King's X

Greg Prato

Description

‘I think they’re easily one of the best rock trios anywhere. I don’t think they’ve been equaled.’ Andy Summers (The Police)

‘They were really ahead of their time. If you listen to the music that followed, they really figured things out that took many bands ten more years to figure out.’ Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)

Countless accolades have been bestowed upon King’s X over the years, and, since their formation in 1980, they have grown to become one of the most universally admired in hard rock and heavy metal. But their story is one of many ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and periods of good and bad luck.

This authorized biography examines and explores all aspects of their history, both personally and professionally. Comprised of extensive interviews conducted by author and longtime King’s X fan Greg Prato, King’s X: The Oral History allows the band’s three members—singer/bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill—to tell their full story for the first time. It also opens the floor to friends and collaborators, plus some of the many top rock names who are also fans of the band, including Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, Pantera’s Rex Brown, Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, and many more.

In addition, King’s X explores the stories behind every single song the band has recorded over the years, while also detailing the creation of each of their twelve albums and offering insight into the influence of religion on their work. It also features memories of the band’s tours with some of rock’s biggest names including AC/DC, Pearl Jam, and Mötley Crüe and the events that led to their show-stopping performance at the mammoth Woodstock ’94 festival. Packed full of rare and never-before-seen photographs from throughout their career, King’s X is the definitive companion to the band and their music.

Sujets

• Musique
• Histoire de la musique
• Music
• Rock
• Genres
• Styles

Informations

• Publié par: Jawbone Press
• Date de parution: 19 février 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781911036449
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

A Jawbone ebook
First edition 2019
Published in the UK and the USA by
Jawbone Press
141–157 Acre Lane
London SW2 5UA
England
www.jawbonepress.com

Text copyright © Greg Prato Writer Corp. Volume copyright © 2018 Outline Press Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews where the source should be made clear. For more information contact the publishers.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION BY GREG PRATO
CAST OF CHARACTERS
01 BEGINNINGS
02 CROSSING PATHS
03 THE EDGE/SNEAK PREVIEW
04 HOUSTON—SAM TAYLOR—KING’S X
05 MEGAFORCE
06 OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
07 GRETCHEN GOES TO NEBRASKA
08 HITTING THE ROAD—HARD, PART 1
09 FAITH HOPE LOVE
10 HITTING THE ROAD—HARD, PART 2
11 KING’S X
12 DOGMAN
13 THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’
14 EAR CANDY
15 BEST OF KING’S X
16 TAPE HEAD
17 PLEASE COME HOME ... MR. BULBOUS
18 MANIC MOONLIGHT
19 BLACK LIKE SUNDAY & LIVE ALL OVER THE PLACE
20 IN CONCERT
21 OGRE TONES
22 XV & LIVE IN LONDON
23 MOLKEN MUSIC
24 THE THREE KINGS
25 ON THEIR OWN
26 TODAY
27 LEGACY
PHOTOGRAPHS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FOREWORD
A conversation with Scott Ian about King’s X
Anthrax was on Island Records, but we were all involved with Jonny Z and Megaforce. I remember when they signed King’s X, I heard the demo and thought it was great. And then I heard Out Of The Silent Planet , and it definitely struck a chord with me, because it didn’t sound like anything else at the time. They sounded completely original. Some people categorize them as a metal band, some people categorize them as a hard rock band. There was no way for me to categorize it. If anything, it’s almost like they had more in common with a band like U2 or The Beatles than they did with anything else. But I just connected with it. It was really moving and heavy and dark and uplifting —it was everything . It was everything I wanted out of a band, and it was just these three dudes. It was really incredible.
Anthrax took King’s X out with us in Europe in ’89. We were lucky enough to be in a position to take out bands that we loved—whether or not it made sense on paper, as far as a ‘metal bill’ goes. It didn’t really matter to us—we loved King’s X so much, we wanted to get to see them every night. So, what better way than to take them out on tour with us? And they ended up going over really well. They’re just one of those undeniable things—I don’t think it really matters who they’re playing with. If you put that band onstage, they are going to connect to an audience. They did tours with AC/DC. You want to talk about a tough audience to make a connection with, because everyone is just there to see AC/DC—they don’t really give a crap about anyone else that’s playing. And King’s X was even able to connect with an audience while opening for AC/DC . There’s something deeply touching about their music. You can’t deny it.
The scene that I was a part of was thrash metal. And they were nothing like the scene that we were a part of—at all. But every band that was a part of our scene loves King’s X. Everyone . It’s kind of across the board. You could talk to anyone, and they were, like, everybody’s favorite band. I think just because they were so original. There was nothing that sounded like them—whether you were a part of the thrash metal scene, or there was the more poppy/LA kind of scene, bands like Mötley Crüe and Ratt and bands like that, that were really big at that time. And there was a hardcore scene and a punk rock scene. They didn’t fit into any of these things. Because they were so original, it made it hard for a lot of really dumb people to figure out what ‘shelf’ they belonged on. They couldn’t just format them. You couldn’t just say, ‘This fits under this format.’
It’s a shame it wasn’t the 70s—when formats were much looser, and you could take a band like King’s X and play them on the same radio station that would have been playing AC/DC, Rush, Aerosmith, or any number of bands that got played on the radio. But this was the late 80s, and radio was already starting to change, and labels were being run by the accountants. Everything was becoming more corporate, and King’s X didn’t fit into a nice, neat little package. Which I think that is the best thing in the world for a band, because that means you’re doing something you’ve never done before. That’s the best compliment you can pay to a band—that you’re an original. But at the same time, for them, I think it made it hard for people who don’t really want to do any work to know how to market that band.
They were on Megaforce and Atlantic at the time—if you put me behind one of those desks, and I’ve got Out Of The Silent Planet and Gretchen Goes To Nebraska , I’m saying, ‘This band is the next U2. That’s how big this band should be. This record is The Joshua Tree —that’s where we need to go with this.’ But, sadly, I wasn’t working at Atlantic in 1988. But I feel like everybody needs to hear them, and anything we can ever do to spread the word about what a great band they are, we always try our best.
I love these guys so much. I’ve known them forever. They’ve been such a huge part of my life. They’ve literally lifted my soul and made me a happier person, by writing the songs that they’ve written. And I’m so proud of them and glad that they’ve stuck it out for so long. Constantly having to climb uphill. Constantly fighting the battle. And constantly making great records and being an amazing live band. That’s not an easy thing to do. They love what they do, and that’s all that matters. I’d like to thank them from the deepest parts of my soul, because their records make me so happy.

