Due to massive demand from the clamoring horde of heavy-psyche rock, proto-metal, and Poobah fans world-wide, Poobah’s Let Me In vinyl edition has seen a second pressing and is now back in stock at Ripple Music and the labels dedicated group of distributors. Earlier this year, the award-winning multi-colored vinyl edition of Let Me In sold out, yet the calls and orders continued to come in. Second and all subsequent pressings are on classic sleek and sexy black wax, and like the first pressing of the double LP, include a download code that allows access to two additional tracks that can otherwise only be found on the CD edition.
Not to rest on the laurels of past successes, Jim Gustafson is currently leading Poobah into the future with a fresh new album aimed for a late 2011 release. But for more current Poobah revelry, catch the band as they assail the senses throughout Ohio this summer!
Times and locations are subject to change – for up to the minute details, visit: www.poobahband.com
July 16th: Mud Mayhem Festival – Logan, OH 7:00pm July 22nd: Lemon Grove – Youngstown, OH 9:00pm July 23rd: Iron Saddle Rock Club – Akron, OH 9:00pm July 30th: Charlyfest 3 – Toledo, OH 6:00pm Aug. 6th: Fishbone Grill (Alzheimers Benefit) – Vienna, WV 4:00pm Aug. 13th: Birdies Rec – Sebring, OH 8:00pm Aug. 19th: YRRH Rockfest (Jam night) – Youngstown, OH 5:00pm Aug. 20th: YRRH Rockfest – Youngstown, OH 10:00pm
After exploding onto the scene June of last year, Ripple Music continues its path as one of the fastest growing Independent Record Labels in America!
Following a year that saw the signing and releasing of new and vintage material from Stone Axe, Poobah, JPT Scare Band, Fen, Modern Day Moonshine, Mighty High, Grand Atlantic, Sky Parade, and Kevin Beadles, Ripple Music followed up by adding such bands as Mos Generator, Iron Claw, Grifter, and Tripdavon to their roster, and inked several major international distribution deals. And there's much more to come!
Now, as Ripple Music moves into its second year, founders John Rancik and Todd Severin want to celebrate the enthusiasm of their music lovers (known as waveriders) with some Anniversary Specials. As a thank you to their fans and supporters who’ve allowed Ripple to strike out and bring independent music to the world, Ripple will be applying special 15% discounts on everything ordered from the Ripple Store from anniversary day, June 22nd through Independence day July 4th.
And when Ripple Music says “discount on everything” they mean everything, including special collectors packages of Stone Axe I deluxe CD/DVD, vinyl and 7” single, the new Heavy Ripples double 7” package, and the best-selling Poobah “Let Me In” double 12” LP. In the store, you can also find classic non-Ripple albums from Ripple artists Stone Axe, Mos Generator, and JPT Scare Band. All of which will get the additional anniversary discount.
But wait, there's more. Every waverider who places an order during the anniversary special will get their name placed into a drawing for a very special, last-one-of-its-kind surprise Test Pressing. Yes, John and Todd are going to go back into the vault and pull out the last test pressing available and give it away as a special surprise to one lucky fan.
It’s all just Ripple’s way of saying thank you for allowing them to keep doing what they love, bringing the best music your way and putting the guts back into rock and roll!
As 2010 came roaring to an end, Poobah’s Let Me In, released on Oct. 12th found itself at the top of many Year End Lists, being hailed as a Re-Issue of the Year by David Fricke, senior writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, Pat Prince of Goldmine Magazine, Ray Van Horn, Jr. of The Metal Minute/Retaliate Magazine, and even going as far as being called “album of the decade” by Ray Dorsey of Ray’s Realm!
So, congratulations go out to Jim Gustafson for creating a piece of music with the vitality and staying power that Let Me In has, as well as a big round of applause to T. Dallas Reed for his countless hours of blowing off the sonic dust from the original 1972 analog tapes, and graphic designer Vic Jong for laboriously toiling over the details of the packaging reproduction in an effort to retain the visual feel of the original LP!
