Lady Owl, Johnny Alistair and Me...

When I was four years old, I fell through a hole in the ground into a subterranean cave. In there, waiting to be found (it was seven days, I think….. but it seemed like another lifetime), I heard echoes of our ancestors pounding on drums. Waiting in that dark primordial cave…. with one blinding light shining through the hole I fell through just above my head…..just out of reach…..the distant beating on logs that I could hear from deep within that cave in otherwise deafening silence, THAT is my primary drum influence. And the Roland 808 drum machine as well.

Johnny Alistair drumming influences

Acid Viking (2024) signed by Johnny A

Black Sabbath when I was a teenager. After the first few songs the power went out and the stage lights went dark. They got the lights back on but the amps stopped working so they finished the show a cappella. The drummer Bill (Ward) was mouthing the drum parts and Tony (Iomni) was vocalizing the guitar parts. It was insane. I was on mushrooms to top it off. I’m pretty sure they finished a cappella.

Johnny Alistair's first concert, an auspicious start!

Acid Viking back cover (2024)

My great friend Johnny Alistair sent me his recent album Acid Viking and I am so grateful for his kindness and generosity. It is a very interesting mix of original music and lyrics written by Johnny who also handles the drums with skill and precision. Johnny used some great session players including keyboard legend Lester Snell, a veteran of Stax Records and key contributor to hits by Eddie Floyd, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Mavis Staples and so many others. I asked Johnny what his songwriting process was, melodies first or lyrics?, this was his response, “Songs come to me from dreams, I float out of my body and lift up through a portal. There I find them sitting on a mountain waiting for me. I can physically pick it up and then it enters my consciousness. An owl sitting on a nearby branch delivers these riffs to a waiting spot on the riff mountain and I just go there when the time is right.” Sounds like a great process...

The record was recorded and mixed to tape, then completely mastered to analog, an old school process. It was never converted to digital, which necessitated an old school engineer with suitably vintage equipment. Enter Greg Calbi, mastering engineer par excellence with over 7500 album credits, including John Lennon “Walls and Bridges,” Lou Reed “Berlin,” Bob Dylan “Blood On The Tracks,” Bruce Springsteen “Born To Run,” David Bowie “Young Americans,” Patti Smith “Easter,” Talking Heads “ Fear Of Music,” and Taylor Swift “Evermore.” Whew, that’s a lot of work and an impressive CV which omits the 7500 other albums which Greg has worked on!

The music is great, a little heavier than what I listen to now, but it brought back fond memories of Hawkwind’s Hall Of The Mountain Grill, psychedelic space rock at its finest, mixed in with funky echoes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the sonorous dischord of Mark Lanegan. The album artwork is equally striking, crafted by Todd Alcott who mashes up film noir sensibilities with a mid century ethos. All in, a wonderful effort by all concerned. Thank you Johnny, thank you Lady Owl, please go out and support new artists!

https://ladyowl.bandcamp.com

Choice Lady Owl cuts (per BKs request)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAw8gU5B-VA

"Hits Hard" Acid Viking 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbEiJLUqvac

"Acid Viking" Acid Viking 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx98j34sRfM

"Lithium" Acid Viking 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7Wj1Y5YbY

"Boom" Acid Viking 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj0pprJznOw

"Chilly" Acid Viking 2024