Thin White Rope - Sack Full Of Silver. CD. (Frontier - FRO31048CD) Ill-fated and much loved fourth album from Davis, California's best-kept secret. Sometimes described as 'a howl from the brink of suicide' but actually their most fully-realised concept to date, Here their Americana influences (in fact they may well have invented the term on this album with the song of that name) and the endless, desolate darkness and bleak vision depicted in Kyser's lyrics fully fused together into a nigh on unclassifiable style. Their love of swirling psych and outsider prog hadn't gone away either, as demonstrated by their 6-minute version of Can's "Yoo Doo Right"- a feat also attempted a few years later by The Geraldine Fibbers. Life affirming, but for all the wrong reasons!! A major influence on the likes of Sixteen Horsepower and Whiskeytown.

Thin White Rope - Spoor. CD. (Frontier - FRO31064CD) Officially-sanctioned compilation (one of those odd ones that's as good as an actual album, a la Kevin Ayers' "Odd Ditties" or the Who's "Odds And Sods") which pulls together all TWR's rare and obscure B-sides, demos and covers- such as the 'Red Sun' EP which included covers of Lee Hazlewood and Roky Erickson songs. Great Joe Sacco cover artwork.

Thin White Rope - The One That Got Away. Dble CD. (Frontier - FRO31052CD) Final heartwrenching live performance from a band who never achieved the success they were due, and split in 1993 shortly after the release of this album (probably because all the kids at the time were listening to that awful marketed cobblers known as 'grunge') But then again, Thin White Rope were never for kids- can you imagine the 'teens' digging a song like 'Napkin Song' or 'Elsie Crashed The Party'? Thought not. As well as their own superb material, the album- recorded in the Belgian town of Ghent (no doubt with members of Deus in the audience)- features excellent covers of material from their favourites: Can, Hawkwind, Lee Hazlewood, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan. Those who were there at the time will not foget easily- and neither should you.

Thin White Rope - The Ruby Sea. CD. (Frontier - FRO31042CD) Growing away from their 'country rock' and 'paisley underground' origins which led them to be often bracketed with Rain Parade, the Long Ryders, Dream Syndicate, Wall Of Voodoo, Green On Red, Concrete Blonde, Shiva Burlesque etc (as well as Aussie bands such as The Church and the Triffids) and toward a heavier, more 'desert rock' sound that would go on to influence the likes of Kyuss and their neighbours the Screaming Trees, this Bill Noland- produced album is often cited as Guy Kyser's band's finest statement. Ominous, surreal, and profound, and somewhat likened to a 'six string musical jihad' at the time, the sound also sometimes brings to mind the Gun Club at their peak, but without the Goth pretensions.

© Delerium Music 2008. Web Site written and maintained by Matt Platts for Paragon Digital. Please see www.vatloophole.co.uk for information on why we closed down.