BP FALLON LIVE IN TEXAS ~ EVERY RAINBOW HAS A SILVER LINING

“I didn’t know it was being recorded” says BP Fallon about his new album ‘Live In Texas’. “That’s maybe why it has such a great vibe”.

The album is dedicated to Ian McLagan who sadly passed away suddenly in December. As well as being in the Small Faces/Faces/Stones/Dylan’s band, BP’s lifelong friend Mac ~ as his many friends called him ~ played Hammond organ on the BP Fallon & The Bandits album ‘Still Legal’.

It goes like this ~ Jack White comes up to BP Fallon in a club in New York and says “Would you like to come down to Nashville and make a record?” Of course BP says yes, having never made a record in his life. Well, you would, wouldn’t you?

Oh, BP had done the odd bit of music-making ~ playing tom toms with Led Zeppelin live during ‘Whole Lotta Love’ a few times, congas now and again with Marc Bolan & T.Rex, harmonica and vocals on the classic album ‘So Alone’ by New York Dolls subterranean star Johnny Thunders, among the backing singers on U2’s ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’ record, miming bass guitar with John Lennon on TV for Lennon’s ‘Instant Karma’ single. Wild shit, really.

You see, Fallon had the most perfect incubation to becoming a rock singer and songwriter ~ though that was never his plan, never some secret lust or longing, someone simply left the lid off and he fell down the hole like Alice In Wonderland with a backbeat ~ first famous as a 17-year-old school-kid in Ireland on television every week talking about this sonic religion of rock’n’roll because that’s what it was and if you wish what it can be and is, then in London and beyond he became the publicist to Led Zeppelin and T.Rex after working at The Beatles’ Apple Records, manager of Johnny Thunders, joined U2 on their global Zoo TV tour where he was billed as ‘Guru, Viber & DJ’, DJ and poet performer on tours by The Kills and My Bloody Valentine and Robert Plant and Keith Richards. Stuff like that. There’s a book in this man.

Ah, the music. So Jack White unwittingly opens the door by producing and playing guitar on BP Fallon’s song ‘I Believe In Elvis Presley’ (Third Man Records 45rpm TMR 022). “I believe in Lewis Carroll/I believe in Oscar Wilde/I believe in Muddy Waters/I believe in Jackson 5…” Fallon had allied his lyrics with guitar ace Aaron Lee Tasjan’s riff and next thing Aaron’s in this new band BP Fallon & The Bandits who’s engine room is the classic Blondie Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame rhythm section of Nigel Harrison (bass guitar) and Clem Burke (drums). They write songs, they do gigs, they make the amazing album ‘Still Legal’ at Red Horse Ranch near Austin with Ian McLagan playing Hammond organ (Vibrosonic Records LP/CD VBR 001). The world keeps turning. Just now on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius Satellite XM radio, the ‘Still Legal’ song ‘The War To Fight For Love’ (“You’re my non-druggie Edie Sedgwick/Sparkling through the corridors of power…”) has been named #6 in Michael Des Barres Top 10 Of 2014. Cool, but Taylor Swift isn’t panicking yet.

Now ‘BP Fallon Live In Texas’ ~ Irish eyes smiling shamen with his musical soul brother Aaron Lee Tasjan the enigmatic young light from Ohio on astounding acoustic guitar stirring up a crowd of fans at ABGB in Austin, Texas, then adding added flames to the whole damn thing with burning wild electric guitaring by both Danny B Harvey ~ who plays with Wanda Jackson and Lemmy though not at the same time ~ and Tex-Mex legend Joe King Carrasco, three guitars, Leonard Skynyrd a go-go, Bandits songs and new stuff and the song he cut with Jack White and a song he cut with The Ghost Wolves, live and heartfelt and magical.

The bottom line is ~ does anyone give a fuck about all this ‘BP Fallon Live In Texas’ boogaloo? Does anyone give a fuck about rock’n’roll? Does anyone give a toss about another brilliant album being vomited out onto this battered but still-magic planet?

Even if it’s by one of the most fascinating men singing rock’n’roll today, the weirdest backwards story, Dorian Grey in reverse, this ageless 109 year old creature who has traversed rainbows and is now kicking his famous pussy-pink Converse sneakers into the air while mouthing his cunning lyrics, the high priest of The Church Of Aural Sects? What question mark?

Just say know by saying yes. Because you’re worth it. Not because the guy is interesting but because the songs and the performances here truly get to the heart and there’s good shaking too. Like rock’n’roll is meant to be. Good morning.

~ Dean Watusi, NYC Jan 2015

‘BP Fallon Live In Texas’ is a limited-edition CD of 600 copies
(Saustex Records SEX 1502). Also available as digital download.

“It’s too late to die young, I missed my moment
I thought the past would last me a lifetime
Why is it that in old photos we look younger
Time is an accordion and I’m playing the old fool

I have not got any new wisdom
If you know nothing you are never wrong
Why is it that a little knowledge can be dangerous
Time is an accordion and I’m playing the old fool

Oh to be a child again, to feel the freedom of the wind
Oh to be so wild again, our youth forgave our every sin
It’s a strange wounded world and I still love it
It’s a strange wounded world and I still love it
Time is an accordion and I’m playing the old fool”

~ BP Fallon, ‘Time Is An Accordion’ on ‘Live In Texas’

>>>>>>>>>>ends for now<<<<<<<<<<