As the head freak in Texas psychedelic warriors the 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson was a cult hero of '60s rock. Unfortunately, he was derailed early on by a combination of mental illness and substance abuse. After a long, traumatic incarceration, Erickson emerged in the '70s as a solo artist with a sound that was musically more straightforward but just as lyrically twisted, albeit in a new way.
A number of the songs on EVIL ONE are fueled by Erickson's fascination with low-budget horror flicks. It's easy to imagine seeing the titles "Two Headed Dog" and "I Think of Demons" on some 1950s small-town movie marquee. Though Erickson tears into the songs with an almost lunatic ferocity, his musical energy seems purposeful and well directed, buoyed by the straight-ahead garage-punk attack of his band the Aliens. Produced by Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame, EVIL ONE is a focused peek into a world of madness that's both scary and exhilarating.
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Pop
