Ah, King's X. One of my favorite bands of all time, right up there with KISS. I have a KISS related tattoo on my arm, and a King's X related one on my back left shoulder. Both of these groups helped shape my life and created a safety net for me when times got tough. I've seen King's X once in the early 90's on their "Dogman" album tour, and again a few years ago, when I actually got to meet and talk with them. That was a moment in my life that is stamped in time forever. Unquestionably, they're the nicest, friendliest celebrities I've ever met, or ever will.
"The Oral History" is basically an interview-type style setting/biography that details the ups and downs of the band's three decades long, and counting, career as they speak in great detail about the journey they've been on. We find out what brought them together, the making of their music, the stories behind all their songs and tours, and what makes them tick. The early selling points of the band were that they were a Beatles-esque "Christian" metal band, with a wide range of influences that include the Fab Four, with a healthy dose of progressive rock suggestions reminiscent of Rush and Yes, and a smattering of all kinds of influences that range from bluegrass to gospel to straight-ahead metal. It's kind of hard to really pin down what style they are, as they don't play by any rules but their own.
Their early Christian roots that dot the landscape of much of their formative days actually turn out to be not unlike U2 - who ironically don't call themselves Christian rockers, but a rock band that has some religious intonations here and there. That sums up much of early King's X, yet they got saddled with the "Christian rock" label anyway, much to their dismay, as it pigeonholes them into just one rather claustrophobic audience, which limited their success, if not downright flatlined it towards the middle of their careers. But they persevered and found their own identity by the time their fifth record "Dogman" was released. In the catalogue before that, they were produced and managed by a guy named Sam Taylor, who, as it turns out, was pivotal in the band's early success, but even moreso in their wheel-spinning ways by the time their final collaboration of their fourth self-titled album came out. King's X were basically poor and broke by the end of the tour for that record, with, it seems, the overwhelming bulk of their earnings being absorbed by Taylor's management company. Their label in those days, Atlantic, didn't help matters at all by basically ignoring the band, more or less, as they worked and worked while Taylor's company reaped the financial rewards. It's universally known in the music industry that King's X should have been selling out arenas, if not stadiums, rather than slaving away in clubs and opening for groups they should have had at least equal success with.
Bassist Doug Pinnick had a massive falling out with Christianity when Evangelicals discovered he was actually gay, thus painting him more as a villain than a hero. He was so ravaged by critics of his lifestyle that it completely turned him off and away from his faith, though not exactly making him atheist. At the same time, it freed him to be who he really was, and the soul in his voice resonated even more with all his brutal honesty. It's just a shame that he had to be judged that way in the first place. Pinnick's bass style is so distinct that it's been emulated by countless musicians across the musical landscape, even successfully spawning his own brand of gear. And no one in rock has a more honest vocal approach than he does.
Guitarist Ty Tabor reveals his influences from growing up in the mid-south, shaping his unique and identifiable sound that in my ears makes him my favorite guitarist ever. Tabor gets a little dodgy with some of the explanations from his lyrics and inspirations, likely because he doesn't want the Christian label attached to every single thing he does, knowing that it's career suicide. The John Lennon influence in his writing and singing is undeniable, and the kind-heartedness in his interviews is refreshing amidst the turmoil that exists within the craftings of his music, namely in the years after their third and most successful record, "Faith Hope Love". Reading his musings on his ongoing struggles in the music industry seem to sync up well with the albums that were released as the band progressed.
Jerry Gaskill's story through the years is heartbreaking too, as the drummer reveals his struggles with alcohol addiction at times, and how he dealt with relationship issues while maintaining his stature in the band as the key melodic voice in the three-piece, as well as his solid, energetic backbeat. Reading his story, it's amazing he's alive today. The poor guy's had it rough right up to when he suffered his first heart attack many years ago, preceded by relationship troubles and just plain bad luck. The guy's a genuine trooper, getting up repeatedly and defiantly after getting knocked down over and over. His is one of the more inspiring stories in rock and roll.
It's quite incredible the amount of bad luck this band has had. From being screwed by management, to getting betrayed by a Rolling Stone writer in what should have been a time that would be the pinnacle of their career, to gross mishandling from their Atlantic label among so many other things, King's X forges on in spite of it all, maintaining and even growing their core audience over thirty years later. Support from their peers is undeniably rabid - with the likes of Motley Crue, The Police, Anthrax, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, KISS, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Robert Palmer among countless others citing them as one of the most important bands to have ever come around. You just don't earn the credit these guys get from company like that everyday.
"The Oral History" will leave fans of the band more than satisfied, as well as offering newbies a close look at one of the most influential - if relatively unknown - bands ever to record music.
This is without a doubt, really Smooth Gravy.
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