Scandinavian Friends: A Tribute to Roky Erickson

On the eve of his 60th birthday, Roky Erickson is getting one heck of a present from some Scandinavians. This northerly tribute picks up where 1990’s genre-defining Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye left off, recasting 15 Erickson classics while still retaining the psychoactive spirit of the originals. The Cheaters’ version of “Reverberation (Doubt)” remains studiously tuneful even as the band amps up to Spacemen 3 proportions. By contrast, Witchcraft’s lovingly tweaked take on “Sweet Honey Pie” would be right at home on a Secretly Canadian podcast. The Hellacopters are the biggest name here, remaining true to their supersonic garage rock on “Cold Night for Alligators.” Chuck Berry gets the MC5 treatment on the Backstreet Girls’ “Crazy Crazy Mama,” while On Trial imbues “I Have Always Been Here Before” with faraway, lump-throated tenderness. Erickson definitely won’t go wanting for lingonberries when he plays Sweden this summer.

***.5

This article appears in July 6 • 2007.

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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.