Pulling
a rabbit out of a hat while still wearing it on your head maybe an easier
task than that of the independent musicians of the nineties: getting
a CD recorded, promoted, distributed, and on the airwaves without a
bountiful budget or a big recording contract. The band Big Medicine
recently released debut CD aloft with some impressive material was put
together on a reasonably low budget - but it still seems as though they
had to come close to selling their souls to get there. Recorded at the
16 track Victory
Drive Recording Studios and produced by Frank Wilks and Tim Briton,
the CD may lack the high polish that bigger studios, more time and more
money could supply, but still the CD stands on it's own merit, and would
have no trouble competing at the top of a competitive market place.
Now, the predominant chore ahead of the band is to stay afloat and continue
to attract the attention that it deserves.
The
CD comes out on the Fujimo Enterprise's label and it is the hope among
those that have invested both time and money into the project that the
band's savvy and versatility has come across on the
recording, and will pull them to the top. Frank Wilks formerly of Buffalo
Springfield Revisited and White Buffalo heads up the band on vocals,
guitar and piano. John his brother is on vocals, drums and guitar. Derek
Atherton the young lead guitarist whose playing genuinely stands out,
also helps out with the singing. The late great Jay Thomas on vocals
and bass. He has three original songs on the CD. They are all dynamic
singers, and this in turn establishes a variety of lead vocals for the
CD as well as angelic harmonies. With all members taking on the writing
chores for the CD, the twelve songs dramatically range from the driving
rock tune "Dial for Fantasy", to the ballad "Unwanted",
or the country- folk sound of "Dreaming up".
While
sitting on the black fire escape behind the Sand Bar, where Frank Wilks
and Jay Thomas still moonlight many Sunday afternoons, Frank talked
about the beginnings of the band . "Originally Tim (Britton) wanted
to just record me, a Frank Wilks thing, but I decided to go with the
band as opposed to myself. Derek, Johnny and I were out doing the Buffalo
Springfield (revisited) tour in Alberta." Says Frank, "We
decided when we got back to T.O. We'd put together a band. We were looking
for names . It turns out that the definition of the white buffalo spirit
is big medicine, or foreseeing good things to come. Big Medicine ties
in with the Buffalo Springfield and the White Buffalo thing; so we went
with it as the name.
Whatever
the band pulls out of their hats next , it's bound to be good medicine.
Track Listing
1. Don't Worry
2. Don't Take Your Love Away
3. Dial for Fantasy
4. Unwanted
5. Dreamin' Up
6. Nairobi
7. See the Old Man
8. Last Chance Hotel
9. Ambrosia
10. Desperate Eyes
11. Won't Give up on You
12. Love Me Leave Me
Pulling
a rabbit out of a hat while still wearing it on your head maybe an easier
task than that of the independent musicians of the nineties: getting
a CD recorded, promoted, distributed, and on the airwaves without a
bountiful budget or a big recording contract. The band Big Medicine
recently released debut CD aloft with some impressive material was put
together on a reasonably low budget - but it still seems as though they
