R. STEVIE MOORE
AFTERLIFE
BAR/NONE RECORDS 267 (LP + Expanded CD)
Street drop Friday 22 FEB 2019 ~ ORDER @ BARNONE
BANDCAMP DIGITAL
On SPOTIFY
LP A 1. Irony 2. Pop Music 3. Come My Way 4. The Winner 5. National Debate 6. What Do I Do with the Rest of my Life B. 1. Too Old (to Fall in Love) 2. Take Back 3. Love Is The Way to My Heart 4. Another Day Slips Away 5. You Don't Have to Worry bout My Love 6. Back In Time ___________________ CD 01. Irony 02. Pop Music 03. Come My Way 04. The Winner 05. National Debate 06. What Do I Do with the Rest of my Life 07. Too Old (to Fall in Love) 08. Take Back 09. Love Is The Way to My Heart 10. Another Day Slips Away 11. Here Comes Summer Again * 12. Hurry Up * 13. You Don't Have to Worry bout My Love 14. Back In Time
Album Produced by Irwin Chusid and R. Stevie Moore as early as 2014 Mastered by KRAMER at Noise Miami Artwork: Attic Party, by Robert Nicol/squaremelon.com Art direction: Julie Chenciski Engineers: Roger Ferguson: Violetpop Studio, Goodlettsville TN (A1, A2, B1, B3, B5, B6) Justin Collins: Satisfactory Recording, Denton TX (A4, A5) Jason Falkner: Co-producer/remix, Rhetoric, Hollywood CA (A3) RSM: Evelyn Place Tapes (A6, B2, B4) Lane Steinberg: Forest Hills, NY (vocal choruses, acoustic guitar, A6) Special thanks to Harry Palmer and Jeroen van der Schaaf Dedicated to Roger Ferguson (1952-2017)
When R. Stevie Moore achieved underground notoriety in the 1970s, he was hailed as a do-it-yourself pioneer. DIY was a rogue subgenre of independent music in which artists assert maximum control over the creative process. Writing music and lyrics, playing all parts in overdubbed layers, engineering, mixing, mail room—Moore was a one-man music factory. Despite occasional collaborators and sidemen, he was too self-centric to be a team player. The outcome was (and remains) critical acclaim, but limited commercial splash. Not for lack of effort on the part of Mr. Moore. His output slowed with age, but he continues recording because that's his raison d'etre. Afterlife consists of top-tier post-2000 recordings—eleven from 2010-2013. Some of the songs are four decades old; others were written relatively recently. The vintage songs were originally recorded at home in the 1970s and '80s, often on chronically malfunctioning open-reel decks with low-grade 1/4-inch tape. They were great tunes, transcending the lo-fi muck, and they begged to be revisited with state-of-the-art clarity. Afterlife is a survey of some of R. Stevie's best pop tunes, covering a lifetime of songwriting. A few were recorded solo, most include longtime friends and bandmates. From an audio standpoint, there might not be a better-recorded RSM collection, and every song is an idiosyncratic pop gem. For RSM, perhaps there's life after obscurity. –I.C.
