Phil Gammage left Certain General in 1985 and evidently returned to the Corvairs for a time; he then began pursuing a solo career. Prior to Cry of the City, he released two albums on a French label, New Rose Records, Night Train and Kneel to the Rising Sun. Last Call Records, yet another French label that issued his fourth solo album Lowlife Street (1999), says of this early trio of albums: “These records showcased Phil’s songwriting, guitar playing and vocals talents and found him exploring in depth blues and acoustic musical styles.” Of the new album, the promo material states: “This record takes up musically where his previous three solo records left off . . . original songs written by Gammage and performed in his unique and dynamic style.” A retrospective album, Motel Songs came out in 2003 featuring songs from Phil Gammage’s first four CD’s.
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At the beginning of the liner notes for the Phil Gammage CD Cry of the City is a free-verse poem that reads like verses and a chorus for a song; it must lay out the philosophy behind this album. (As it turns out, this poem forms the lyrics for a song called “Route 65” that is included on both Lowlife Street and Motel Songs). It ends:
My car’s standing still
And the world is whizzing by my window
That’s how I like it
Me and my dog
And this cracklin’ voice
Coming at me from my radio
He’s telling me who I am,
He’s telling me what I think,
Well let me tell you something pal
I ain’t no dead cat on Route 65
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Here follows a reprint of the Trouser Press Record Guide (4th Edition) listing for the SourMash family of bands. Though slightly garbled, it presents a fairly accurate overview of our thing in the 1980’s.
Night Train (Fr. New Rose) 1990
Kneel to the Rising Sun (Fr. New Rose) 1991
20th Anniv. Reissue (2011)
Cry of the City (Marilyn) 1993
Lowlife Street (Fr. Last Call 1999
Motel Songs (SourMash USA) 2002
(March 2015)
