Roky Erickson - Think Of As One

From the album 'Never Say Goodbye', released in 1999 As frontman for the incendiary 13th Floor Elevators from 1965 to 1968, outsider singer-songwriter Roky Erickson helped fuse the raw excitement of garage rock with the spiritual seeking and sublime silliness of the farthest-reaching psychedelic rock. Never Say Goodbye showcases Erickson's solo style--the songs are strong (if idiosyncratic), the lyrics delicately wrought and informed by a Christian sensibility. The fidelity approaches that of an Edison cylinder, but it somehow fits the material just fine--the tunes dig so nakedly and unpretentiously into the human heart, they sound like they come from Mars. Mostly recorded between 1971 (when he was still interned in Rusk State Hospital during a three-year stint for possession of marijuana) and 1974, Never Say Goodbye is wholly recommended despite its sound quality; there are no other known versions of these songs. On each tune, Erickson tosses off pure pop hooks ("I've Never Known This 'Til Now") with seemingly total ease and croons in that Buddy Holly-esque, high-pitched voice of his, which never falters. Most of all, his lyrics and spirit demonstrate true grace and love in the face of far worse.