooms and screw.

Then add maybe: an apocalyptic meteor shower, return to cave-living, mutant politicians and a talking cat. Um, scuba diving, pirates, helpful dolphins, skate boarding with a sail attached to it across the desert, jesus freaks and Vermont.

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Thursday, 25 August 2005 14:54 (eighteen years ago) link

I love the Royal Trux. OK, so when you buy one of their records you never can tell whether it will be any good or not, but the good ones are soooooo good, despite sounding like they were recorded in a spare ten minutes they had between fixes. They were also great when I saw them live.

DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 25 August 2005 15:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Does anyone have the 3rd one?

The Return of the Third Tower:
http://s36.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=19LHLBAHGED2U08QV8UKI6AM55

Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Thursday, 25 August 2005 19:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Hey will you look at that - didn't see it on your soulseek - thanks so much Mr. Dixn.

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Friday, 26 August 2005 06:15 (eighteen years ago) link

"Pound for Pound" was playing when I walked into a record shop this afternooon and it was one of those "this is the best record in the world" sort of moments.

Ranking Rupert (Ranking Rupert), Sunday, 4 September 2005 15:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Royal Trux roolz.

Ian John50n (orion), Sunday, 4 September 2005 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link

this pussy galore record i'm listening to, historia de la musica rock, definitely has a proto-trux vibe. more hagerty, less spencer pls thx.

Ian John50n (orion), Sunday, 4 September 2005 18:41 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah that one's my favorite. "Don't Jones Me" is up there with Trux's all time best. Too bad it's not a Neil solo record though

Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Sunday, 4 September 2005 18:49 (eighteen years ago) link

Spencer is pretty good on that!

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 4 September 2005 20:38 (eighteen years ago) link

fuck a jon spencer! where is my copy of EXTRA WIDTH?

Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 5 September 2005 00:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Gotta be his best moment? I was really into Historia and disappointed when the first Blues Explosion record came out (though, of course, Trux were great for a long time) and did not follow Spencer after that.

To me, Historia de la Musica Rock is like a Godz 2 kind of awesomeness!

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 00:47 (eighteen years ago) link

i got into an argument once with a free jazz snob who derided ALL "modern rock music", except for JSBX.

gear (gear), Monday, 5 September 2005 00:49 (eighteen years ago) link

That sounds horrible.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 00:52 (eighteen years ago) link

the bro couldn't even argue about music. he was smart enough to namecheck some obscurities but he was one of the guys who couldn't formulate an argument for or against anything. he was just letting his taste do the talking for him, but couldn't even explain why this made him a better person than everyone else and not just some dull forty-something asshole with a beard and a couple of Peter Brotzmann CDs.

gear (gear), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:00 (eighteen years ago) link

"free jazz snob" = junkie?

Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:01 (eighteen years ago) link

The beginning of this thread is amazing, by the way. We've got a very unenthusiastic original post, then replies of dud, probably dud, so very in between, never be classic but certainly isn't dud, I like them, best rock band ever, worse than Yo La Tengo/noisy and tuneless, classic, and then the thread died.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:11 (eighteen years ago) link

in other words....ehh, very wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, right, extremely right, nonsense/moronic, OTM, time for revival

gear (gear), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:12 (eighteen years ago) link

it's weird, because almost everyone i know (either in real life or on this board) LOVES teh trux. the haters must obviously be in a totally different social sphere.

Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I spend a great deal of time IRL trying to convince people of the Trux's greatness, and some of my attempts are successful.

gear (gear), Monday, 5 September 2005 01:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Stupid people don't like them, ugly people too

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 5 September 2005 11:58 (eighteen years ago) link

"Accelerator" remains tight as tight in a way I'd expect a fellow Beatles obsessive to mofucking get, frankly

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:38 (eighteen years ago) link

You're referring to me, I guess. I only heard it once and was just not so into the Trux direction at the time. They had already done Thank You - do you really think it's tight on that level?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link

WAY WAY WAY tighter. A thousand times superior. I don't get the Thank You love so much tho, it's OK, a vvv good Lp, but Accelerator's the one. It's like UM Revolver, Thank You's like Rubber Soul.

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link

accelerator = \m/

latebloomer: snakes, snails, and puppydog tails (latebloomer), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link

I just realised, "Accelerator" and "Revolver" are maybe my two fav recs ever. MEANWHILE I believe some types try to say rtx aren't rock. We sit asstumed.

