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western roll (1996)

by Phil Smith & Corsage

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    Western Roll

    Corsage

    Emblem Records

    Review by Darren Kerr

    Corsage create hip guitar rock in the tradition of CBGB bands like Television, music that sounds both downtown urban and calm, serene rural. Phil Smith has a voice that is a cross between head Sister of Mercy Andrew Eldritch and a grounded Gibby Haynes via Jello Biafra. His voice is unique, standing out amongst the grunge holdovers and aggro rock grinders. Guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy knows when to sit in the pocket ("Kill the Messenger") and when to embark on Tom Verlaine-esque flights of fancy ("Crashing Down to Heaven"). Drummer John Cody really understands the value of underplaying to set a foundation for the songs to grow out of, while Ron Allan's bass work is fully realized, deftly underpinning the main framework of the songs but still stretching out with some cool, subtle runs.

    The whole disc is refreshingly unpretentious. Even when Smith delves into jazzbo spoken word territory on "A Cab Pulls Up to Trader Vic's," it sounds genuine, not contrived. Coal's Nicole Steen takes over the lead vocal reins on "Free the Rings of Saturn." Her sweet mellow tones coupled with Chris Grove's wicked sax breaks make this tune one of Western Roll's highlights.

    The CD was recorded at CBC Studios Vancouver for David Wisdom's consistently entertaining Nightlines radio program and David Elvidge's production is pristine. This is a very good album, perfect for lazy, overcast Sundays and late night gatherings when you're huddled around the ol' hookah.


    First published in Drop-D Magazine on November 23, 1996
    ... more
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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Ancient Songs - EP 2 (2023), Ancient Songs - EP 1 (2023), It All Slips Away (The Remixes) (2016), A Procession of Dreams (2014), What The New World Teaches The Old (2002), western roll (1996), Primitive Road (1993), Big Night Out (1989), and 2 more. , and , .

