Great Plains - Length of Growth 1981-89
(Old3c)
I've often considered whether or not the "legendary" indie rock of days gone
by would some day be reissued after the bigger labels fold. Will people be
buying Polvo reissues in the year 2020? And what about everybody else--the
not so legendary artists? The Weird Pauls, the Nice Strong Arms, etc., second
stringers whose records were purchased by a few souls back in the day but who
have pretty much been long forgotten. Apparently, I don't have to wait that
long; what I'm reviewing here is essentially everything ever released by the
Great Plains, Ron House's (currently of the Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments)
old band who, though great, certainly didn't make any big splash in their day.
Though I'm sure a number of readers will remember the Great Plains from
their college radio days, but I'm also sure your younger Braid fan will
probably have no clue who these guys were.
The Great Plains were a great college rock band of the very
distinctive 80's variety. A sort of post-new wave jangly garage pop band of
the sort that seemed to die out with the onslaught of Amphetamine Reptile and
Touch and Go. Their music, while not necessarily the most tuneful, the most
technical, or the most inspired, is usually great fun and great listening.
House's singing (a kind of heaving, high pitched warbling) can leave a
bit to be desired at times, but he's always been known for his lyrics. He
spins great little tales of the Midwest and punk rock, with a particularly
Ohian perspective that you are unlikely to pick up anywhere else. The songs
themselves range from almost They Might Be Giants-like novelty ("Rutherford B.
Hayes, Martin Luther King & Martin Luther Drinking") with a bit more attitude,
to relationship, boy/girl stuff and of course there are the songs that almost
did make them famous--the great "Letter to a Fanzine" (change the names
and it's just as relevant now as it was then) or "Dick Clark."
It's no surprise that Dr. Demento, who opens up the album, was a fan,
but don't let that affect your opinion of these guys. No one is really making
music like this any more, and though it does show signs of its age (in
particular the bad 80's production that plagued almost all 80's Homestead
releases), this is a great record to own, a document of an underappreciated
band whose time has unfortunately long gone.
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