Pete Tangredi talks about the ideas behind Fall to Earth
When I was a young
man in 1977 I threw myself whole-heartedly into the punk rock scene of
London Ontario. This album is largely a reflection on that time when I
was eighteen years old and suddenly initiated into a whole new world of
emotional extremes. Fueled by multiple intoxicants, my body, mind and
soul were set ablaze by all the new concepts and experiences that were
introduced to me by the beautiful freaks that inhabited the Blue Boot
hotel on any given night to see London's first and foremost punk band
the Demics. Of course it could be called drugs, sex and rock and roll,
but that cliché seems so superficial and trite. These were real
flesh and blood young people, many who seemed damaged to me. They were
contradictions costumed in their intimidating punk regalia, but with their
heart on their sleeves. Young kids really, embracing a nihilist "live
for today" mantra while at the same time delving into idealistic
politics and utopian religious philosophies (Now don't get me wrong …
of course there were those that were just there for the drugs, sex and
rock and roll, but for others it was much more than that.) and of course
falling into sexual relationships that left many with hearts bloodied
and battered. During that time I experienced soaring highs and soul sucking
lows. There seemed to be no middle ground. My laughter and tears were
at extremes. I suppose this story in many ways is not very different from
what many young people go through, grappling with conformity, ideology,
sexuality, morality … and trying to come to terms with what kind
of person you eventually want to become, but those days at the Blue Boot
hotel seem like a perfect storm of elements coming together and focusing
on a tiny little scene in London Ontario. It seemed like worthy material
for an album.
1. Cool Mother
(drugs and booze)