INTRODUCTION
‘Why aren’t King’s X more popular and successful?’ That’s a common question I’ve heard from just about every fan of the band I have crossed paths with over the years. And, once upon a time, I too agonized over trying to solve this puzzling problem—why wasn’t this ridiculously great, talented, and original band selling millions of albums and packing out stadiums throughout the world? And then I realized—King’s X are popular and successful. Let me explain …
First off, they continue to go strong, and they still attract large groups of fans to their shows—who sing along to most every song they choose to play. (I even have a chum who once saw the trio back in the early 90s, and remarked that, to this day, he is still taken aback by how ‘vocal’ the audience was.) Also, there are countless rock and metal bands that scored legitimate radio and MTV hits in the late 80s/early 90s, and a gold or platinum album … but can they attract as many people to a show as King’s X do this far into their career? Will the entire audience sing along to what seems like every song? Will a large portion of the audience remain at the venue after the show to meet the band, and express their gratitude for all the music? The answer is simple. No.
As I type this, it is the morning after what must have been close to the twentieth time I attended a King’s X concert, and I can honestly say that they sounded as great as they did the first time I ever saw them (on June 14, 1991, at the Ritz in New York City, to be precise).
One of the definite pluses of doing what I do for a living is that I am able to write about subjects that I am a fan of and/or feel strongly about. And, since late 1989, I have been a major fan of King’s X. Certain albums and songs of theirs also have the uncanny ability of serving as a ‘musical time machine,’ instantly transporting me back to specific times of my life, as well as when I think about particular King’s X shows that I attended.
Over the years, I have introduced countless friends to the music of King’s X. And, unlike some bands whose music has not aged well over the years, the music of King’s X sounds as great today as it did when it first hit. King’s X are also one of the select few rock bands that never ‘jumped the shark’—every single one of their albums contains at least several tracks that hold up splendidly.
Since becoming a King’s X fan, I have read as many articles and interviews with the band over the years as I could come across—and I’ve been lucky to interview Doug, Ty, and Jerry over the years for a variety of magazines and websites, and become friendly with each of them. But I always wanted to read the band’s complete story—from prior to their inception through to the present day. In the midst of witnessing a truly amazing/inspiring show by the band in the summer of 2015 (at Stage 48 in NYC), it became clear as day—I needed to write a book, and put it all into perspective for myself, the band, and, of course, King’s X fans throughout the world. Three years later, King’s X: The Oral History was completed.
Music, music, I hear music,
Greg Prato
PS Questions? Comments? Feel free to email me: [e-mail].

CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jerry Gaskill King’s X singer, drummer; solo artist
Doug Pinnick King’s X singer, bassist; solo artist
Ty Tabor King’s X singer, guitarist; solo artist
Jeff Ament Mother Love Bone, Temple Of The Dog, Pearl Jam, Tres Mts. bassist
Charlie Benante Anthrax drummer
Nuno Bettencourt Extreme guitarist
Rex Brown Pantera bassist
Bumblefoot Sons Of Apollo, Art Of Anarchy, ex Guns N’ Roses guitarist; solo artist
Richard Christy Death, Iced Earth, Charred Walls Of The Damned drummer; Howard Stern Show writer
John Corabi Ex Mötley Crüe singer
Billy Corgan Smashing Pumpkins singer, guitarist
Robert DeLeo Stone Temple Pilots bassist
Wally Farkas Ex Galactic Cowboys guitarist; lead vocalist on ‘Walter Bela Farkas (Live Peace In New York)’; contributor to various King’s X–related projects; head of Molken Music
Maria Ferrero Megaforce Records former director of publicity and A&R
Alexander Ford King’s X management and me