Here are a few more words to carry us into 2011:
“Between Jim Gustafson’s primal vocals to his gut wrenching licks on his Les Paul . . . they should have been huge, Black Sabbath Huge, because they were on par as far as sound and attack but it was not to be." -- Metal Exiles
"One of the highlights of the year! Let Me In is an album deserving of any status this reissue can give it, be it “classic” or otherwise.” – The Obelisk
“On the basis of Let Me In, Poobah is more than just a shaggy curiosity from the Me Decade – it’s a band worth discovering for fans not satisfied with endless Grand Funk retreads on classic rock radio." -- Sleazegrinder
Catch Poobah on the road throughout the winter of 2011!
One of the first things that attracted me to the Ripple Effect freaks is their deep love and understanding of the ultra obscure heavy bands from the 1970’s that they feature on the “Proto Metal Report.” Anyone who takes time out of their lives to champion Dust, Sir Lord Baltimore, Toad, JPT Scare Band, Jerusalem, etc is someone I want to know. Nobler than just talking about it, they are putting their time and money into bringing some of these lost artifacts back into existence again on their Ripple Music label. They’ve already unleashed a great collection of unreleased JPT Scare Band recordings and now they’ve done us all a huge favor by reissuing Poobah’sLet Me In.
I bought my copy just to support the label but didn’t know what to expect. Turns out this is right up my alley. Vintage Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Grand Funk Railroad is some of my favorite rock and Let Me In is a killer mix of all of ‘em. Grand Poobah, guitarist, singer, songwriter, Jim Gustafson is an awesome player and burns up the fretboard like a muther. It reminded me a lot of the first time I heard the Truth & Janey band – kick ass American power trio rock from the Midwest with lots of heart and soul.
Recorded back in the glory days of 1972, the original LP of Let Me In featured 6 killer jams and a great album cover. “Mr. Destroyer” starts off with a very funny spoken intro, somewhere in between Cheech & Chong and the voice on the early Ohio Players song “Funky Worm” before an almost “War Pigs” style riff. Jim peels off some great solos and they rhythm section of bassist Phil Jones and drummer Glenn Wiseman is very tight and grooves hard. Jim’s playing brings to mind both Ron Asheton and Tony Iommi at the same time. “Enjoy What You Have” is a mellower song that should replace Boston’s worn out “More Than A Feeling” on the playlist for all classic rock radio stations. It’s followed up with the killer mid tempo boogie of “Live To Work.” Even though Poobah is from Ohio, this is pure Texas boogie that would make Johnny Winter take notice.
Side two of the original LP kicks off with probably my favorite song “Bowleen.” It’s got a great tribal drum beat similar to Alice Coooper’s “Black Juju” and Jim adds some spooky organ on top of his creepy guitar riff. “Rock N Roll” is the type of song that my older brothers used to love to torture my mother with back in the 70’s. It’s loud and obnoxious with lyrics about how great rock is and of course getting high! I can practically hear her screaming to “TURN IT DOWN” during the guitar breaks. “Let Me In” is a 6 and a half minute epic that has everything you could possibly want – great riffs, lyrics about brotherhood and a drum solo.
In addition to this great album, there are TWELVE bonus tracks! You get everything from what was probably their intro tape (“Here’s The Band”) to unreleased gems like “Going To Rock City” and “Walk Of The Bug” to live rehearsals and radio edits. No expense has been spared on this package. Audio restoration and mastering was handled by none other than Tony Dallas Reed of STONE AXE. This guy knows a little bit about how classic rock should sound, so you know the fidelity is top notch. The CD is almost 80 minutes and the double LP is a thing of beauty. The colored wax is a tripped out marble and the inside spine awaits your seeds!
In the early 1990’s a small record label broke out of San Antonio, Monster Records, specializing in limited release/collector’s vinyl from underground 1970’s hard rock bands. For several years, Monster churned out an impressive array of steaming protometal, adding such bands as Poobah, JPT Scare Band, Truth and Janey, Hawkwind, and Manilla Road to their roster. But as so often happens in the music business, time passed, tastes changed and Monster Records ceased to exist.
Fast forward 20 years, and the sands of the hourglass churn backwards in time. Suddenly metal legends, Youngstown Ohio’s Poobah, and Kansas City’s JPT Scare Band, find themselves as popular as ever and stunningly, back on the same record label. This time it’s Ripple Music filling the void, providing the world with the tasty underground protometal that they crave.
