Full Description
For nearly twenty years, the much-beloved music magazine Roctober has featured work by some of the best underground cartoonists, exhaustive examinations of made-up genres such as "robot rock," and an ongoing exploration of everything Sammy Davis Jr. ever sang, said, or did. But the heart of the magazine has always been the lengthy conversations with overlooked or forgotten artists. Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll gathers the most compelling of these interviews. Eccentric, important artists-including the rockabilly icon Billy Lee Riley, the jazz musician and activist Oscar Brown Jr., the "Outlaw Country" singer David Allan Coe, and the pioneer rock 'n' roll group the Treniers-give the most in-depth interviews of their lengthy careers. Obscure musicians, such as the Armenian-language novelty artist Guy Chookoorian and the frustrated interstellar glam act Zolar X, reveal fascinating lives lived at rock's margins. Roctober's legendarily dedicated writers convey telling anecdotes in the fervent, captivating prose that has long been appreciated by music enthusiasts. Along with the entertaining interviews, Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll features more than sixty images from the pages of Roctober and ten illustrations created for the book by the underground rock 'n' roll artist King Merinuk.Contributors
Steve Albini
Ben Austen
Jake Austen
John Battles
Bosco
Ken Burke
Mike Maltese
King Merinuk
Ken Mottet
Jonathan Poletti
James Porter
"Colonel" Dan Sorenson
Jacqueline Stewart
Contents
List of Figures ix
Foreword / Steve Albini xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction. Hi Yo, Silver! / Jake Austin 1
Oscar Brown Jr. / James Porter 11
David Allan Coe / Jake Austen (Interview conducted by Jake Austen, James Porter, and Bosco) 31
Guy Chookoorian / Jake Austen 63
Sugar Pie DeSanto / James Porter 113
Billy Lee Riley / Ken Burke 128
The Treniers / John Battles (Interview conducted by John Battles, Jake Austen, Mike Maltese, ken Mottet, and Dan Sorenson) 190
Sam the Sham / James Porter 209
The Good Rats / Jake Austen (Interview conducted by Jake Austen, Jacqueline Stewart, and Ben Austen) 226
Zolar X / Jonathan Poletti 246
Appendix. Suggested Listening, Viewing, Surfing 277
Contributors 281
Index 283
