Build A Raft

Not to be mistaken for The Gibson Brothers (the bluegrass duo), the Gibson Bros. were a seminal Columbus OH band and a precursor to the sound Jon Spencer (who was in the band for a spell) would later take with him to Blues Explosion. Down and dirty garage, trance blues, bent-up-and-beat-all-to-hell country, psychobilly, punk - whatever it is you want it to be - kick ass. The studio side is pretty polished, the live stuff not so much, very lo-fi as it should rightly be. Instrumentation of guitars, bass, drums, and a hambone! Recorded in 1985-86. Great stuff all the way through! Play it all!! FCC #16.

*My Favorites*: 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 20, 22.

Side 1 (Studio)
1. *Mid / Fast. Driving as all get-out. Screamed vocals. Crunchy guitar. Killer.
2. Mid. Big country sound with mandolin. Plodding beat, easy going.
3. Mid. Trippy guitar sound inside a country number. Even-keel rhythm.
4. *Mid. Charley Patton classic. Quite different from Charley’s with high pitched guitar, tuff rhythm guitar, knee-slaps. Ominous trance and cool.
5. Mid / Fast. Quick intro song.
6. *Mid / Fast. Quick-paced vocal delivery and frenetic beat. Catchy and cool.
7. *Mid. Just like Jon Spencer would later play with the band, heavy distorted trance blues. Kick ass.
8. Slow / Mid. Classic ‘Walkin’ Boss’ done by many including Jerry Garcia / David Grisman. Mandolin, plodding beat. Nice version.
9. Mid. Quick INSTRUMENTAL. Echoey guitars, minimal drumbeat.

Side 2 (Live)
10. *Introduction by Elementary School principal. A ‘cultural activity’. Should be played with next song.
11. *Mid. Cool ‘woo-hoo’ hollers. Upbeat, driving, great slide guitar, plodding beat. Yeah.
12. *Mid / Fast. Punk-ish, bluesy, driving with screamed vocal.
13. *Mid. Trance, country, blues, punk. Tuff stuff. Mean and gruff.
14. Slow / Mid. Walkin’ sparse trance blues.
15. *Slow / Mid. Porter Wagoner classic. Ominous with echoey vocals eliciting the title ‘Rubber Room’. Really spacey and psychedelic.
16. Mid. FCC. Charley Patton classic / poem. Drenched in trance done over the voices of the party crowd.

Side 3 (Studio Outtakes)
17. Mid. Second version of song #12. Heavy drunken vocal, trancey.
18. Slow / Mid. Second version of song #15, Wagoner song. Vocal sounds like previous song, but more like he’s disturbed and drunk. Ominous as all get-out.
19. Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Dark electric guitar soloing, very trancey, almost to a drone.

Side 4 (Studio Outtake & ‘Keepers’ 7”)
20. *Slow / Mid. Another drunken vocal, the whole thing sounding like it’s playing at 33 1/3 when it should
be at 78. Dark, heavy and killer.
21. Mid. Marching drumbeat, cool guitar, cool story song.
22. *Mid. Mose Allison classic ‘Parchman Farm’ like you’ve never heard it. Rubbery drunk vocal. Includes guitar, bass, drums and hambone! Killer.