Within a span of two months, both JPT Scare Band and Poobah released classic works with Ripple Music, JPT Scare Band’sAcid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, and Poobah’s 1972 seminal debut, Let Me In. Both releases hit the world in eye-opening, two-tone double LP packages with gatefold covers as well as CD formats. Both packed with rare pictures, notes, and bonus tracks.
Jim Gustafson, the mastermind behind Poobah, sums it up. “It’s cool that Poobah ended up with JPT again on the same label, only better this time. I saved these tapes for decades, looking for the right time and place to do this, and now it has happened.”
And 40 years after originally forming, both bands find themselves cranking out their music to a legion of fans new and old. WFMU in New York has both bands on frequent rotation, spreading the protometal, acid rock gospel to hungry, waiting ears.
“It’s a wonderful bit of synchronicity,” says JPT Scare Band drummer, Jeff Littrell, “that when we finally get back on a label again, the moguls at Ripple Music have also signed our old label mates, Poobah. Déjà vu all over again! JPT Scare Band and Poobah ripping faces off on the same label in the 21st Century.”
Ripple Music plans to keep bringing on the ballsy retro-metal with future releases by Scottish protometal icons, Iron Claw, as well as modern purveyors following the raw, sonic blueprint, Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Grifter, Mighty High, and Venomin James.
As Ripple founders Todd Severin and John Rancik say, “Ripple Music exists to bring the guts back to rock and roll!”
Revered by many, but unknown by most, Poobah's Jim Gustafson is a guitar player who's style has morphed over the years. With the re-issue of the classic 1972 Poobah debut, Let Me In, looming in the very near future, we thought it might be nice to sit down with Jim Gustafson, the grand Poobah himself, and pick his brain a little on his approach to tackling the chores of being the band's sole six-string slinger for nearly forty years.
What made you decide to pursue playing guitar?
I saw the Beatles on TV, at a young age, and my sister and her hot friends were going crazy over them. Right then I said to myself, I want to play guitar.
How quickly did you pick up playing the guitar? Did guitar playing come naturally, or was there a struggle involved?
I learned fairly quickly, as I really was drawn to it. I would say I had some natural ability, and was able to learn things at a very quick pace. It also helped, that where I grew up, there were some excellent players I would go see live, often. You can learn so much from watching others. I do not recall any difficulty, as I would gladly grab the guitar and go for it, every day. I still love to play, and grab a guitar most every day. This really helps in the songwriting department, as ideas come when you are just messing around.
What was the first guitar you owned?
My first guitar was very hard to play. It was a cheap, unnamed brand of acoustic, with strings set far from the neck, making it hard to play. My grandmother watched me try to play it anyway, and often. After about 4 weeks, she then purchased me a really nice National red electric, and it was a totally easy guitar to play, making my learning move ahead quickly. I started out taking jazz lessons as a sight reader, and then also took a few lessons from a rock guitarist, which really sent me up the path I wanted to be on. I wanted to be able to get up on stage and rock.
What kind of gear do you use? Guitar? Amp? Effects?
I have owned close to 35 guitars, but now I prefer, Carvin, Jackson, Hamer, Peavey electrics, and Martin, and Ovation acoustic guitars. I usually use a Carvin H-2 24 fret guitar live, and in the studio. There are more brands I am interested in, but the ones I am using are good to play live and record with. I own 3 Marshall amps, a Fender, Peavey, and even an Esteban amp. On stage I prefer newer Marshall 4 channel amps, but I also love my 1974 Marshall all tube 50 watt head, and Marshall 4x12 cabinets with Celestion 75 watt speakers. I own lots of effects pedals, and use many of them to achieve some wild sounds. Morley wah pedals and volume pedals are great, and I like Dunlop tremolo, DOD flanger, Line 6 echo with looping, Boss octave divider, Tech 21 compressor/distortion, Zoom multi effects and a few others. I like to play some complicated guitar riffs, and then add some flavor with effects, here and there. My newer Marshall has effects built in, for even more flavors of sound.
Do you play in standard tuning or do you use an alternate tuning? If so, why?
In recent years, I use alternate tuning, to have a bit heavier tone, tuning down a half step. On earlier Poobah albums I was in standard tuning. I like the sound of either, depending on what type of project I will be playing on.
