From Texan psycho rock to Swedish Satanic Pop, or Vice Versa...
We open our musical portals each at our own pace. As such, I have to confess that I've only just recently started listening to the Swedish band Ghost and, through them, am also only just discovering the rich musical world of the late Roky Erickson (1947-2019).
Ghost, for those unaware, is the tongue-in-cheek Satanic musical enterprise headed up by Tobias Forge, who assumes a variety of ghoulish monikers as its front-man. Glance at the general aesthetics and you might well assume it to be some manner of Antichrist-themed death metal -- and I assumed just this for years. Much of the music, however, is more far more Fleetwood Mac than Slayer. Think of it as the pop music of Hell.
I dig a number of Ghost's standout tracks (Dance Macabre, He Is, Mary on the Cross, Square Hammer, Kiss the Go-Goat), but I was really taken with the title(ish) track from their 2013 EP If You Have Ghost. Here, have a listen:
When I looked closer, I made the discovery that many, many other Ghost listeners have made: The track is a cover of song by psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson. His original version is collected on the excellent 1987 compilation The Evil One, stemming from earlier inclusion on a 1981 release by the same name. The Texan rock vibe and weird, horror- and sci-fi-infused lyrics are enough to love on their own. But there's more here -- a kind of stream of consciousness poetry that takes on additional meaning when you read about Erickson's struggles with schizophrenia.
Here's Erickson's original If You Have Ghosts, but I highly encourage you to dive into "The Evil One" for the full experience.
I'm also partial to Creature With the Atom Brain, Night of the Vampire and Stand for the Fire Demon if you need more specific tracks to check out. In addition to his solo work, he's also known as the former front-man of the 13th Floor Elevators. I've heard good things about the 2005 documentary You're Gonna Miss Me if you want to learn more about his story.
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