v v v v v v 01. Irony (2:55) RSM: guitars, keyboards, vocals Billy Anderson: bass, bkg vcls Irwin Chusid: drums, percussion Lane Steinberg: 12 str guitar, bkg vcls, percussion Roger Ferguson: engineer, remix, Violetpop Studio, Goodlettsville TN, Oct 2013 02. Pop Music (3:49) RSM: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, vocals Roger Ferguson: engineer, Violetpop Studio, Feb 2011 03. Come My Way (3:04) RSM: guitars, bass, bkg vcls Ariel Pink: lead vocals Jason Falkner: drums, guitars, bkg vcls, engineer, co-producer, remix, Rhetoric, Hollywood CA, Sept 2011 04. The Winner (3:17) RSM: bass, vocal JR Thomason: guitars, bkg vcl Sam Levin: drums Wilson Novitzki: keyboards Justin Collins: engineer, Satisfactory Recording, Denton TX, June 2011 05. National Debate (3:46) RSM: bass, vocal JR Thomason: guitar Sam Levin: drums Wilson Novitzki: guitar Justin Collins: engineer, Satisfactory Recording, June 2011 06. What Do I Do With The Rest Of My Life? (4:52) comp. Moore-Steinberg (Zalytron Music) RSM: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, vocals, effects, engineer, Evelyn Place Tapes, 17 July 2004 Lane Steinberg: acou guitar, vocal (choruses only), his home, Forest Hills NY 07. Too Old (To Fall In Love) (3:23) RSM: guitars, bass, vocals Billy Anderson: keyboards Irwin Chusid: drums, percussion Roger Ferguson: engineer, Violetpop Studio, Jan 2013 08. Take Back (2:28) RSM: guitars, vocals, engineer, Evelyn Place Tapes, Bloomfield NJ, 7 Feb 2004 09. Love Is The Way To My Heart (3:12) RSM: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, vocals Roger Ferguson: engineer, Violetpop Studio, Feb 2011 10. Another Day Slips Away (4:26) Music: Moore; Lyrics: Roger Ferguson RSM: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals, engineer, Evelyn Place Tapes, July 2006 11. Here Comes Summer Again (4:53) RSM: keyboards, drums, percussion, vocals Billy Anderson: vocals Roger Ferguson: vocals, keyboards, engineer, Violetpop Studio, 23 July 2012 12. Hurry Up (2:20) RSM: guitars, bass, drums, percussion, vocal, mellotron, engineer, Evelyn Place Tapes, March 2010 13. You Don’t Have To Worry About My Love (4:01) RSM: guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, vocals Roger Ferguson: engineer, Violetpop Studio, Feb 2011 14. Back In Time (4:10) RSM: guitars, vocals Irwin Chusid: percussion Roger Ferguson: engineer, Violetpop Studio, Feb 2013 _____ All recording produced by R. Stevie Moore All compositions by R. Stevie Moore © Spunky Monkey Music/ASCAP, administered outside North America by Basta Music except "Another Day Slips Away" by R. Stevie Moore and Roger Ferguson © Spunky Monkey Music/ASCAP & Violetpop Music/BMI, and "What Do I Do With The Rest Of My Life?" by R. Stevie Moore and Lane Steinberg © Spunky Monkey Music/ASCAP & Zalytron Music/BMI, administered outside North America by Basta Music. Thanks to: All of the above. And none below. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 01. IRONY stop, you're overdoing everything just like your father did and you, you never listen to me at all irony what are you doing to me? why you always give me irony what are you giving to me how can i be free? and when i'm a victim of circumstance i try to reason why i lose i never quite understand at all irony what are you doing to me? why you always give me irony what are you giving to me how can i be free? so if there's an explanation to this it's so ironic 'cause i need to figure out what i mean in all irony what are you doing to me? why you always give me irony what are you giving to me how can i be free? ©1977 r.stevie moore 02. POP MUSIC if you see a change yes, it's true i'm a useful man in these shoes (down down down) and you know by heart pop music makes you smart like me when you see the wind blow my way i'm here tomorrow not today and you like the style pop music makes you smile at me i was a little bit nauseous, see i couldn't find sign of a cause, so slowly my ears were curing me easily listening pause come onto my stage play your head you can call your friends tell what i said and you know by heart pop music is the start. ©1974 r.stevie moore 03. COME MY WAY Someone said today That you're gonna be coming my way Don't know what to do Except get ready to say I miss you, I need you Well, I know that it's wrong That you been away so long It's been lonely at night Especially when I hear our song I love you. So come my way If you wanna be by my side Come my way Well, I been told you care And that you were leaving there Well, I'll be waiting here And I will say a prayer To get you, to keep you Well, if