You Think You Really Know Me
Motel
2002 (Reissue) / 1977 (Original)
Gary Wilson is probably the weirdest and most influential person to come out of the seventies that you’ve never heard of. This album, recorded in his parent’s basement and originally self-released by Gary in 1977, was probably the first new-wave album before such a genre even existed. From what I’ve read, it is considered by some to be an inadvertent catalyst in the formation of K and Sub Pop records, as well as a major influence on Beck and other performers both past and present. Gary Wilson’s sound was so ahead of the time that it is nearly impossible to describe it in the typical ‘sounds like such and such’ without using bands that have come after him. Imagine a combination of cheesy synths, odd sound effects and samples, strange vocals singing even stranger lyrics, all done in a low-fi fashion that would make Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices proud. Some of the song titles include ‘6.4 = Make Out,’ ‘Groovy Girls Make Love at the Beach,’ and ‘Chromium Bitch,’ which gives you a glimpse into the warped mind at work here. This was the only album Wilson released, and has been one of those legendary finds among collectors over the years. Now with this reissue, even regular folks can see what all of the hubbub about the guy is about. Make sure to grab a copy before it goes out of print again.
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