39249 Ugly Things Magazine.p0001_impo Mar-07-2018 17:22 Sig:4-B Black Orange shadows in the nighttime... fill my dimly lit mind... But back in 1967, nobody— least of all the band members— was remotely aware of having created something of lasting sig- nificance or artistic value. It was all for fun. Everyone went on with their lives and careers, and the 500 THE RISING STORM – Calm Be- souvenir LPs they’d had pressed in fore… (Sundazed) LP the spring of 1967 were soon all but forgotten. It wasn’t until the n the spring of 1967, six students early ‘80s that Calm Before began from Philips Academy, a prep I to filter into the consciousness of school in Andover, Massachusetts, the record collecting community. pooled their money and recorded As word spread, copies began to an album. The teenagers—Tony sell for hundreds of dollars, which Thompson (lead vocals, guitar), was unheard of at the time for a Bob Cohan (lead guitar, vocals), completely unknown band. Before Todd Cohen (bass guitar, vocals), long they were changing hands for Charlie Rockwell (keyboards, vo- thousands. cals), Rich Weinberg (guitar, har- monica, vocals), and Tom Scheft I first heard the album in 1983 (drums)—had been playing to- when it was reissued illicitly on gether for two years, first as the the French Eva label. That first Remnants, then the Rising Storm. spin, an experience I shared with Now, in their graduating year, they my friend Carl Rusk, is still etched wanted to put together a musical vividly in my memory. We could setts—were you fans? We scrambled into the booth. We memento before they headed off to barely comprehend the greatness listened to the first song, “Heart.” college. A thousand dollars bought of this record, an album that came TONY: In the summer of 1966, Fantastic. We listened to the sec- them five days at Continental Re- seemingly out of nowhere yet a friend and I slipped into a Bos- ond tune. Outstanding. We lis- cording Studios in Framingham cast such a powerful spell. Calm ton club. We were under drink- tened to the third, “Don’t Look and a 500-run pressing of the al- Before…The Rising Storm quickly ing age and not supposed to be Back.” When it finished, we both bum, which they duly sold to their became one of my favorite albums. there. The two of us had come to looked at each other. Words were friends and classmates for $3.00 Decades later, it’s lost none of its see the Outsiders of “Time Won’t unnecessary. Todd moved the nee- each. luster, continuing only to reveal Let Me” fame. The Outsiders were dle so we could hear it again. And more facets of its special, uncon- Calm Before…The Rising Storm the headliners that night and were when it finished, he moved the strained magic. I was never able was intended as little more than a fantastic (“Time Won’t Let Me” needle back again. to afford an original copy, but in souvenir of their school days. But was added to the Rising Storm rep- After the third playing, we gath- 1992 a legitimate reissue appeared it turned out to be so much more. ertoire that coming fall). But the ered up the album; Todd bought it on the Stanton Park label in up- Unfettered by any commercial other group performing that night, (I never had any money), and we graded fidelity. I recently obtained constraints or musical ambitions the one that preceded the Out- ran back to the dorm to play it my third vinyl copy of this mas- extending beyond the duration siders and outshone them, was a for the guys. I can’t imagine how terpiece, another upgrade, this of the remaining months of the band that changed my perspective many times we played that album time from Sundazed, pressed on school year, the group created, on rock music forever—it was Bar- during our Philips Academy days. high quality (unfortunately, snot- with a complete lack of self-con- ry and the Remains. They were a We added “Don’t Look Back” to colored) vinyl, and in a handsome sciousness, a perfect distillation revelation. Their music was wide- our playlist very quickly. gatefold jacket with new liner of their collective musical vision. ranging and cutting edge. They notes and rare photos. For those The Rising Storm were no teenage had unbelievable stage presence. I love how you add part of an- of us who can’t afford to shell out fumblers, all the band members Barry Tashian played lead guitar other Remains song, “You’ve Got for a stone mint original (assum- were