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:54 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't know - I only heard it once. I remember that stupid "Banana Question" thing and remember thinking WTF - Trux on autopilot reverting to doing "Strawberry Soda" after all this time. Royal Trux were an INSPIRED GROUP, man. For a while, anyway. In the beginning, it wasn't just some "keepin' on keepin' on" with your indie rock career on Drag City Records trip.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:54 (eighteen years ago) link

That's the secondbest song on it! LISTEN, BROTHER, etc. Really.

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Three dollar bin or less and I'm there, man. Just for you.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:01 (eighteen years ago) link

oh that's brit prices though. hmm

gear (gear), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:07 (eighteen years ago) link

I've got most of the Royal Trux albums (though I don't know where the self-titled one disappeared to), and while I haven't listened to them lately, it's definitely a special body of work. At some point (perhaps near future cuz of this thread) I'll immerse myself in all of them again. Hard to say they're classic. Alongside JSBX, Shellac, Grifters, Red Red Meat, Mule, Big Chief, Afghan Whigs, Jesus Lizard, Polvo, etc., their live shows are part of my fond memories of shows being a big EVENT amongst friends in our early 20s. Every couple years I listen to their albums when I get in a phase. Classic to me and some people here, but not in the sense of a larger cultural zeitgeist.

Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 03:58 (eighteen years ago) link

That list is like evidence of why they're so good, actually. If you can't hear what takes them far and high above those jobsworth workaday civilians, sure. Oh Tim "Accelerator" is by no means as tight bandwise as "Thank You", its tightness is conceptual, it comes out in the arrangements and so on. The finished version. It's a postproduction record, lent my fingers to Beatles suggestions.

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Can you describe what you think is great about the arrangements and post-production?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link

My sister asked me to make her a "workout" mix CD on the weekend.
Tracklisting:
1. Waterpark
2. The Exception
3. I'm Ready
4. Juicy Juicy Juice
5. The Banana Question
6. Another Year
7. Platinum Tips
8. Sunshine & Grease
9. Fire Hill
10. The United States Vs. One 1974 Cadillac el Dorado Sedan
11. Joint Chief
12. Low Ass Mountain Song
13. Stoked
14. Heavy Gator
15. What Man, Who Are You?
16. Pair Back Up Mass With
17. Chicago Charlemagne
18. Ray-O-Vac
19. Dr. Gone
20. Stop

Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:45 (eighteen years ago) link

I'll say it again: this was a band where every move they made was interesting for a long time. Then, they just seemed to go flat. Sweet Sixteen was not an improvement on Thank You. The songs were less well-written and the thing was just sloppy all around. I don't know what the fuck Accelerator was supposed to be. Then, with Veterans of Disorder (what a fucking stupid title!) and Pound for Pound it was like Thank You again, but not as good. Big fucking deal!

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:46 (eighteen years ago) link

one month passes...
wrong

gear (gear), Thursday, 13 October 2005 05:42 (eighteen years ago) link

When is the new Howling Hex out?

Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Sometime in November.

Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Thursday, 13 October 2005 14:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh hey it's this thread - here's another work out mix for your sister.

A Night To Remember
Morphic Resident
Platinum Tips
Firebase Ripcord
Small Theif
Second Skin
Law Man
Liar
Chicago Charlemagne
Shockwave Rider
Ray O Vac
Deep Country Sorcerer
Texas Dogleg
(Have You Met) Horror James
Some People Are Crazy
Back to School
Signed, Confused
The Flag
Map Of The City
Yo Se

jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Thursday, 13 October 2005 15:34 (eighteen years ago) link

"I don't know what the fuck Accelerator was supposed to be."

the most kick ass rock record ever. the 80s entry in the production trilogy. i have no idea how someone could not love this record. don't be a liar

resuscitated hanged man, Thursday, 13 October 2005 17:59 (eighteen years ago) link

Holy Shit. I can't believe it took me until this week, and buying "Pound for Pound" in the used bin for $5, to realize I had slept on such an amazing band for so long. Moremoremore.

Stuck to a Seat in the New Beverly (Bent Over at the Arclight), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link

That remark makes me realize why people say Tim is crazy!

Lion-O (nordicskilla), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:09 (eighteen years ago) link

"the 80s entry in the production trilogy" - roffl.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:19 (eighteen years ago) link

crazy!

gear (gear), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link

WE'RE NOT CRAZY!

http://www.toliveandshaveinla.com/flemmas/vonbg.jpg

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:39 (eighteen years ago) link


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