True West - Preparing for the 'Paisley Underground'

How is it True West are still unrecognized for their vital contribution to the southern California sound which emerged in the early-to-mid eighties? A sound that years later would be affectionately called the 'Paisley Underground'; a scene which also included The Dream Syndicate, The Rain Parade, Green On Red, and even The Bangles; a rich legacy which includes Rhino's superb 2005 Children of Nuggets 4CD box set?

So how can fans of True West, a band with a respectable recorded output and a line-up that included the multi-talented Gavin Blair and Russ Tolman, expect to settle for a mere 'you might also enjoy checking out' mention on page 18 of the Nuggets booklet?

They can't.

And neither can the fans of the other Paisley Undergound bands, as they're missing a vital part of the story. No matter if you weren't around in 1984 when True West  released their first EP (on their own label, Bring Out Your Dead Records). True West is still waiting to be discovered today, whether you pick up the 2007 reissue of their debut album Hollywood Holiday on CD (which also includes the 1984 follow-up Drifters, along with three Tom Verlaine produced demos from 1983) or go back and get your hands on that first five-song True West EP, you simply will not believe what you've been missing.

For me, it began with the True West EP. From the frenetic drum roll and reverb-drenched salvo of the opening track 'Steps To That Door', I was hooked. What WAS this sound exactly? Psychedelic, sure, but in 1983?  While The Rain Parade channelled The Byrds with 'What She's Done To Your Mind', True West somehow transported the Syd Barrett Pink Floyd to the 1980's. (As further evidence, a rousing cover of 'Lucifer Sam' opens side two.) The mixing on each track is the work of a band that knows exactly the sound it wants. Sometimes Gavin Blair's vocals are front and center; other times, they are nestled just behind Russ Tolman's guitar and Frank French's drums. Still gives me chills.

Since the debut EP was released before I discovered True West, I was psyched to find more stuff by them. When I found 1984's Hollywood Holiday, I was surprised to find all the songs from the True West EP were on it, along with three new tracks - 'And Then The Rain', 'Hollywood Holiday', and 'You'. When I saw that this LP was an import (on France's New Rose Records), I thought it was a great way to bring a near-flawless set of songs to a whole new audience. Sadly, this audience would only be in Europe, as this LP was not released in the U.S. Still, I was thrilled to find this album (Russ Tolman called it a 'mini-lp'), as the additional tracks meshed with the older tracks extremely well, and they even served as a hint of things to come.

I wasn't aware of it at the time, but 1984's Drifters reveal a band in transition. Yes, I could see there were more line-up changes, although core members Blair, Tolman, and Richard McGrath remained. Gone too were the psychedelics so prevalent on the True West EP. But behind the scenes, as the liner notes to the 2007 CD reissue reveal, there were tensions within the band during the recording of Drifters. Which is kind of sad, as I've seen this sophomore effort get a lot of well-deserved praise over the years. While there are some gems on Drifters - standouts include 'Look Around', 'Speak Easy', and a toned-down remake of  'And Then The Rain' - I have to admit I prefer the earlier True West sound.

Still, I was proud to call myself a fan. Drifters was released in the U.S. (on PVC Records), so I saw this as a positive sign. Another positive sign was the unexpected 1985 find of a True West bootleg LP entitled Dreams Forever.  Ten tracks recorded in November 1984 in Charlotte, N.C. (obviously in support of Drifters), with the requisite poor sound quality: a sure sign True West had a loyal following.
(As further proof that being a True West fan brings you a never ending supply of surprises, this bootleg saw an official release onto CD, as The Big Boot: Live at the Milestone, by  Bring Out Your Dead Records in 1998.)

It was always apparent Russ Tolman had aspirations. He was (and is) just so talented, and  although I wasn't a big Dream Syndicate fan, I knew who Steve Wynn was, and I knew that Tolman was good friends with him. Since The Dream Syndicate had a much larger following than True West, it only seemed natural that Russ Tolman would set up a record label with Wynn (Down There Records), and eventually fly solo. When this did happen, as a fan of True West and Russ Tolman, I of course followed both paths.