you're passing through There's one thing I wish you would do Tell me that you're mine And I'll be loving you, loving you. Come my way If you wanna be by my side Come my way Tell me how you feel about me, girl You're the prettiest girl in the world, I'd say Let me hold you in my arms, a girl She's the prettiest girl, oh yeah yeah yeah Well, someone said today That you're gonna be coming my way Well, I hope that it's true Cause I am ready to say I love you, I do Come my way If you wanna be by my side Come my way If you want to take a ride Come my way Come my way. ©1975 r.stevie moore 04. THE WINNER who is the man doing everything he can the winner the winner at the finish line first one every time the winner the winner he spends his life in a box of ideas he can use but every night you can find him alone a loser now he's won himself but he's getting nowhere else the winner the winner and he needs a friend cause it's getting near the end the winner the winner he sits at home with the toys that he has to amuse just hear his moans he's so sad who he is a loser the winner is a sinner has a minnow for his dinner the winner is a sinner has a minnow for his dinner who is this man doing everything he can the winner it happens every time when he wins he knows he's lying the winner the winner a winner ©1975 r.stevie moore 05. NATIONAL DEBATE You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so Didn't vote for you for a second term Cost you the election Didn't vote again for another term Went with my intuition You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're so rotten, don't you know Bet my money on a bobtail nag Somebody bet on the bae Couldn't hope to find any fair resolve Ran with my opinion You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so You're a rotten so and so Didn't vote for you for a seventh term Cost you the election Didn't vote again for another term Stuck with my selection You're a virtuoso You are going solo You are playing solo You're the virtuoso You're a rotten so and so You're so rotten, don't you know? So think about it! And act accordingly Lead by example! © 2010 r.stevie moore 06. WHAT DO I DO WITH THE REST OF MY LIFE?/DON'T BORE US, GET TO THE CHORUS Tell me what do I do with the rest of my life? Tell me how is it possible? How is it done? Tell me how do I deal with this rust on my knife? Tell me what do I do with the rest of my life? Ahhhhhh... Don't bore us, Get to the chorus Adore us, But don't ignore us Delores, Are you a Taurus? Wake Forest, Pianosaurus. What do I do with the rest of my life? (© r.stevie moore/lane steinberg 2004) 07. TOO OLD (to Fall in Love) if love is just a part of living then love is clearly just a situation i'm too old to fall in love with you i'm getting too old to live with me do it is love among your friends a roast beef sandwich see my pistol it is crystal clear in the hallways love is always near do you listen to my this and that i'm too old to fall in love again ©1978 r.stevie moore 08. TAKE BACK Take me back I really didn't wanna come here I haven't found anyone nearly as Nice as me, can you Take me home I really never meant to leave then Someone was a-pullin' my sleeve when I wasn't payin' attention, can you Take me in There's only one place to be now Lying down on my bed to sleep Now that I'm tired and bored, can't you Take cover It's dangerous being outsider Nauseous from the car ride Potholes and bumps in the road, can you Flag a cab Transport my ass to the shelter Book me in a posh motel Room 62, check in, take back I really didn't wanna come here I haven't met anyone nearly as Smart as you, take back. ©2004 r.stevie moore 09. LOVE IS THE WAY TO MY HEART love, love is the way what can i say? love is the way to my heart please, please understand make me your man love is the way and i say sing a song but write it wrong you can live with me hey, hey do you feel complex and real love is appeal and i know you, you help me see what i can be love is the way and i say think a thought but learn what's taught you can stay with me love is the way to my heart love is the way to my heart and i know it's time to start you can play your part in love way to my heart love, love is the way what can i say? love is the way to my heart please, please understand make me your man love is the way and i say sing a song but write it wrong you can live with me you, you help me see what i can be love is the way to my heart love is the way to my heart love is the way to my heart love is the way love is the way to my heart ©1975 r.stevie moore 10. ANOTHER DAY SLIPS AWAY (words:Ferguson / music:Moore) New Sun . Get Up . Get Out . Go Hard Hook Up . Get Down . Go Home Sit Back . Eat Up . Tune In . Retire Impress the memory foam Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away Again . Arise . Light Out . Look Sharp Think Fast . Spend Save . and Earn Give Up . Go Home . Make Out . Make Art In spite of no return Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away Days rushing by, Moving at the speed of Light, Like a dream, like a vapor Winter Days, Summer Nights Whirling Past much too Soon Setting Suns, Rising Moons Seasons Come Say Hello, Say goodbye people go Say goodbye people go, Say goodbye people go Another Sun . Take Off . Chill Out Breathe In . Relax . Just Be Get Right . Turn Left . Eat Out . Get Back Enjoy the scenery Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away Sleep and eat, love, work and play Another day slips away! ©2006 roger ferguson/r.stevie moore 11. HERE COMES SUMMER AGAIN *cd only laying by the poolside baby's gettin' tan lots of girls around here layin' in the sand i don't wanna ever see the day summer is gone drinking old milwaukee ocean is so blue listening to a.m. and skywriting too i don't wanna ever see the day that summer is gone (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again it's here riding over highways in my friend's g.t. good experiences cruising by the sea i don't wanna ever see the day that summer is gone (y'know i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again it's here laying by the poolside baby's gettin' tan lots of girls around here layin' in the sand i don't wanna ever see the day summer is gone i don't wanna ever see the day summer is gone (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again here comes summer (i dig the summertime) here comes summer again it's here! ©1977 r.stevie moore 12. HURRY UP *cd only Hurry up Why you take so long? You think I got all day? Let's go! Move it! Hurry up Why you take so long? You think I got all day? Let's go! Move it! Twiddling my thumbs Glancing at my watch Pacing down the hall Careful not to fall HURRY UP! You think I got all day? Turtle pace Snail's race Turtle race Snail's pace Twiddlin' my thumbs Glancin' at my watch Pacin' down the hall Careful not to fall Wrinkle face In outer space Hurry up. ©2010 r.stevie moore 13. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY LOVE you might ask where you are you're with me you've endured me so far i'm with you i won't have to know til it's time to go you don't have to worry about my love i might give you a clue some secret i could whisper to you some wisdom i don't have to tell wait for it to gel cause you don't have to worry about my love i want you to stay inside me lay beside me let us get some rest i think you are good living like you should you don't have to worry about murray frank you don't have to worry about my love ©1978 r.stevie moore 14. BACK IN TIME there's such a feeling in my room it's like i'm in another calendar year the future seems dreadful it's obvious to all the times have changed no more we are certain to fall the future seems worthless society to blame the price is out of reach american con-game there's such a pattern of thought here it's like i'm just another rock 'n roll fool i want to go back in time i want to go back in time the future seems dismal for us in mid-thirties the general opinion never escapes gerdes there's such a feeling in my room it's like i'm in another part of the crowd the future r.stevie may well give up the fight i want to go back in time i want to go back in time the future seems dreadful it's obvious to me the times have changed no moore we can certainly see there's such a lack of emotion it's like i'm justanotherrock'nrollfool the future seems dreadful ©1986 r.stevie moore ___________ all compositions published worldwide by Spunky Monkey Music (ASCAP)UNCUT (UK), March 2019
R STEVIE MOORE
Afterlife
Bar/None
8/10Pop savant reinvented: shoulda
been smashes from eons ago,
re-recordedJust considering the
prolificacy of Moore's
legacy, thousands
of compositions
across decades,
boggles the mind. His
mastery in shuffling genres, identities,
subjects and worldviews adds to the
astonishment. Fortunately, Afterlife
revisits well-deserving tidbits-
including '70s compositions-in a
new light, and collaborations with ace
musicians such as Jellyfish's Jason
Faulkner rescue works from lo-fi
obscurity. While "Irony" perfectly
previews the career of Marshall
Crenshaw, Motorhead should've
considered covering "Hurry Up".
The infectious "Come My Way",
meanwhile, is Afterlife's masterpiece.
