Ralph Gean has been writing, performing and recording his own unique variety of off-beat Rock, Rockabilly and Country songs since the late 1950s.
As an early ‘60s contemporary of first-wave Rock n’ Roll acts like Roy Orbison and Glenn Campbell, Gean achieved a measure of regional success in Texas, cutting several
45s and receiving vigorous support from local radio.
Unfortunately,just as he was rising to what was sure to be national stardom, The
Beatles stormed America, and the “British invasion” that followed all but eliminated the market for Gean’s home-grown Rock n’ Roll, causing his career to fall-apart almost overnight.
In the three topsy-turvy decades that followed his brief brush with rock-stardom, Ralph Gean experienced all of the following:
he tried his hand at both college and stage-acting;
joined a Mormon splinter-sect and became a polygamist (living in a
desert shack with multiple wives);
had several children;
was excommunicated from the Mormon church;
held a seemingly endless series of menial jobs;
got divorced;
sought treatment for depression;
became homeless (earning food money by playing his guitar on the street);
got involved with an illegal counterfeiting ring (which was busted by the feds);
fronted a number of short-lived Rock, Rockabilly and Country acts;
Throughout all of this, Gean continued to write and record his own bizarre variety of Country and Rock songs, which typically featured lyrics about murder, TV shows, weird news items and other “unusual” themes.
In the mid ‘90s Gean was discovered by noted countercultural figures such as Boyd Rice (NON) and Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), all of whom would become involved in his career in one way or another; this lead to a comeback for Gean and the first CD release of his music.
This two-disc set represents the very best of over 40 years of Ralph Gean’s music.
Disc one is a collection of Ralph’s wackier “Outsider” songs from the early ‘60s to the late ‘90s.
Disc two is a “best of” collection of tracks recorded during Gean’s eight trips to
Sun Studio.
As the fifth release in the “Boyd Rice Presents” series, the 33 tracks featured on these discs were personally selected by counter-cultural luminary and internationally-known artist BOYD RICE (NON).
Disc One: “A Star Unborn”
1. Homicidal Me
2. Hey Doctor Casey
3. Electricity
4. The Japanese Rain Song
5. Planet Of The Rain
6. Granny’s Grave
7. You’re Drivin’ Me Crazy
8. The Bobbit Song
9. Hard To Be A Killer
10. Experimental Love
11. Guitar Pickin’ Teabag
12. Why Can’t I Control Myself?
13. Hale-Bopp Comet
14. Hey Doctor Casey (acid mix
15. Electricity (shock mix)
16. Homicidal Me (live)
17. Switzerland (live)
18. Killer Songs Medley
Disc Two: “The Sun Sessions”
1. No Body
2. Goddess Of Love
3. Switzerland
4. Love Me
5. I’m Bad (Tiger Man)
6. Cimarron Moon
7. Star Trekkin’ Cowboy
8. Kill For A Cigarette
9. Fonky Donk Blues
10. Teenage Woman
11. What Would Have Been
12. Melissa
13. The Devil’s Saloon
Old Europa Cafe AVS
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