1986 saw releases from both camps. True West released the 10-track LP Hand of Fate on Skyclad Records, while Russ Tolman released Totem Poles and Glory Holes on Demon Records in the U.K. and  Down There Records (distributed by Restless) in the U.S.

The opening track of Hand of Fate, 'Falling Away', is the highlight for me, with its catchy hook, lush production, and Blair's energized vocals formulating a quintessential power pop song. As enjoyable as the rest of the songs are on the album, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Wall of Voodoo's Happy Planet album, recorded after the departure of their vocalist/songwriter Stan Ridgway. Good songs, but each missing that vital component.

This is not to take anything away from either release. Russ Tolman's first solo album is a strong effort as well. In fact, I've sold more copies of this CD on my website than any True West release. 'Talking Hoover Dam Blues' and 'Play Hard To Forget' are instant classics, and the overall sound production is first-rate. It was a real treat to hear Frank French's drums again, as parts of this album harken back to the early True West sound (which is to be expected). The success of this first LP obviously set Tolman up for a productive solo career, while True West decided to call it a day in 1987 (sadly, after the sudden death of bassist Kevin Staydohar).

I have never stopped being a True West fan, and good fortune has always seemed to follow me when it comes to finding True West product. In 1989, a great year for True West followers, Skyclad released West Side Story, an 11-track collection of outtakes, demos, and live performances. While Trouser Press dismisses this posthumous release as a 'meager career appendix', I recommend it for the superior live version of 'Speak Easy' and t cover of the Stooges '1969'.

Also in 1989, New Rose Records released Hollywood Holiday and Drifters onto one CD. A great start for anyone curious about True West, this now impossible-to-find twofer has since been domestically released in the U.S. twice - first as 1992's Two True (on Skyclad), and again in 2007 as Hollywood Holiday Revisited (on Atavistic), the version currently in print.

This spectacular reissue offers the most comprehensive True West history, with extensive liner notes from both Russ Tolman and Magnet's Jud Cost. The glorious 20-page booklet is also packed with band photos and press clippings. In addition to the timeless 18 tracks that truly represent the best True West have to offer, this CD also includes The Verlaine Demos, three tracks produced by Tom Verlaine in late '83. (This amazing collaboration made it well worth my picking up Hollywood Holiday for the third time!)

In 1990 Skyclad released two different True West compilations in two different formats: Best Western on CD and TV Western on LP. Best Western is the one I recommend as it compiles four tracks from West Side Story, three from the TV Western LP, and four CD-only live tracks, including an unexpected, but extremely enjoyable, cover of 'Suspicious Minds'.

(To this day, both West Side Story and TV Western have not been released onto CD; nor has True West's final release, Hand of Fate. With Skyclad Records folded, who owns this material?)

For fans of Russ Tolman, there is also plenty to discover. I have not kept up with his entire career, but the times I've checked in, I've not been disappointed. Of particular interest is his Down There label's 1989 compilation (marketed by Restless) Only 39,999,999 Behind 'Thriller': Down There Records 1981-1988 which has tracks by The Dream Syndicate and Green On Red, as well as solo tracks by both Tolman and Steve Wynn. This compilation, which I never would have found without True West, allowed me the opportunity to fill in the gaps for other fine bands and singles I missed while tripping out to 'Steps To The Door' and 'Lucifer Sam'.

All this great music came out long before the term 'Paisley Underground' was coined. Certainly, the mega-success of The Bangles and Mazzy Star raised significant awareness to the underground scene of southern California (which, for some, offered a refreshing change of pace from the Jane's Addiction or Guns N' Roses 'scenes') to the post-MTV generation. Even after house, grunge, and Britpop had their respective days, there has always been an affectionate reminiscence associated with the 'Paisley Underground' bands - from a Magnet magazine cover story in 2001 (which also overlooked True West's contribution) to the must-have Children of Nuggets box set released by Rhino in 2005.

True West was my introduction to the Paisley Underground before such an place existed.  My ongoing psychedelic period, which took me to Shoegaze in the late 80s/early 90s and to The Asteroid No.4 today, couldn't have happened without a certain little self-titled, self-released EP that truly showed me a world out there to explore.