What piece of gear can’t you live without? What’s your “secret” weapon?
My secret weapon is my ears and hands. I feel that I can play most any guitar/amp setup , and get a pretty decent sound, as long as the gear is working properly. In fact, I love to play lots of different guitars/amps, when I can. It always gives me perspective on what someone else thought was a good setup. There is so much to learn, and so little time.
Who are your primary influences? Guitarists, musicians?
For me, the Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, James Gang, King Crimson, were early influences, and then when I discovered many unusual players, meaning far from the style of the radio stars. I was and still am fond of listening to jazz, new age, and lots of technically challenging rock. Some players I like are Michael Hedges, Phil Keaggy, Steve Morse, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and many others. So much great music to absorb. Lots of great unknown players I like, too.
When performing solos, are you aware of where you’re going or are playing purely by mood and feel?
After playing for many years, you can almost map out where you are going in your head, and hear the changes that signify a different key, or tone center. I also love to improvise, which changes the music a lot. I try to capture the feel and mood of the recording, and then make it more fun for myself, by improvising many parts on the fly. Some songs call for a close to the recorded part, and if it is a signature section, then you should play it as close to the record as possible, for the audience who wants to hear it that way.
What words of wisdom do you have for young (and old) guitar players who are just getting started?
There are so many tools out there these days for guitarists. You can learn at an incredible rate, if you have the passion. Videos, Youtube, books, all will take you to the next level fairly quickly, if you are willing to put in the practice time. If I could give advice, it would be to try to find your own sound. If you are the best at covering someone else, it may not give you your own voice. There’s no shame in being a cover artist, and probably will get you more work. However, if you want to be remembered for your music, you should try to write good songs, and strive to have your own sound and style.
News that just warms our Ripple hearts. From the Telegraph, the British Newspaper. Vinyl sales continue to rise as music fans appreciate the portability of the download, but love the feel, look, and sound of vinyl.
At the Ripple, we're firmly committed to this point of view. With new double LP, gatefold vinyl releases of JPT Scare Band'sAcid Blues is the White Man's Burden, and the grand re-release of Poobah's classic 1972, protometal masterpiece, Let Me In. Both albums coming this summer, not to mention some nifty split 7" coming from Stone Axe and Mighty High and another from Ripple favorites Grand Atlantic and Sky Parade.
Long live the vinyl resurrection!
From the Telegraph: Sales of old-fashioned albums rose by more than five per cent last year, figures from the Official UK Charts Company showed.
CD sales have fallen by a fifth over the same period, leading to some manufacturers threatening to halt their production.
Despite accounting for less than one per cent of music purchases, American sales of vinyl topped almost three million, an increase of a million records. Music website Amazon.co.uk said it had more than 250,000 vinyl albums in stock to meet the growing demand. Internet search engine Yahoo meanwhile, has reported a 210 per cent increase in searches of the phrase "blank cassette tapes" and a 110 per cent rise in users seeking “music cassette tapes”.
The new trend is believed to have originated from New York teenagers, leading to a boom in record player and turntable sales. Most vinyl records bought over the past 10 years were by DJs and dance music fans, but recently more rock and country music albums have been sold.
Some of the most popular records include music from Florence and the Machine and The Courteeners and re-released Jimi Hendrix and The Red Hot Chili Pepper albums.
Music experts said that vinyl sales figures could be even higher because official British statistics do not include sales from smaller record shops and albums sold at concerts. British sales of seven-inch records peaked in 1979, with 89 million copies sold, but as CDs became more popular they slumped to less than 180,000 in 2001. Last year sales rose to 223,000.
Some vintage blank tapes are reportedly selling for more than £20 on auction websites.
"Downloads are quick and easy but nothing beats the joy of holding a heavy piece of vinyl,” Steve Clancey, a Brixton rare records and vinyl dealer told The Sun. "Vinyl sounds richer and there's something special about the cover art and sleeve notes which you cannot get with digital tunes."
Latest figures show that digital music sales accounted for more than a quarter of the music industry's global income in 2009 for the first time. Almost 30 per cent of global music revenues were generated via digital downloads last year, generating a total of £2.6billion.
