The Silos - 1990 Tour Live Compilation - 'Flipping The Bird'

The Silos

(Another great former Gainesville area band)
'Flipping The Bird'
1990 Tour Live Compilation (3-CD set)
Soundboard recording, very good quality, made and compiled by Joe Chinnici
mp3 @ vbr (180-320 kbps
  
Update of previous post

Just wanted to let those (few) people who have shown interest in the Gainesville artists know about a very cool link that has a vintage Silos show in great quality. As you should know, The Silos were the bend Walter Salas-Humara formed after leaving The Vulgar Boatmen. They created alot of buzz in the late eighties to early nineties, released several indie tapes and albums, and one major label album (The Silos, on RCA, 1990 - aka "The One with the Bird on the Cover") that was (like with the Boatmen) critically acclaimed, but sold poorly. They continued on for many years in various forms (usually Walter with varying different band members), but never made it big, and this early 1990's period is generally considered their best (although they're still around and still good today). Well, Brian Doherty, who was the drummer with the band during that time, and also went on to play with/for bands like They Might Be Giants, XTC, and Ben Folds, has a blog and has recently been writing about his experiences in the music biz, including his time with The Silos, and he has some very interesting comments, observations, and stories that he tells. But most importantly, he also shares a download of a 3-cd compilation of live tracks from their 1990 tour, a high quality soundboard recording made by their sound guy, Joe Chinnici. Brian states that he thinks this is the best recording by the band, capturing their full potential as a great Rock 'n roll band better than any of their released albums. He also recounts what a great and special band the Silos were back then. Be sure to check this out, and marvel at how this excellent band never quite made it. So, I have included a link to Brian's blog that lists all the Silos-related posts, including the live compilation download (entitled Flippin the Bird). However, since in a recent check Brian's download link was dead, I have also included my own updated download link for the live compilation, so that this will remain available here, regardless of the status of Brian's websitei. But thanks to Brian (and Joe) for making this available, and by all means check out Brian's site to get the full scoop on his adventures with the band, as well as his other writings and posts). If you do visit his blog and want to leave a comment, be sure to tell him that you heard about him from the BB Chronicles.

Brian Doherty's website (and info on The Silos):
http://briandohertydrummer.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20silos

The Silos - Flippin The Bird - Live 1990.rar
New link - updated  09/18/21 

You also should know that The Silos (in a somewhat different form) are also still active, and they have a web site (http://www.thesilos.net/) where virtually all of their records and tapes are still available (and they even have a new album, too), so check that site out also. 

The Vulgar Boatmen - 1982 - Women and Boatmen First (very first recording)

The Vulgar Boatmen
1982 - Women And Boatmen First
First self-released cassette tape
Gainesville, FL
Digital transfer from tape copy, good quality
mp3 @ 320 kbps

OK, so to finish up this look at thr Gainesville Music scene, here's another look at The Vulgar Boatmen, this time, their very first recording, their early long-lost self-released indie cassette tape from 1982, Women and Boatmen First. This is the earliest version of the group, primarily featuring Walter Salas-Humara and John Eder. Although this very early version of the group was decidedly different from the later Robert Ray-Dale Lawrence collaboration, there still was a noticeable glimpse of what the group would eventually become. Robert Ray had just joined the group at this point, and here is what he later had to say about the early Boatmen sound: "The very early Vulgar Boatmen were dominated by John Eder, a singing non-musician who worked much more conceptually and ironically than either Walter or I do. The songs were very "new wavy": frantic tempos and novelty lyrics. The original band had saxophone, which was later replaced by the viola. I think the music has changed, but since I am part of that change, I find it hard to say exactly how. I would say it has become less busy and cluttered, more repetitive and matter-of-fact, less influenced by Elvis Costello (musically) and the Ramones (lyrically) and more by Otis Redding and John Lee Hooker (though we sound nothing like either of them)." (Robert Ray, 1992). Here is another assessment from someone associated with the group: "To me, the first record is more of an off-beat art project that sounds more along the lines of the first Feelies record or Talking Heads than it does the Boatmen... and for the most part, the Boatmen in 1982 has very little to do with, or in common with,  the Vulgar Boatmen in their hey-day, circa about 1992." (Robert Wescott, Mary Janes manager, 2002).
The Boatmen followed up this cassette with another indie cassette-only release in 1984, titled All Bands On Deck, which featured a sound that began to more closely resemble style more closely associated with the later Boatmen releases (Unfortunately, I do not have this tape, nor have ever heard it). After the 1984 tape, Walter departed, and the band was left in the capable hands of Ray, which then began the beginning of the 'classic' period of the Ray-Lawrence collaboration.
So, although not yet the classic sound and style that later became the Boatmen, here is their beginnings. This recording comes from a digital transfer of a cassette copy of the original cassette release, so it may not be pristine sound, but this is a quite rare recording, not available anywhere I know of. So, check out where The Boatmen started out, then check out their more impressive classic releases (1989-You and Your Sister, 1992-Please Panic, and 1995-Opposite Sex).

Tracklist
1.Suzanne Sommers In El Salvador
2.Puntos de Partida (Latin Love)
3.Drink More Coffee (Waste More Time)
4.Hook In My Lip
5.Everyone Is Critical
6.Homeostasis
7.The King's Last Words (Before He Died)
8.I Don't Care
9.Susan
10.This Is War
11.How Round 'n' Round (live)

The Vulgar Boatmen (original lineup):
Jerry Bartolomeo
Steve Cimerberg
Carey Crane
John Eder
Rick Ellis
Helen Kirklin
Robert Ray
Walter Salas-Humara
Ann Waters
Scote Weinkle

Vulgar Boatmen_1982_Women&Children First.rar
New Link (Updated 07/23/24)

Note: picture included here is NOT from the 1982-era band, but is the earliest picture I have of the Band (from Indiana branch?).