The Big Crash Collection

This month brings full circle of the early years back in print.  In 1980 I bought a Zickos drumset in order to record music and between that and So Much For That, I recorded a bunch of reel to reels that were edited down to cassette tape with the highlights of the songs that stood out.  While So Much For That and anything else later (Except Every Hour On The Hour which I cannot find the tapes to) have made it to CD form, the three albums have not.  But after spending yet another snowed in weekend, I decided to finally mix and put the three albums out on CD this month.  Subtitled the Zickos Collection, (in tribute to my long gone drum set) the three albums are known as R. Smith Tonight, The Power Of Positive Thinking and Bizarre Behavior.

I have no intention of issuing the pre 1980s stuff on CD, they are too rough and better versions were done later but I love the power of the drums on these recordings.  Plus they're fun to listen to as I try to do one take versions of songs, red light running and hoping that they sound good.

The albums themselves:

Rodney Smith Tonight!  (MHS-24027)  1980

1.  Medley (13:36)
     It's Me Tonight
     That Girl I'm Gonna Make Her Mine If It Takes All Night
     I Want To Get Closerthanthis With You
2.  The Will Of Me  7:11
3.  Who Asking Questions 4:22
4.  Black Wind   4:02
5.  Out Of Gas  4:35
6.  Drums On Fire  5:55
7.  Movin On To Better Things (Smith/Willard)  3:23
8.  Ain't It Oblivious  3:42
9.  Takin' For A Ride 4:28

Produced By Rodney Smith
Recorded at Maier Studio Summer 1980
Recorded by R.Smith, Mel Strobie and Ken Miller

All other songs written by Rodney Smith except where noted.


THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING (1981)  MRK-24129

1.  Who Sez   3:33
2.  Heart Of Ice (Smith/Gray)   5:04
3.  The Power Of Positive Thinking (Smith/Glarington)  2:53
4.  Out And Out  2:20
5.  All Night Dancing   4:20
6.  Reggae Rock   4:05
7.  Down The Road Blues   4:21
8.  Who What Where And Why   5:42
9.  Champagne Bottles In The Cupboard (Smith/Orbit/Glarington)  4:11
10. Jazztime   1:55
11. Fool For Thinking (Smith/Evans)   3:23
12. Same Old Thing 1:35

All songs written by R.Smith except where noted
Recorded at Maier Studio June 25-27  1981
Recorded by Mel Strobie, Gene Littell and Ken Miller
Produced by Rodney Smith and Mel Strobie 


BIZARRE BEHAVIOR (1982)  MRK 24130

1.   Living After Midnight  3:28
2.   Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can  4:10
3.   Trans Elusive Express (Smith/Orbit/Miller/Glarington) 5:28
4.   Victim Of Circumstances  1:55
5.   In A Trance  5:15
6.   Sidewalk Sale Woman (Smith/Swearingen) 3:13
7.   Rock That!  1:27
8.   Fade Away 2:10
9.   Thunderfoot 3:40
10. Roll A Rock 4:25
11. Diesel Breath  1:55
12. Bizarre Behavior 2:00
13. Heart Of Stone 4:00
14. How Can You  Say That I Loved You When You Knew I Was A Liar  4:20
15. Goodbye Freelance Dream (Smith/Glarington) 2:40
16. Telling All 3:52

Songs written by R.Smith except where noted
Recorded July 1982, Maier Studios
Recorded by Ken Miller, Gene Littell and Perry Langhurst
Produced By Neil Fulbright
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Reissue Credits:

For the most part, all selections were used from the original dubbed cassette copies that were found in the Radio Maierburg music archives and with the exception of Same Old Thing were EQed in the way they were recorded.  Granted, some of the selections were found via the Rodney Smith's Greatest Hits (MRK 24175) cassette and that tape had a higher quality tape which brought out the more brighter sounds.  The tape master used of Same Old Thing, the source copy wasn't that great to begin with and the reel to reel wasn't much better but we compressed it to make it sound better.  The more rougher mix that you hear are from the original reel to reel mixed to an old outdated Realistic player which did a fine job at the beginning but later in the 80 it recorded music much faster and when transcribed to other cassette players the sound dragged more. The four track used to record and mix, has brought things up to speed.

All sections features myself playing guitar and drums and on a rare occasion Harmonica.  Ron Glarington, who co wrote a few songs, arranged the songs  There was some numbers included by Paraphernalia and Russ Swearingen played bass on a couple of instrumentals but were not included.  There was were some omissions of songs off the cassette (Hit Me (hit a wet towel), Mr Questionmark, Shine On, Anger, Wide Turn Blues, Four O Clock Sunrise, In Search Of The Girl Of My Dreams, Pizza Inferior) that would have hampered the flow of the album so they were left off. Good intentions really at that time but really have dated very badly over the years.

For most of February, I worked with my original producer Mel Strobie on reviewing tracks.  Since he played a role in recording most of these albums I felt that he should be included on the reissues.  We both attempt to preserve, as best as we could, the sound and performance of these albums.  But tape usually ages over time, and there's some drop out of sound and other wow and flutter issues.

The Big Crash Collection, while uneven and ragged at is gets, these three albums do show the transgression of novices attempted rock stars into something more compatible and bridges the gap between the past and the latest album 30.  A history lesson.

But I still get a kick out of hearing those wild drum solos though ;-)