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reviews

merry airbrakes

4/27/2019

3 Comments

 
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​Merry Airbrakes (from the album Merry Airbrakes available on Scissor Tail Records)
Referred to as Psychedelic Blues by Merry Airbrakes frontman, Bill Homan, the self-titled debut, and only release from the short-lived band, presents forward thinking ideas about war as he presents a futuristic take on the Blues. Merry Airbrakes has become a coveted find in the years since its 1973, though the groups’ frontman, Bill Homan, has adopted a new moniker as Watermelon Slim and continued to take Blues into the future in his own career. Picking up the harmonica early in life, Bill Homan eventually found the guitar when he was hospitalized, purchasing a $5 guitar from the commissary as he recuperated from an extended illness while serving a tour of duty in Viet Nam. Merry Airbrakes is a protest album recorded by Bill Homan along with his brother Peter and a group of friends when he returned from Viet Nam. Of the album, Bill Homan said ‘It is 1973... in three years it will be 1976. This album of music, conceived and recorded during the months between the 1972 Presidential election and the full-flowering of the Watergate disclosures, is an anti-capitalistic, anti-imperialistic album, and is the distillation of the best four years of my life, in the Vietnam War, and as one of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.’
 
Ragged chaos makes a beautiful noise to begin the song cycle for Merry Airbrakes with “Vigilante Man”, a tune borrowed from the Woody Guthrie catalog and re-worked as gut bucket Blues. “The Bearded Man” is introduced on a rock heavy Folk Blues as Merry Airbrakes put some funk in their Rock’n’Roll with “Draft Board Blues” and lightly touch the acoustic chords and percussion of “Preacher Song” with a psychedelic kaleidoscope that spins Jazz, Country, and Electric Blues. Musically, Merry Airbrakes is a mirror of the times it was created, the studio work of the band taking a cue from Psychedelia’s ability to make any sound its own. The original recording of the album resonates with musical choices of the 1960’s as much as the stories reflect the anti-war climate in the United States during the period. While all the pieces lead towards nostalgia, Merry Airbrakes make music that sonically fits our times. Country slide Blues is the only backing when Merry Airbrakes count “Three Hearts” and let a marching beat lead “Quang Tricity”.
 
Listen and buy the music of Merry Airbrakes from AMAZON
https://scissortail.bandcamp.com/album/merry-airbrakes
 

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3 Comments
Bill Homans link
4/27/2019 07:41:43 pm

A few corrections: my name is Homans, not Homan. Of the three related names from my ancestral area in Kent, Homan is much the most common, and is so in America today.

There was never really any band. No live appearances were made by the people who played on and recorded Merry Airbrakes. I knew one, a guitarist who helped engineer, from college. Another guest on the record, on Moroccan clay drums, is now a guru in India.

Things might have gone differently if 1973 had not been the year of the OPEC oil embargo. Suddenly the price of oil jumped as much as 400%, and just as suddenly recording companies were not interested in producing artists without a proven commercial history. It was a watershed year. I never made another record until 2000. Now, including Merry Airbrakes, I have released 14, plus 3 DVDs.

It's been a great career, this music, after my days of truck driving and hard labor are done. I thank you all so much for having stuck with me all these years.

There were a few times I cursed myself for pursuing the dream so hard when I really didn't have virtuoso musical talent, and no looks besides (I dress up well).

But no matter for the modest material reward of it, I've been places to play that virtually no Americans ever get to. I've been, I continue to be, a musical ambassador. Thank you all for listening. I'm galloping on.

Reply
M
12/17/2020 01:45:58 pm

Hello sir. It's a really beautiful record. I'm just listening to it today and really dig it. Thanks for putting it into the universe for us.

Reply
William P Homans link
12/19/2020 12:11:33 pm

Sat 12/19/2020 2:03 PM
I found your original post when I figured out what to click. Thank you very much! I hope you'll check out the other 13 records I have released (plus 3 DVDs). I went from 1973 to 2000 never releasing anything, just truck driving, sawmilling and other labor. I tried to be a reporter, and then a school teacher, got the degrees (B.A., M.A.), and a raft of subject certifications, but was told I was wasting my time, no one was going to hire somebody as far "outside the box" as me. I have a trucker's face and hands-- I am a trucker's face and hands..."

What blog did you reply to (never mind, I found it, I even have answered it a year and 8 months ago)? I don't always write what people happen onto, my artist representative believes in electronic, online promotion, even in a pandemic. Where did you encounter Merry Airbrakes? From Scissortail Records? It's not out of print, but I haven't had a copy for a couple of years. Visit www.watermelonslim.com, if you haven't already,

Merry Christmas and Thanks again, M,

Watermelon Slim




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