LUKE TORN
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming [-]For most artists, re-recording material from their back catalog is a sure sign they've either run out of ideas or they're trying to generate new paychecks from old work. But even the most churlish observer would give R. Stevie Moore a pass on such things, since only a tiny cult has ever heard the majority of the voluminous body of home-brewed recordings he's been issuing at a steady stream since 1975. 2019's Afterlife finds Moore cutting new versions of 14 of his favorite compositions, though the liner notes stress that these performances were "(r)ecorded in the 21st century in real recording studios." Moore was an early adopter of recording music at home using a makeshift studio, yet he's had enough experience in professional recording environments that they don't stifle his musical thinking. As a consequence, the tunes on Afterlife have much of the same playful, anything-goes pure-pop charm of Moore's endless supply of lo-fi home recordings, but with improved fidelity and production that makes the most of his gift for crafting delicious if slightly eccentric pop melodies. While six of these tracks were recorded with Moore handling all instruments and vocals, most feature him working with other musicians for a change, and if this gives the music a slightly different character, it doesn't dilute the essential spirit of his music, and lends the recordings a slightly more organic feel. And since very few people will be familiar with all (or even any) of this material, Afterlife actually serves as a dandy introduction to R. Stevie Moore's work, boasting a fistful of great tunes, plenty of cool guitar work, an abundance of humor and philosophy, and a singular take on rock and pop that's surprisingly accessible given Moore's eagerness to experiment and bend the rules. For longtime fans, Afterlife shows that R. Stevie Moore can clean up and play nice and still hold tight to the qualities that have made him a cult hero, and for beginners, this is a slightly refined but still accurate introduction to an artist who is some sort of national treasure. In short, who doesn't need this album in their collection?
www.allmusic.com/album/afterlife-mw0003237249
more Great reviews.Edd Hurt / Nashville Scene https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/features/article/21047070/nashville-pop-master-r-stevie-moore-imagines-the-future-on-afterlife
Dave Cantrell / Stereo Embers http://stereoembersmagazine.com/defying-pops-accepted-laws-of-gravity-r-stevie-moores-sparkling-ruminative-afterlife/
Justin Joffe / R&R Globe https://rockandrollglobe.com/experimental/diy-not-lo-fi-r-stevie-moore-sets-the-record-straight/
Jamie Hampton / Mxdwn https://music.mxdwn.com/2019/02/22/reviews/r-stevie-moore-afterlife/
Joshua Macala / Raised By Cassettes https://raisedbycassettes.blogspot.com/2019/02/music-review-r-stevie-moore-afterlife.html
Brooks Kossoff / The Chaunter Couch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPYwt4YmoA&t=17m33s
www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com
Rev. Keith Gordon / That Devil Music
Mick Reed / Chicago Crowd Surfer
R. STEVIE MOORE
AFTERLIFE
BAR NONER. Stevie Moore was a pioneering home recording artist, whose prolific output was revered by the tastemakers of punk and new wave throughout the ’70s and ’80s. Legend has it that he has released over 400 albums, mostly on cassettes, with limited distribution. His willful and craggy approach to DIY pop has earned him a good deal of respect and adoration from similarly minded artists like Ariel Pink. Unfortunately, this fame does not come hand in hand with fortune. Afterlife is a compilation of professionally re-recorded compositions sourced from various reference points in Moore’s humble career, with a handful of original sprinkled in for good measure. It’s a self-conscious effort to reignite interest in his back catalog and current (mostly) obscure output. As an album, it’s not particularly remarkable, but as a tasting menu of Moore’s various moods, preoccupations, and stylistic quirks, it is exceptional. Afterlife is an opportunity to nibble on a bevy of samples, discover different flavors, and then to track these ingredients back to their sources in a fun and rewarding musical truffle hunt of sorts. The most exciting morsel for me is the woozy, rubber-band guitar-pop and middle-eastern flavored “What Do I Do With the Rest of My Life?” The entire collection is overflowing with weird, irrepressible energy, full of bizarre, crude gems that will hopefully inspire some crate spelunking in your near future.
-MDRMoore has stated in interviews that he will not tour in support of Afterlife which is a darned shame.
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