SOUNDTRACK: RHEOSTATICS-Static Journey Volume 1: The Beginning (2009).
This is the first disc from the massive 9 volume 
set available for FREE here. It features several different early incarnations of the Rheos. There’s a couple of very new wavey/discoy (those bass lines are very disco!) tracks. There’s a totally bizarre new wave (skinny tie, as they call it) version of The Who’s “My Generation.” And there’s several tracks with the Trans Canada Soul Patrol a horn-infused version of the line up that was dissolved around the time that Martin Tielli became a full time member.
There’s a few tracks from Greatest Hits, which work well in context, but the highlight is the tracks from the CBC Brave New Waves Show (“Good on the Uptake” and “Crystal Soup” which are unavailable elsewhere (well, the whole show from this radio broadcast is available at the more than complete Rheostaticslive.com). In fact, just a little research shows how much music is available for free from the Rheos. It is a pretty amazing collection of stuff that seems to go beyond tape trading trees of live shows, as the available material is rare and largely unavailable in any other format.
These early incarnations of the Rheos are pretty vastly different from the later quirky, wonderful band. And, with the absence of Martin on vocals, sometimes its even surprising to realize they are the same guys. But it’s their history and it’s rather fun. Plus, there’s a number of interviews, most of which allow you to hear the word “Etobicoke” spoken aloud several times.
[READ: January 4, 2010] “My Pain is Worse Than Your Pain”
I’ve enjoyed T.C. Boyle for years now (back when he was called the preferable (if pretentious) T. Coraghessan Boyle). Although I haven’t really read much from him recently (I have a copy of his short story collection that I haven’t read yet).
So this was a nice re-introduction to the man. I was surprised by the setting of this story (snow covered desolate mountain cabins) as I think of him as more of a desert/southwestern writer.
This story is about a fairly despicable character. On a drunken bender one night, the narrator sneaks over to his recently widowed neighbor, Lily, to “surprise” her. It’s pitch dark and freezing cold, so he’s in a ski mask slinking around on her roof. Oh, and just to make it worse, he’s currently married.
Of course, it’s also icy so he is incapable of being stealthy. Ultimately, the ice prevails and he falls off the roof onto some huge rocks. Which blows his cover. As does the town-wide alert and escort to the hospital.
Lily, by the way did not appreciate the surprise and is more than a little freaked out by this visit. As is his wife, who leaves him before he’s released from the hospital.
The rest of the story features the narrator recuperating as best he can, but also pig-headedly insisting to himself that he loves Lily and that she will forgive him. As the story concludes, we see his delusion growing more boldly, as he prepares to act on this belief. And yet, despite the rather bitter ending, there ‘s a lot of black humor through the whole story.
The great thing about this story is the rambling narration. The narrator is telling this story from a distance removed, and he’s telling it in a very casual story-telling style. There’s lots of detours (and of course, the entire story about how Lily was widowed, not to mention a young stranger with a fascinating past). So, he comes across as a very charming individual. Until you think about what he was doing on the roof.
A very enjoyable story, with Boyle’s very dark outlook.
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