It's been quite some time since I've discovered a 'Graybeard Metal' obscurity as tantalizing and, ultimately, as rewarding as Legend's Fröm the Fjörds (all hail the gratuitous umlauts!), which first appeared as a private pressing in 1979.
Not to be confused with any number of musical entities sharing this overused name (Discogs catalogs over 100 of them!), this Legend hailed from New Haven, Connecticut, and consisted of Kevin Nugent (double-necked guitar and vocals), Fred Melillo (fretted and fretless bass), and Raymond Frigon (superhuman drums).
As its title indicates, Fröm the Fjörds conjured up a prescient Viking metal vision scored to the castle metal majesty of Rainbow and progressive musicianship of Rush, so if citing those two bands doesn't have you racing to Discogs, I don't know what will.
Maybe mentioning like-minded near-contemporaries like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road will do the trick, or perhaps I should just let you be swept away by epic sonic adventures such as "The Golden Bell" (of course there are ominous chiming bells), "Against the Gods," and the eight-minute title cut (which drifts into jazz fusion midway through).
All of these navigate the turbulent waters where '70s and '80s musical tides intersect, and yet it's the album's very first cut, "The Destroyer," that will henceforth appear in every 'Top Ten '70s Heavy Metal Songs You've Probably Never Heard' list I ever compile.
Almost as good is the sword-and-sorcery head-banger "The Wizard's Vengeance" (later covered by Slough Feg, its slashing staccato riffs tease the looming N.W.O.B.H.M.), and the trio show a sense of humor by adding cliche country-western bookends to the album's frantic, most conventional hard rocker, "R.A.R.Z."
And rounding out the set are a pair of instrumentals, "The Confrontation" and jazzy, train-themed "The Iron Horse," that further showcase the three musicians' astonishing skills -- especially Frigon, who lets loose on the latter with a full-blown drum solo.
Making all this even more impressive, Legend were active for an exceedingly brief moment in time: forming in 1978 as Judge (named after original bassist John Judge) before changing names in '79, recording Fröm the Fjörds, and disbanding before year's end.
Frigon and Melillo went on to enjoy lengthy, if mostly behind-the-scenes careers as session musicians, but the magnificently afro'ed Nugent sadly passed away in 1983 at the age of 26, though I couldn't find the cause -- anyone?
As for Fröm the Fjörds, it has since justifiably earned cult album status been reissued in multiple guises, including a another version expanded with unreleased demos like the frankly off-point "The Court Jester" and the somewhat better "Aramis, the Lover."
Oh, and the album's cover art provides some more trivia, as it was designed by one Ioannis Vassilopoulos, who later crafted the artwork for fellow Connecticuters (yes, that's a word) Fates Warning's The Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian.
Legendary in every way!
More Castle Metal: 3 Inches of Blood’s Battlecry Under a Winter Sun, Ashbury’s Endless Skies, Behold! The Monolith's Defender/Redeemist, Black Cobra's Feather and Stone, Brocas Helm's Into Battle, Cirith Ungol’s King of the Dead, Griffin’s Flight of the Griffin, High On Fire’s Snakes for the Divine, Isen Torr’s Mighty & Superior EP, Khemmis’ Hunted, Lair of the Minotaur's Carnage, Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Trilogy, Manilla Road’s Crystal Logic, Manowar’s Hail to England, Omen’s Battle Cry, Queensrÿche’s Queensrÿche EP, Rainbow’s Rising, Silver Mountain’s Shakin’ Brains, Skeletonwitch’s Beyond the Permafrost, Stygian Shore’s Stygian Shore EP, The Sword’s Age of Winters, Virgin Steele’s Guardians of the Flame, Witchkiller’s Day of the Saxons EP.
So. It has come to my attention, after rewatching The Untamed, that ZiZhen is seasick. He says so to SiZhui after the second siege of the Burial Mound when he notices SiZhui doesn’t seem to feel that good on the pier. I needed a reason for why my boy is not seasick anymore in Blossom. So here’s what I came up with! I hope you enjoy!
When Jin Ling first invited him to Lotus Pier for the lotus harvest season, OuYang ZiZhen was beyond happy. Getting to spend an entire week with his favourite person excited him so much that he packed several days in advance. Every day he would double check his bags, making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, to the point where it ended up annoying Fifth Mother.
“You have money, ZiZhen,” she had said, “if you forget something, you can always buy it.”
He shook his head firmly.
“No, I need to make a good impression on Sect Leader Jiang. I want to show him how responsible I am.”
Ever the practical woman, Fifth Mother replied,
“And what do you plan to do with your seasickness?”
ZiZhen’s skin lost its colour so fast that Fifth Mother insisted he sat down.
It was something ZiZhen hadn't thought about, so eager to focus on what he knew were his strengths. He has always been good at planning for the Night Hunts and other visits to the different Sects.
His seasickness never really prevented him from using boats when he needed to. Granted said boats took frequent breaks in between towns. The longest he’s ever been on a boat without throwing up has been a single incense stick. At Lotus Pier, he knew he would be expected to stay on one for much longer than that.
