Truth And Janey - Erupts (1976/2008 Rockadrome Remastered)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Truth And Janey
Album: Erupts (Live)
Released: 1976/2008
Vintage/Rockadrome (Rock-005-V-2)
Genre: Heavy Hard Rock
Amazon: The musical group Truth was formed sometime in late ‘69 in a small city in Iowa by original members Billy Janey, Steve Bock and John Fillingsworth. The band pulled it's name from the title of a Jeff Beck album and drew inspiration from Beck as well as idols Cream and Hendrix. This lineup, however, would last barely a year until drummer Denis Bunce was brought in the replace Fillingsworth and form what would be the group's legendary line-up. By 1972 the group was regularly performing and writing original material. It was in this time that they would release their debut, a 7" 45rpm featuring "Midnight Horseman" and a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Under my Thumb." Although, Guitarist Billy Janey claims that 1,000 copies of this single were pressed, to a collector nowadays it feels a lot more like 100 copies because it's extremely hard to turn up.
During 1973 the band issued their 2nd 7" single on their own Driving Wheel label and shortly thereafter changed their name to the more familiar Truth and Janey. The songs "Straight Eight Pontiac" and "Around and Around" were featured on the group's second 45rpm. It was also around this time they became aware of another band signed to a major label subsidiary that was using the name Truth. In order to avoid any confusion or possible legal hassles they opted to change the name to "Truth and Janey." The band did a fair amount of touring during the ‘73-'75 period including some dates on a Leslie West tour, shows in Canada, Kansas, Illinois, Nashville and other mid-western sites as well as a huge music festival with Blue Oyster Cult in Davenport, Iowa that drew some 20,000 hard rock fans. All the while, they were writing original material and gearing up for the release of their first full length album. In 1976, in A and R studios in Ames, Iowa, they laid down the tracks that would form the now infamous "No Rest for the Wicked" album released later that same year. The record featured six original tunes and two traditional blues covers revved up in true powerhouse Truth and Janey fashion. Only 1,000 copies of the album were pressed on the local Montross records. Since it's release, it has grown steadily over the years in popularity among collectors of 60's and 70's hard rock and psychedelia with original copies now fetching a large sum in the collector's market. It has often been lauded as perhaps the best and most promising independent U.S. heavy rock release of the entire 70's decade. One thing's for sure, you won't hear many arguments to the contrary. Unfortunately, disco reared it's ugly head around 1976 and severely damaged the lives of many small hard rock bands around the country, including Truth and Janey. Just as the ball started rolling it all ended as Denis Bunce left the group and quickly thereafter they completely disbanded. In a last ditch effort, guitarist Billy Janey reformed the group with all new members in 1977 and released the "Just a Little Bit of Magic" album, but it was a move in a completely different direction and has little to do with the ferocious hard rock guitar Marshall 100-watt Superlead sound that dominated "No Rest for the Wicked." By 1978 this lineup had disbanded as well and Truth and Janey was officially over. Bassist Steve Bock left for California to join commercial rockers Nowhere Fast, drummer Denis Bunce left music altogether, and guitarist Billy Janey remained in Iowa to start a solo career. Janey went on to release several blues guitar oriented compact discs under the name BillyLee Janey throughout the 80's and 90's and is still recording and releasing material today. During the early 90's Truth and Janey's popularity among collectors made it's way to the band and it was decided that something should be done to help appease the ever growing demand for the band's long sold-out debut Lp. It was at this time they decided to do a new limited vinyl pressing of the original "No Rest for the Wicked" album, but this time in blank white die.
