Saw Adam and Jeff Townsin as Toshack this winter here in the Canadian capital (Ottawa);a couple of new songs;(should have the set list in front of me as I write this…one was definately titled ‘Mary Jane’); makes me hunger for a magnetic morning follow-up). He also did some surprising re-interpretaions of Mustang Ford, Sci-Flier, Other Jesus. Great. Swervedriver played here on the 99th dream tour and packed a large theatre; the Toshack gig posters prmominently billed him as being ‘of Swervedriver’ but it was a pretty empty house…nice for me but unfortunate.
Anyway, onto the topic above…recently discovered the Stooges. who knew they were so great..it was like hearing Sabbath’s Master of Reality the first time; just as I grew up only knowing the post-Ozzy incarnations, I only really knew Iggy Pop’s lesser solo work in my impressionable years. I’d certainly read of them being an influence on the Swerve. How ’bout the guitar solo on ‘1969’ from the first album? It’s clearly the overdrivern wah peddle sound that drove Raise and Mezcal. Grunge, punk and even Sonic Youth (who quote ‘we will fall’ in teenage riot; plus, Kim Gordon howls just like Iggy on their early records) started in 1969. Just musing.