Perhaps it would be different, ZiZhen kept telling himself as a way of reassurance. Perhaps his seasickness would be less prevalent if the boat was not moving too fast on the water. It should be alright.
An hour after setting foot on the harvest boat with Jin Ling, it was not alright. Jin Ling had noticed ZiZhen’s discomfort a few times, asking about it. The latter always reassured him it was okay. Now, with the content of his breakfast floating between the lotus flowers, he couldn’t lie anymore.
“You should have told me you get seasick! I wouldn’t have invited you over for the harvest if I knew! Why didn’t you say anything?!?”
Jin Ling’s voice was booming in his ears, his irritation clear in his voice. Because I wanted to spend time with you doing something you like, ZiZhen would have said if he wasn’t feeling so ashamed of the incident that happened on the lake. He could still hear the exclamations of disgust and surprise ringing in his head. At least, Sect Leader Jiang had been on another lake when it happened.
“Now, you stay here, I’ll get someone to bring you some soup later.”
Jin Ling forcefully slammed a pile of books on the floor besides ZiZhen’s bed. From the recognizable titles, he found them in ZiZhen’s bag.
“No more activities on the lake for you,” he ordered before stomping out of ZiZhen’s quarters, presumably to go back to their previous activity.
ZiZhen starred in the direction of the door, forlorn.
A few hours later, despite his assurance that he was fine and could go out for dinner, Jin Ling still requested for food to be brought in his room. Then, he insisted on feeding him himself.
“Jin Ling, I can hold a spoon, I’m fine!”
“ZiZhen. You’ve been sick. Eat.”
Despite the sour look on Jin Ling’s face, ZiZhen couldn’t help the beating of his heart picking up pace with each spoonful of soup he was given. Lotus root and pork ribs soup, Jin Ling said it was. His mother’s recipe.
“Not that it’s exactly the same. Jiujiu likes it alright.”
ZiZhen liked it too.
The morning after, ZiZhen was ordered to once again stay in bed by an overbearing Jin Ling.
“I want to make sure you are well enough to go out. I don’t want you throwing up just looking at the lakes, and those are everywhere.”
“Jin Ling, that’s not how it works.”
Still, Jin Ling refused to listen, and so, ZiZhen was alone with his books all day long. At least I brought more than enough to keep me entertained, jokes on you Fifth Mother, ZiZhen thought to himself, pouting as he settled on his bed again.
That day, he had an idea. That night, when everyone was asleep, he went out on the private pier outside of his quarters. At the end of it, like on all the other ones, there was a small boat, mostly for the purpose of enjoying some quiet time on the lake. ZiZhen carefully climbed on it, and set off silently. He lasted 15 minutes before the first wave of nausea hit, 15 more before he had to get back on the pier, otherwise alerting people with his retching sounds. Disappointed with himself, he walked back to his quarters, and set to sleep.
The next day, Jin Ling agreed to let him leave his room “on the condition that you stay away from the water”. That was how ZiZhen found his way around YunMeng’s marketplace, where he strolled leisurely, stopping at a tea shop that hosted a storyteller. He already heard that one in Baling when the man came there, but he enjoyed hearing it a second time. That was where Jin Ling found him.
“I knew you’d be here,” he said, sitting besides ZiZhen.
The story was not done yet, so he kept unusually quiet. They both listened, and ZiZhen shed a few tears again at the end. He was generous in his donation once the storyteller walked around with his bowl, smiling at all the patrons, a few of his teeth missing.
“Are you done with the harvest already?” ZiZhen asked once conversations started again.
Jin Ling shook his head.
“No, I wanted to spend some time with you.”, a red tint covering his cheeks. He coughed and raised his voice. “It would be rude of me to ask you to come here and let you be by yourself.”
Used to Jin Ling’s harsh tone, ZiZhen smiled and ordered another pot of tea.
That night, like the one before, ZiZhen went on the little boat at the end of the pier. He lasted for 45 minutes before he had to turn back. Just as he was congratulating himself in his head for being able to stand the discomfort longer, a deep, gruff voice rang in the dark,
“You’re not getting any better.”
Scared, ZiZhen turned around so fast he almost dropped the anchoring rope in the lake. He grabbed it at the last minute before tying it to one of the beams and properly greeting the person standing on the pier.
“Sect Leader Jiang.”
ZiZhen’s bow was perfectly formal, the way he had been taught. Sect Leader Jiang did not move, arms crossed over his chest, face unreadable. Despite his father’s advice to “always assume Sect Leader Jiang is angry”, ZiZhen knew that, much like Chief Cultivator Hanguang Jun, it was difficult to interpret his emotions based on the single facial expression he was willing to show the world. Yet, ZiZhen could not argue that all he wanted to do now was crawl under the pier and drown there. This week was supposed to be a time to leave Sect Leader Jiang with a good impression of him. Seems like it was not happening.
“You have a golden core, right? I heard it’s not weak. Use it.”
ZiZhen looked up, taken aback.
“W—What?”
Jiang WanYin took a few steps forward, pointing a path at ZiZhen’s chest.
“Your core. Used correctly, it’ll help you deal with the seasickness. It’ll tire you faster, but it’ll keep you from getting sick if you let the energy travel like this.”