Allmusic Biography: The late-'60s power trio format made famous by Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience sent inspirational shockwaves across the rock & roll universe, and among the most isolated examples of its influence must have been eastern Iowa's extremely obscure cult hard rock band Truth and Janey. Taking their name from the seminal Jeff Beck Group album, vocalist/guitarist Billy Janey, vocalist/bassist Steven Bock, and drummer Denis Bunce (original percussionist John Fillingsworth lasted less than a year) began penning original material, recorded a pair of singles in 1972/1973, and then evolved into Truth and Janey when informed that another band already held rights to the Truth moniker before them. Arduous roadwork in the neighboring states kept the band busy in years to come, but the absence of a major record deal eventually drove them to finance their own album -- a fierce and bluesy hard rocker to be entitled No Rest for the Wicked -- at a studio in nearby Ames, IA. This they released through a local independent label, and its 1,000-unit pressing quickly sold out among their dedicated fans in the region -- but that was it. With no apparent career-advancing prospects in their near future, Truth and Janey disbanded the following year, with main man Janey turning to blues and adding a "Lee" to his name before recording several albums throughout the '80s and '90s. Truth and Janey's modest legacy was kept alive by their few cult followers and eventually led to an official CD pressing of No Rest for the Wicked by Monster Records (which added all four of their single A- and B-sides, to boot), and a legendary live performance released in 2004 as Erupts! - By Eduardo Rivadavia.
Album Reviews:
#1: Truth and Janey erupt with absolutely crushing live recordings from 1976 by one of the midwest's heaviest power trio of all time!!! This features material taken from their previously released double LP from the early 90s on compact disc for the first time! Tune in and hear Billylee Janey take his '64 Gibson Firebird to new heights of heavy wailing godlyness!!!! A raw, loud, screaming guitar trip back in time to 1976! Re-packaged for the Vintage (Rockadrome) label with new artwork and booklet containing an interview with guitarist Billylee Janey! Over 70 minutes of heavy jams! - Rockadrome.
#2: Janey has the playing ability as well as the allure of his European counterparts Roth or Schenker while the rhythm section hold up to the likes of Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. - Edge of Time
#3: Truth and Janey deliver the goods perfectly. I mean, their songs are well arranged, the songwriting is solid - there's nothing out of place here. The melodic vocals are delivered with power and depth, the guitar work is flawless. - Psychedelic Fanzine
#4: It's not good simply because it's a cool rediscovery, this album kicks all kinds of ass no matter what the measuring stick. Truth and Janey play a style of hard rock that combines elements of Jeff Beck's guitar playing (Janey's guitar hero), the Allman Brothers southern groove, T2's epic fantasy prog/hard rock sound and a dose of down home boogie rock." - Roadburn
#5: it's all about boogie rock and roll prog blues. The guitar work and vocals are a serious force to reckon with. You should check out this record if you want to be brought back down to Earth...it makes you realize that you might just play rock and roll your whole life going un-noticed. File in the 70's section of your collection very close to Budgie, Rush, Zep and the James Gang..." - stonerrock.com
#6: The Truth and Janey sound is probably captured best on this live record. It's a mix of classic rock, psychedelic guitar rock reminiscent of Hendrix, and the progressive structures of a band like Budgie. Lots of jammy parts, some of them heavier than others of course. Some of it reminds me of the same kind of deep blues rooted 'Cream' material. Nice and heavy, but soulful and tastefully done. This Truth and Janey CD shows that some things never change … even in almost 30 years. This masterful live recording from April 8, 1976 at the Col. Ballroom in Davenport, Iowa showcases why bands today should be paying homage to Truth and Janey. They were laying down the heavy, slugging it out on the circuit, rolling off riff after riff, tasteful extended solo after solo… doing things their way, while thumbing their noses to the era of disco. Sonically, this is the best kind of band sponsored live release. It sounds like a bootleg from an audience member, but a bootleg done off the soundboard after slipping the soundman a twenty. It’s clear, but it’s raw. Instruments are all at discernable levels, and vocals are spot on, but there’s a rough quality here that allows the listener to be taken back 28 years and dropped dead center in front of Bill Janey lighting up his stratocaster. I mean, if you like ‘live’ recordings that make you feel as if you were at the show, this one’s for you. And it’s funny how things don’t change much. This is the first live recording I’ve ever heard where the turnout was piss poor. I’m talking maybe 20 people at the show?!?!?! Not too different from many of the fuzz rock shows I’ve been to over the last few years. But this just added to the whole mystique of the recording. I found myself entertaining the question, who are these cats? How have I never heard this band before? When I think of 70’s underground rock, man, this band and live recording embody the 70’s. They are the real deal. Musically, they take all the influences of the day (Hendrix, Cream, Captain Beyond, etc.) and manage to create their own sound and unique songs. Bill Janey is a guitarist extraordinaire. Steve Bock’s bass playing would turn lesser players’ fingers into pretzel knots. Dennis Bunce keeps time like a Rolex without the pretentiousness. Furthermore, I catch Marc Bolan/T. Rex warble in Janey’s vocals which is a plus in my book. All in all, an excellent live recording that engages the listener as close to the live experience as possible. If you like the obscure, enjoy digging into the past, checking out a band that paved the way for good rock bands like Fu Manchu and Nebula, you will enjoy this. - Chris Goes Rock.
