Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Cheetah Chrome to release solo album! Plus RFTT autograph hijinx

Hey, check it out - Cheetah Chrome has an upcoming solo album!

Nevermind his guitar - I like his playing just fine - but I *love* how he sang RFTT's "Amphetamine", live and on the Rocket Redux album. That terrific, terrific song, as you may know, was written and (I believe) originally sung by deceased rocker and Creem contributor Peter Laughner, to whom Cheetah dedicates the number here. I was delighted to catch RFTT live at Richards on Richards (also RIP), and got to pester Cheetah for his autograph ("or a bloody thumbprint, or whatever you got!") on an RFTT poster after the show. (His thumb was not actually bleeding at the time, and someone had a pen, so...):
On the other hand, RFTT singer (and legend-in-his-own-right) David Thomas, a bit in his cups, looked at me skeptically because I was asking the guys to sign TWO posters; he must have figured I was a dealer tryin' to exploit him, or something, because he signed them both with illegible squiggles which neither looked like his name, nor like each other. (One was for a friend, one is on my wall). On the other hand, he let one of the friends I was with (a beautiful woman, but still) kiss him as they loaded into their van, so that was nice of him, and he clarified some of the lyrics to (RFTT original!) "Sonic Reducer" in an email later ("I got my DULL machine" - I'd always wondered). His squiggle is below; I defy you to make a "David Thomas" out of this!
 Anyhow, I don't buy too many new albums these days (I got no money!), but I'll be picking up Cheetah's for sure...

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