He repeated the same movement in front of ZiZhen’s chest. Understanding dawned on him. He bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Sect Leader Jiang!”
Jiang WanYin made a non-committal sound.
“Work hard at it.”
ZiZhen beamed at him.
“I will!”
He then turned around, intent on untying the boat to try right away, when a hand grabbed at his arm and pulled him back roughly.
“If I see you on a boat all alone at night again, I’ll break your legs.”
ZiZhen blanched at that and removed his hands from the chord promptly, bowing again.
“Y—Yes, Sect Leader Jiang. It won’t happen again.”
Terrified, ZiZhen ran back towards his quarters and closed the doors, hoping he would not have nightmares about this encounter.
The next day, ZiZhen asked Jin Ling if he wanted to go on the lake together.
“Are you out of your mind?!” Jin Ling demanded after a minute of silently judging him. “What part of ‘you get seasick on a boat’ don’t you get?!”
“No! I know how to deal with it! Sect Leader Jiang taught me how! But I need someone on the boat with me.”
Jin Ling’s eyes widened significantly at that.
“Oh. Well. If Uncle taught you. Okay then.”
Thankfully, Jin Ling didn’t question ZiZhen more, and together, they set on the private lake behind Jin Ling’s quarters. Jin Ling stirred the boat while ZiZhen focused on the meridians path Jiang WanYin showed him the night before.
After half an hour, ZiZhen could already feel why Sect Leader Jiang had said this was tiring, but he was too happy about the absence of nausea to be bothered by it. When Jin Ling asked him how he felt for the twentieth time, ZiZhen just laughed.
“I’m feeling amazing! I will have to thank your uncle again for this!”
By the end of the week, ZiZhen was on a boat, in the middle of a lake filled with lotus, harvesting the plants with the others. As the sun was slowly setting, he looked up from his work, joking with Jin Ling, when he caught sight of Jiang WanYin looking at him. ZiZhen stood straighter, smiled wide and bowed.
Vinyl pride week continues its rainbow-pattern parade with this 45-year-old orange wax from Ann Arbor, MI’s favorite sons, Brownsville Station (here credited as just Brownsville), and let me tell you: over the past few years, I’ve had quite roller-coaster romance with this band.
After buying and discarding 1973’s covers-laden Yeah!, whose only saving grace was Brownsville’s only Top 5 hit, “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room,” I figured I was done with them until a cheap-o copy of ‘74’s School Punks teased me back, and another of ‘75’s fabulous Motor City Connection seduced me for good.
As a result, the core trio of vocalist/guitarist Cub Koda, vocalist/bassist Mike Lutz, and drummer David ‘H Bomb’ Weck (augmented here by second guitarist Bruce Nazarian) have joined my shortlist of pet underground/underrated '70s rock bands, though I’m not beyond ripping them a new one when they deserve it.
And I’m afraid I have to do that where ‘78’s Tom Werman-produced Air Special is concerned, because it shows a somewhat desperate band for whom novelty numbers like a tribal cover of Bo Diddley’s “Who do You Love” (*) seemed to be the only gateway to the charts, after their preceding, self-tiled album’s only modest hit, the ultra-corny “Martian Boogie.”
Oh, but it got worse -- much worse -- when the boys took a couple of ill-fated steps onto to the disco dance-floor on the God-awful “Never Say Die” and “Love Stealer,” before coming to their senses with in-character efforts like the hard rocking “Taste of Your Love” and trad-bluesy “Cooda Crawlin’.”
But, in the end, Air Special’s eleven cuts (ten if you discount the jazzy interlude “Air Mail Special”) delivered just two five-star numbers in the anthemic, shoulda been-a-smash “Waitin' for the Weekend,” and the growling “Fever” (**), both of which were sung by Lutz instead of the increasingly disinterested Coda.
By the time the album wrapped with the ‘50s rock-steeped “Down the Road Apiece,” Brownsville Station had sort of come full circle to their likewise-inspired debut album, No B.S., some eight years earlier, and so the time was ripe for them to call it a day.
And by the time Lutz and Weck revived the Brownsville Station name for 2012’s Still Smokin’, their most recognizable member, Cub Koda had been dead for a dozen years, having expired on July 1, 2000 after an up-and-down battle with kidney disease, at the age of 51.
But I’ll note, since this will be my final Brownsville blog, that Coda went on to record several solo LPs before hosting The Cub Koda Crazy Radio Show, and then contributing his expertise on blues, rock, and doo wop to numerous CD liner notes, All-Music Guide reviews, his ‘Vinyl Junkie’ column in Goldmine magazine, and the Blues for Dummies book.
Fare-thee-well, Cub and Brownsville Station -- it’s been a pleasure getting to know your music and history in recent years.
* Is it just me or does this arrangement sound just like The Bangles’ 80s chart-topper, “Walk Like an Egyptian”?
** Is it just me (part two) or was this the song that landed Weck the co-producer and engineering gigs on southern rockers Blackfoot’s Strikes album?
More Brownsville Station: No B.S., A Night on the Town, Yeah!, School Punks, Motor City Connection, Brownsville Station.
