Incredibly Strange Real People Psycho LP

$

143

This is a Mint- copy of the legendary Palmer Rockey "Rockey's Style" LP. Below is a GREAT description of the LP that can be found at the Lama Reviews Psychedelic website(Thanks P.L.). This record rarely turns up and has been documented in at least one Incredibly Strange Music book. ____________________________________________________ Sometime around 1978 Palmer Rockey arrived in Dallas high society out of Los Angeles, presenting himself as a "movie producer" and looking the part too in his fur and slicked-back hair. He spent his time rubbing elbows with wealthy Dallas housewives trying to get money to fund a new film project he was working on. Every time he raised some cash he shot footage, and reported on the progress to his financiers to keep them happy. The whole process took over three years and only rarely would the same actor come back to work for the demented Mr Rockey, so the film actually has different actors playing the same role (much like "Plan 9"). Some of the film is in black & white while other parts are in color, again a result of sporadic fund raising. When the film was finally complete Palmer booked a local movie theater and had a "premiere". He managed to get both of the local papers to write big articles about this "local film" and apparently had a fairly good crowd for the showing. As the movie ended and the critics and sponsors exited the theater in disbelief at what a poor film they had just watched, Palmer was overheard telling one of his "moneymen" that the Mafia was after him and he would have to leave town immediately. No one saw Palmer in Dallas again after that night and he apparently left owing a bunch of people money. At this point noone has been able to track the movie reels down for a re-launch, but reports indicate that "Scarlet Love" (Rated: PG) is a beauty, including a part where Rockey has scantily clad women tied to a "Wheel Of Fortune" type device which he throws knives at as they are spinning. While the movie may be lost forever the soundtrack LP very much exists, in three different pressings no less. As a listening experience it is not easy to describe, and I am not sure how it would appear if none of the above was known. But knowing what we know I must say that "Rockey's Style" is a total trip, as it extends and deepens Rockey's flim flam/con man vibe in the best manner imaginable. To my ears it sounds like a guy who has a working (not good, but working) voice that has never sung before. While hitting the right notes he's clueless as how to bring any soul or finesse to the material, and the stale lounge afternoon atmosphere is heightened by a pick-up band of local studio musicians who mechanically deliver generic styles such as "rock" and "funky rock". Several song lyrics consist only of Palmer going "rock, baby, rock" and odd digressions that sound 100% ad libbed. That said, the LP cannot be dismissed as a quickie scam, because between the twilight zone loungeabilly moves there are also several smooth ballads in which we are allowed to peek into Palmer's soul, catching a glimpse of - among other beings - Elvis Presley. The shaky-voiced, half-spoken version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" rivals any Elvis impersonator, and it does not require much imagination to picture Mr Rockey singing these words for some aging Dallas beauty queen, staring meaningfully into her eyes, dollar signs filling his own. The Marriott hotel VIP lounge fund-raiser romance is explored further on "Sunday Love", which Palmer sings a capella for a few verses, then goes into an unbelievable spoken section: ... I know I said some things that were wrong, and you said some things that weren't right... You know babe, someone said that the world's a stage, and each of us must play a part. I play the part of falling in love... with you. But even that is not all. The Palmer universe has a third level that hits you like a 150 MPH curveball, being the mysterious, downright spooky "Scarlet Warning" where we are thrown into a Tinseltown b-movie take on the Book Of Revelations. Against a seductive background of flamenco guitarpicking he ominously intones: Scarlet warning 666, written long ago People wondering which way to go Love made its motion Against the cunning notion 666 will make his move, people must be told Lovers and old friends must be bold Words of courage, not surrender [eerie piano break, like in an old horror movie] 666 will be cool, label all lovers fools My people for love must rise Challenge him from every side Then will come the matchless one With love and fun for everyone On a regular lounge LP this would be weird enough, but in the context of "Rockey's Style" it becomes truly surreal, throwing any coherent interpretation of the LP and the artist into question. Whatever critical faculties we have available fail to fully describe the impression left by this album, and so it can only be identified as MUSIC in its purest form. Still, the Palmer Rockey experience is not for everyone, in fact it's likely to appeal to the tiniest fraction of the record-buying population, but for those ready to surrender at the feet of an enigma of uniquely American character, it will be unforgettable.