#7: For an unknown, MID-AMERICAN band that really did not go anywhere, this is an authentic, vintage recording of some no-frills hard-rock recorded live in the middle of nowhere. No spacey effects, keyboards or horns, just heavy drums, guitars, and rumbling bass doodalings (did I spell that correctly?) are throughout this live recording and telling by the background of the audience, it was probably no more than 40 people for this showing. The recording is pretty audible. I think I might have heard a few little audio drop-outs here and there but still good sound quality overall. Not the greatest band that I have ever heard but definitely not a dissapointment either. I do recommend this for hard rock afficianados. Definitely give them a try. Something similiar to 70's PENTAGRAM, SIR LORD BALTIMORE and BANG (actually, better than BANG, imho.) - John L. Kowal, Amazon.
The Truth and Janey sound is probably captured best on this live record. It's a mix of classic rock, psychedelic guitar rock reminiscent of Hendrix, and the progressive structures of a band like Budgie. Lots of jammy parts, some of them heavier than others of course. Some of it reminds me of the same kind of deep blues rooted 'Cream' material. Nice and heavy, but soulful and tastefully done.
This Truth and Janey CD shows that some things never change … even in almost 30 years. This masterful live recording from April 8, 1976 at the Col. Ballroom in Davenport, Iowa showcases why bands today should be paying homage to Truth and Janey. They were laying down the heavy, slugging it out on the circuit, rolling off riff after riff, tasteful extended solo after solo… doing things their way, while thumbing their noses to the era of disco.
Sonically, this is the best kind of band sponsored live release. It sounds like a bootleg from an audience member, but a bootleg done off the soundboard after slipping the soundman a twenty. It’s clear, but it’s raw. Instruments are all at discernable levels, and vocals are spot on, but there’s a rough quality here that allows the listener to be taken back 28 years and dropped dead center in front of Bill Janey lighting up his stratocaster. I mean, if you like ‘live’ recordings that make you feel as if you were at the show, this one’s for you.
And it’s funny how things don’t change much. This is the first live recording I’ve ever heard where the turnout was piss poor. I’m talking maybe 20 people at the show?!?!?! Not too different from many of the fuzz rock shows I’ve been to over the last few years. But this just added to the whole mystique of the recording. I found myself entertaining the question, who are these cats? How have I never heard this band before? When I think of 70’s underground rock, man, this band and live recording embody the 70’s. They are the real deal.
Musically, they take all the influences of the day (Hendrix, Cream, Captain Beyond, etc.) and manage to create their own sound and unique songs. Bill Janey is a guitarist extraordinaire. Steve Bock’s bass playing would turn lesser players’ fingers into pretzel knots. Dennis Bunce keeps time like a Rolex without the pretentiousness. Furthermore, I catch Marc Bolan/T. Rex warble in Janey’s vocals which is a plus in my book.
All in all, an excellent live recording that engages the listener as close to the live experience as possible. If you like the obscure, enjoy digging into the past, checking out a band that paved the way for good rock bands like Fu Manchu and Nebula, you will enjoy this.
Truth and Janey are:
Bill Janey – Guitars, Vocals
Steve Bock – Bass, Vocals
Denis Bunce – Drums, Vocals
Track Listing:
1. No Rest for the Wicked
2. Birth of the Heart
3. Universal Light
4. A Child
5. Building Walls
6. Tunnel of Tomorrow
7. The Light
8. One Down One to Go
9. White Bread
10. My Mind
11. As I Am
12. Ain’t No Tellin
13. Hard Road
http://www.monsterrecords.com/monster/Live76cd.jpg
|
