Alexander Lee Spence Genius

Skip Spence is my tragic hero. There I said it. It was hard to say because I think along with Syd Barrett and Skip they are true genius's. True because they were victims of the 1960's. They were also people who knew how to write so well that some people to this day still don't know their talent. Each were in bands that is part of the true 1960's spirit. It is interesting to hear Skip's take on it, but his music is amazing.

I talked in an early post about Moby Grape. One of the coolest bands I love. Skip was one of the founders of that band. Before he started that band he was the first drummer for Jefferson Airplane. He was even a guitar player in Quicksilver Messenger Service for a bit too. Reading up more and more on him I realized his genius. He is also had a hand in forming the Doobie Brothers.



Skip was a true and great writer of Moby Grape. His personal issues finally took him over. He was full of drug addiction and mental illness. He took so much LSD that he was on a trip and almost killed one his band mates with an axe. He was cooped up in Bellevue Hospital for six months. Upon him getting released he drove to Nashville in his pj's and recorded his only solo album.

Oar is an album that is now a classic. He recorded it with no other people, and he played all the instruments himself. This album is full of folk and rock. He stayed in the studio for two weeks recording this classic. Each song has a full hand print of his words. I am still partial to the opening song "Little Hands."

Little hands clapping
Children are laughing
Little hands clapping all over the world
Piper is piping
Drummers are drumming
Little hands clapping all over the world
Little hands clapping
Children are sharing
Little loves loving, all little boys and girls
Children are singing
The truths that they're bringing
Freedom is ringing all 'round the world
Come let us meet them
Ah, yes, we will greet them
Little hands clapping
Children are caring
Piper is calling all over the world
Out in the street
The sick that you meet
How many friends do you call your own?

That is just some his classic lyrics. It's very emotional and gives a lot into Skip Spence. He even got a tribute album with other artist covering this album. People who guest include Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Mudhoney, Robyn Hitchcock, and Beck. I mention Beck last because he is working on a project where he does an album every few months or so called the Beck Record Club where he has done Leonard Cohen and Velvet Underground and the newest one Oar.



This album is full of his surrealism. It is not to be passed up if you see in the store. You should get it and transport yourself back to a time where his creativity was at it's peak. Skip will be missed and to me his genius lies right here. Listen how much his view of the world with his themes of saints and demons and only he could record what he saw back in 1969.