competent—and in some and sang lead while dancing like A Hard Time Comin’” to the end ing such a thing would even be cases quite accomplished—musi- a magician. From that point on, I section. offered for sale at this point), this cians and vocalists, with all the wanted to be Barry Tashian. is surely the definitive edition, necessary skills to execute their the one you’ll be playing for your TOM: The Remains were vision at a high level. The song TOM: Back in the day, usually grandchildren as you carefully ex- skilled at revising and transform- choices were spot-on, too, a mix- on a Saturday, Phillips Academy plain to them that one of the best ing the songs they covered, and ture of beyond-cool cover versions students could leave the school albums of 1967 was a prep school they had a huge influence on us, (Remains, Love, Rockin’ Ramrods, grounds and mosey on down to souvenir known only to a few as well as a zillion other bands Them) and deathless original com- the town of Andover. There wasn’t hundred people in New England in the New England area. To pay positions; a balance of frenetic much to do, but there was a record at the time. homage to them, we not only took rockers and delicate atmospheric store with a booth, and you could their ending, but we extended it I recently interviewed the band ballads. Perfection; really. play albums to determine if you and had it morph into a Yardbirds- members about the making of their wanted to buy them. One Saturday style rave-up. extraordinary album. (Mike Stax) Todd and I wandered into the store Above right: The Rising Storm, and started thumbing through the RICH: We loved modifying the 1967. L to R: Bob Cohan, Charlie The album opens with a storm- albums. I don’t remember which songs we covered (why sound ex- Rockwell (back), Tom Scheft ing version of the Remains’ “Don’t one of us found the new Remains actly like the original?), so adding (front), Tony Thompson, Todd Look Back.” Obviously they were album, but that moment was simi- the Kinks-style riff from “You Got Cohen, Rich Weinberg. hugely popular in Massachu- lar to discovering the Holy Grail. a Hard Time Coming” to the end of Ugly Things 127 C M C M C M C M C M C M C M PREPS PREPS PREPS PREPS PREPS PREPS PREPS Y K Y K Y K Y K Y K Y K Y K 39249 Ugly Things Magazine.p0001_impo Mar-07-2018 17:22 Sig:4-A Black “Don’t Look Back” was a natural. the pressed albums, we opened one and started listening. When TOM: Tony once said that, as a “Frozen Laughter” began, we were teen, he thought of the Remains as completely surprised by “Honey, the “cool big brother,” and we, the is that you?” Upon further inves- Storm, were like the little brother, tigation, we found out that it was 4 constantly looking up to and trying John’s wife who had overdubbed to be like the older sibling. That’s it. As they say, the rest is history! an appropriate simile. Their music and their work ethic pushed us to TODD: With his customary be better, to be more creative. gentility, Charlie is understating our collective reaction the first I think your versions of the time we heard the introduction to two Rockin’ Ramrods songs, “Frozen Laughter.” Charlie imme- “Mr Wind” and “Bright Lit Blue diately gasped, “The horror! The Skies,” are actually superior to horror!” It scarred him for life; he theirs. What inspired you to cover has never recovered. these two songs? heavy rotation on our record play- chy to perform in public, so the TONY: “Henry, is that you?” RICH: Some of us saw the Ram- ers. We later covered two other group modified the lyrics, and in arose from a waking dream I had rods and Remains play live in Bos- songs from this album: “Little Red the process reworked the chords on one of the mornings I spent at ton at venues like Where It’s At Book” on our 1983 album Live of the chorus. The result was a home during the band’s week-long and the Boston Tea Party, during Again at Andover and “Signed DC” true group effort. recording session for Calm Before. (rare) weekends away from Ando- on our 1999 album Second Wind. In the dream, I heard the muffled, ver. We listened to their records Tony, your song “Frozen indistinct voice of a woman. She constantly in our dorm rooms. TONY: “A Message to Pretty” is Laughter” is my favorite track sounded nearby, though outdoors, my favorite song on Calm Before. on the album. It’s stunning. “Or- as if speaking through a mist.