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1.
2.
western roll 05:25
western roll a long time ago, left alone… a late night plan from a difficult girl scared, attempting to go out in the world make a path, make a plan, get away from her mother… up in the sky, I feel, I feel western roll go by planets over everything I sit here and watch light come in come a bit closer and take me away… western roll in days so long ago western roll now I know, I know, I know, I know I haven’t been there I never knew the western roll I took the time to go away I was in search of those western days…western roll there never seems to be days like that anymore I give it all I can but I always know what’s in store yeah I know I know I know I know every day that we concede them holding onto the hills run away tonight run away tonight run away and find your thrills western roll in days so long ago western roll now I know, I know, I know, I know seasons come and seasons go they’re all the same but every time she looks up at the hillside she thinks of a better age alone in the night she told him what we wanted to know but don’t believe a word that she said she was going back to a better time as soon as she was dead see the stars that are out tonight oh see the moon that is shining bright oh up on the hills where no-one goes there was a place that she wanted to know she looked in her heart and set off to see them baby, baby, baby, don’t you come back again.. western roll in days so long ago western roll now I know, I know, I know, I know I heard her talking I heard her mentioned just the other day I looked at her picture and I, I didn’t know what to say I looked at her and I looked away she looked passionate in that camp she looked comfortable in that home…
3.
free the rings of saturn she led me out of the darkness with the fire in her eyes I should have realized I should have realized she said she’d come to see me position sanctified I cried and I cried I cried and I cried so it doesn’t really matter what falls down from the skies I should have realized I should have realized and on through the years ambition now dethroned I guess I should have known I guess I should have known could it be the night that causes me to rise much to my surprise… you see I asked her for forgiveness she would only tell me no it’s a never-ending show it’s a never-ending show so now it’s back to business I’m hoping for the best the hell with all the rest… and I’ll free the rings of saturn free the rings of saturn free the rings of saturn yes I’ll free the rings of saturn free the rings of saturn free the rings of saturn
4.
a cab pulls up to trader vic’s a cab pulls up to trader vic’s midnight summer air just after the nine o’clock gun the air is moist now just like ‘50’s air groovin’ too perfect a night the architecture smiles wooden cross-beams and high open spaces like The Cave stalagmites and stagaglites molded fibreglass caves raise a drink held high, boys tonight’s the night we fly into the lost big city wind it back thirty years ago and you get some idea of what we had and what we lost oh well fair game fair gain that innocence won’t come again.
5.
how could so right go so wrong I heard you crying in the middle of the night the rain runs down the window pane and you ask me how the wind howls and I silently explain… It’s all so very strange yeah, it’s so very strange It’s all so very strange yeah it’s so very strange one thing I’ve wondered, I’ve wondered all along is how could so right go so wrong ? yes, how could so right go so wrong ? day turns into night and night turns into day and I have to wonder will it always be this way? I used to have the heart, yeah I managed to believe but now these things have vanished I think that I should leave it's all so very strange yeah, it’s so very strange It’s all so very strange yeah it’s so very strange and I knew it in my heart, yes I knew it all along but how could so right go so wrong ? how could so right go so wrong ? oh the days go on forever it’s like forever now I know but when you get rid of the demons which rise to the surface there’s darker demons below It’s all so very strange yeah, it’s so very strange It’s all so very strange yeah it’s so very strange sometimes it takes a minute, sometimes it takes so long I guess I always felt it but it never felt this strong that’s why I have to sing it, I have to sing this song that’s called how could so right go so wrong ? yes, how could so right go so wrong ?
6.
crashing down from heaven she said those things, that she loved me she said "my heart's within reach" dragging me down, dragging me down nothing but a god of deceit she told me that I wasn't wanted crashing down from heavenly lies the devil made plans - said they were mine you know I wasn't hanging around crashing down from heaven down from the skies light up the night light up the night better start watching your eyes you know I heard them talking I heard the things that they made up and said we're all watching the heavens but that's not the way that we're made I said black coat and a black hat and Shirley wanted to go I checked my aim I shot my load I sent my party away crashing down from heaven down from the skies light up the night light up the night better start watching your eyes you know I'm not so happy I'm not so happy at all when my thoughts get like this they're a secret crab that crawls breakfast in the ruins footlights on the cross I shake my head watch, it's dead living in the light of the lost living in the light of the lost bringing me down back to this earth paradise once lost is found but when I came crashing down from heaven I cut my knees on the ground yeah, I cut my knees on the ground a crack-up is the reason I'm calling why does the rain fall at all? oh look up there....
7.
kill the messenger all around the cities the lights are burning bright everyone's out for the evening trying to make it all right but I know things ain't so lilywhite no they're not so ivory-pure but when the bad news finally comes you kill the messenger you kill the messenger now there's a sunset off in the distance laugh at the state of their minds as they crumble to dust all the lies that they trust in the heat of the warpath behind there is no way around it things won't be what they were but when the bad news finally comes you kill the messenger you kill the messenger oh once in a while an oasis heroes they come and they go everyone wants to be loved and adored but they're crushed when they see it ain't so so when someone stops you and says they've got the cure you tell them when the bad news comes you'll kill the messenger you'll kill the messenger now we will praise this year's martyr they each get a wonderful cheer cause they're one and the same in our great hall of fame and you can't help but grin ear to ear but all the while you're laughing something sleeping stirs so when the bad news finally comes kill the messenger kill the messenger!
8.
stay with me 02:27
stay with me well I know a man who lives on a hill I say that I won't but then I will I go to see this man again and again but every time I visit he a-giving me pain he says can't you see that you're no longer free you better stay with me stay with me can't you see that we'll make history if you just stay with me stay with me
9.
why oh why 04:01
why oh why I ain't never going back again I been through that scene - I can't call them friends everyone know the reason why it seems to me it's lie or die oh I see the reason you're smiling I see the reason you cry yes, I can see them guess I'll be leaving I just have to ask myself why oh why oh why oh why oh why these are such hard times I know all of our pleasures they come so slow go on home do the best you can make yourself a living, make yourself a plan oh I see the reason you're smiling I see the reason you cry yes, I can see them guess I'll be leaving I just have to ask myself why oh why oh why oh why oh why across the river's where I want to go off to a place where there's no-one I know someday soon I'll cross these tracks please believe me won't be coming back oh I see the reason you're smiling I see the reason you cry yes, I can see them guess I'll be leaving I just have to ask myself why oh why oh why oh why oh why now I've made it across the river I got the goods I must deliver it seems to me the world's gonna end but I'll still be travelling, travelling my friend why oh why
10.
sure enough 05:36
sure enough I sing my heart out I sing this simple song out here on the west coast I don't know what's going on I don't feel so pretty, no just lonely and holding on sure enough sure enough I got more than I bargained for sure enough sure enough I should have known what was in store they make me cry they make me cry for so long now that they've got me I sing this simple song they know what I need they know to deny they know the reason why God help me, godspeed sure enough sure enough I got more than I bargained for sure enough sure enough I should have known what was in store light, oh light light in my eyes I can't see you I can't feel you how'd you get so wise? it seems like I've been a fall guy for you crashing baby down below a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-high oh genius works in strange ways I think you know that by now so get those lips ready to pucker-pucker gonna kiss you off right now sure enough sure enough I got more than I bargained for sure enough sure enough I should have known what was in store I'm making it and breaking it too so get out of my way I check my aim I know what's in store I go so crazy today go crazy like I'm living in lie I bought a postcard I got robbed strap me down while I'm still living baby they push while you pull sure enough sure enough I got more than I bargained for sure enough sure enough I should have known what was in store I had the bull by the horns I had the world by its tail but the tide has turned I should have learned now I just sit here and wail...
11.
death of the cool it's so dead death of the cool feelings now said death of the cool cool, man, cool cruel, man, cruel it's all over death of the cool thought I'd seen it once before but every time I closed one an open door would follow with a slight, bright light seeping on through but not anymore cool, man, cool cruel, man, cruel it's all over death of the cool

about

Recorded at CBC Studios, Vancouver for "Nightlines with David Wisdom"

Cover Design by Stephen Waddell

Drop-D Magazine Review: dropd.com/issue/32/CD/Corsage/

credits

released June 1, 1996

Track credits listed individually.

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Phil Smith & Corsage Vancouver, British Columbia

Emerging out of Vancouver during the post-punk era, the musical collective Corsage features the core group of Phil Smith (vocals), Bill Napier-Hemy (guitar), Ron Allan (bass) and John Cody (drums). Over 7 albums and numerous live performances and broadcasts, they have collaborated with some of Vancouver's finest musical and artistic talents on songs that run from trance to hard pop to techno-folk. ... more

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