Buried Treasure: Cotton Mather - Cotton is King (1994)

For reasons unknown Austin musician Robert Harrison decided to name his 90s power pop band after Cotton Mather, a 17th century Puritan preacher who, unfortunately, was quite influential during the infamous witch trials held in Salem, Massachusetts. Nevertheless, Harrison put together a very fine group that released a modestly successful CD, Kontiki, in late 1997.

Noel Gallagher heard Kontiki and he was impressed enough to ask Cotton Mather to tour with Oasis. The exposure helped the Texans' single, "My Before and After," to become a hit. Alternative and indie radio loved the song and the critics raved about the entire album. Great things were expected from the band in the future. However, after a couple of minor EP releases and one more full length CD, The Big Picture, in 2001 Harrison dissolved the group without any further success.

Before Kontiki was released I discovered the band's debut CD, Cotton is King, in a $1.00 cut out bin and was intrigued enough by the cover, liner notes, and lyric sheet to take a chance on it. I wasn't disappointed with my bargain basement purchase and despite the almost unanimous, positive reaction to Kontiki my ears prefer the former album.

On Cotton is King guitarist Harrison's voice may easily remind you of either John Lennon or Glenn Tilbrook, or both. Harrison combined intelligent lyrics to melodic songs with crashing guitars that frequently sound like the rock 'n roll side of Revolver.

The band doesn't fool around, they don't jam, and they never waste a note, but its clear that Whit Williams on guitar, Matt Hovis on bass, and drummer Greg Thibeaux are primarily on board to service Harrison's songs. That could be the reason why there was a constant flow of personnel running through Cotton Mather's revolving door. By the time Kontiki was released only Williams and Harrison remained.

Harrison wrote all twelve songs on Cotton is King and its sometimes humorous, cutting edge lyrics revealed a composer with true talent. "Lost My Motto," "Cross the Rubicon," and "Ivanhoe" are very literate songs. One of the more interesting tunes, "The Words of Shaman Roger," skewers religious cult figures.

Power pop fans who continue to lament the lack of success of the late Alex Chilton's early 70s band, Big Star, should also mourn the loss of Harrison's forgotten quartet too. They are just as worthy.

Listen to "Lost My Motto."

Comments

  1. Todd Mason11:09 PM, November 29, 2012

    And, unlike Big Star, no sustained widespread Velvet Undergroundesque cult. Good stuff, what I've heard from the first recording version of the band...thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6:22 PM, May 02, 2013

    Good band. But as good as Big Star? NO. Sort of like not close.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen
Read more

Chicago: An Album By Album Analysis Of The Terry Kath Era (1969 - 1977)

Image
The original lineup of Chicago has always been one of my all time favorite bands. My affection for this great horn band is such that I want to discuss all of the albums they recorded before Terry Kath's unfortunate and accidental passing. Their debut album is now forty years old, and it's followup is not far behind, yet their music endures to this day. * * * * * Everyone Must Own * * * * Excellent * * * Good * * Fair * Poor * * * * * Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Whether they were playing screaming psychedelic hard rock, jazz, blues, or love songs, everyone in the band proved they were worthy of the huge mass success that followed CTA 's release. The band's ability to play anything and play it well is the hallmark of their debut album. The stars are Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, and the horns, and even Peter Cetera demonstrates he can be a rock and roll animal when he wants to be. The standout tracks are Lamm's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It
Read more

Laurie London - He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands) (1958)

Image
Today we're going to discuss an almost totally forgotten hit record along with a little bit of related Billboard chart history. The inspiration for this post came about while sorting through some extremely old 45s that I didn't remember I owned. I've had "He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands)" by Laurie London - a rare, popular, gospel hit - in my record collection since my childhood, even though it wasn't really mine. The single belonged to either my mother or my grandmother who lived with us. I played it once in awhile because I was always allowed free access to their records, and it was eventually absorbed into my collection. Despite the name, teenager Laurie London (born January 19, 1944) was a boy singer who - at age thirteen - became a one-hit wonder in his native UK and in America the following year. Information about London is sparse. Details vary depending on the particular website you're reading, but according to Wik
Read more

Louis Armstrong - Louis In London (2024)

Image
Louis In London is a live album of a concert Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars recorded for the BBC on July 2, 1968. It was first aired by the network on September 22, 1968. Armstrong died in 1971 and his health was already taking a a sad turn when this concert took place. It's often been called his last great performance because his health deteriorated significantly shortly thereafter, and his ability to tour was severely limited. When the great tumpeter and singer received a tape recording of his London show he marked it "for the fans" because he was so proud of it. He also made copies on his recently installed high-end Tandberg tape system for each member of the All-Stars. In 1970, nine of the thirteen tracks from this new CD were released on LP as  Louis Armstrong's Greatest Hits Recorded Live  on Brunswick Records in both America and in the UK. The CD was digitally transfered form the original BBC telecast recording and no
Read more

Why Do 45 RPM Records Have Big Holes?

Image
Today we're going to find out why 45 RPM records have much larger holes than 78s and 33s. Believe it or not I often wondered about this burning question when I was collecting hundreds of these little seven inch gems back the 1960s. According to several websites, including Answerbag , the reason for the large hole used by 45s was simple. It was difficult for the old 78s, with their smaller holes, to find their way onto jukebox spindles. The large hole effectively eliminated that problem. Strangely, seven inch 45s were often pressed with the smaller holes used for LPs in many countries outside the United States, especially in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Overseas the inserts (commonly know as spiders) were manufactured into the large holes at the factories but they could be punched out if desired. The Beatles' British single of "Love Me Do," pictured here, is a typical example. Why were the spiders built into English 45s? I was unable to fi
Read more