The title is not entirely truthful, as this compilation covers only Roky Erickson's '80s work for the Enigma/Pink Dust/Restless family of labels, and much of the Texas singer/songwriter's best work, including the title track (showcased here in a 1981 live performance in his hometown of Austin), was recorded in the '60s. Still, this is the best overview of a confusing period in Erickson's career, when the same basic set of songs were recorded several times and released on a variety of labels around the world. (Versions of ...
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The title is not entirely truthful, as this compilation covers only Roky Erickson's '80s work for the Enigma/Pink Dust/Restless family of labels, and much of the Texas singer/songwriter's best work, including the title track (showcased here in a 1981 live performance in his hometown of Austin), was recorded in the '60s. Still, this is the best overview of a confusing period in Erickson's career, when the same basic set of songs were recorded several times and released on a variety of labels around the world. (Versions of these songs, most of them recorded in the early '80s, were still showing up in the late '90s.) The versions collected here tend to be the definitive ones, most of them produced by ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook in the late '70s and early '80s. There's an unfortunate element of "Hey! Lookit the weird crazy guy!" in some circles of Erickson's admirers, a disturbingly voyeuristic quality that largely ignores the fact that although Erickson's legendary mental problems are part of his mystique, he's also an incredibly gifted songwriter. There are songs on here, particularly the remarkably catchy Buddy Holly tribute "Starry Eyes," the manic rocker "Don't Slander Me" and the dreamy "I Have Always Been Here Before," that would cement Erickson's place in the underappreciated pop genius category even without the legacy of his early '70s stay in a Texas state mental hospital. However, he will unfortunately always be better known for inferior but more lyrically provocative tunes like "Creature With the Atom Brain" and "I Walked With a Zombie." Despite its flaws, You're Gonna Miss Me does a fair job of summarizing this sad state of affairs. ~ Stewart Mason, Rovi
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Add this copy of You'Re Gonna Miss Me: the Best of Roky Erickson to cart. $21.97, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Restless Records.
