Time-capsule time with the Answers
(Dave Fleminger evokes the Answers of 1982 and extends an invitation to see the band this week with the Sidewalk Scene.)
During the summer of 1982, the Answers recorded a series of homemade demos in bassist Tony Suarez’s garage. The “Green Cassette” session was played and sung live to cassette, two microphones, onto a grungy used cassette tape (“JSL” brand) that was chosen for its green stripes and because we probably ran out of new tapes.
The 15 songs are probably directly taken directly in order from an Iblend setlist. The lyrics of the first tune on the cassette, “Ideas,” read to me now like a time capsule left for an uncertain future:
Ideas that are sure to come
are nestled in my head for future reference
any that I get now
are just devices to tide me over
until I reach my full potential
Things that are on their way
are closer than you think
you are rambling on towards them
and you know they are there but you know not how to handle them
Later on they will seem dated
and normal to the world
later on they’ll shake the universe
and the next day they’ll be laughed at
like you’ll be
Ages to come are parts of our lives
we only have to expect them
and the stages will be changes
and not ends in themselves
— Ideas, The Answers 1982
The Answers play “Ideas”: Listen now!
For a band called optimistically called the Answers it sounds more like lots of questions … promises you make that you’re not really in control of bringing to fruition, expectations cancelled by a sense that the shapes of things to come need to remain unknown, a feeling that the present is forever a holding-pattern. … Thankfully it’s all got a good beat, and you can dance to it. And speaking of the beat, to this day I don’t understand how Dave Anderson was able to work in that cowbell pattern at around a minute into the song. That’s all him; it’s not like somebody suddenly added that percussion part — he simply grew a third arm and played the cowbell.
The Answers perform “Ideas” and other songs from their repertoire, along with the Sidewalk Scene and DJ Tony The Tyger, at Bar Pink in San Diego, Feb. 4, 9pm, no cover.
— Dave Fleminger
More by Dave Fleminger:
- Back to the Blend
- A tribute to troubadors
- Wendy Pyro: Punk pioneer
- The Answers: “You Are There”
- Have you ‘zine me? Snare Issue #3
- “Merry Tweeksters World Mutation Day”/”Sufi Sales”
- Boo: “Hurricane Fighter Plane”
Tags: Bar Pink, Dave Anderson, Dave Fleminger, International Blend, The Answers, the Sidewalk Scene, Tony Suarez, Tony the Tyger
January 31st, 2012 at 6:08 pm
I don’t think David anderson can answer how he played that pattern. It’s simply complicated awesomeness. Lutan!
February 3rd, 2012 at 4:10 am
“Memories,
They have no place
They take up time
And precious space.
One thing
I ‘ve come to learn
They leave you for a moment
But they’ll always return…”
February 3rd, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Who gonna be in that Answers? Flem, Tony and ?
Man. 1982 seemed like four of the best years I can remember.
February 3rd, 2012 at 10:12 pm
It will be a Dave, Tony, and Dave (Anderson) thang on Saturday.
True words, Jeremiah. 1982 was epic (for lack of a better term)!
Can’t imagine how many rings appeared on the tree from 1983..?
February 4th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Dang, Dave… You got a hold of Anderson?
We were looking for him in the early (’08) days of this blog, and word was he’d become unreachable. Please, a huge hello to him from me.
February 9th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
How’d the show go on the 4th?
I keep missing these San Diego events -- if I had the time, I guess I’d put together my own Answers tribute band, here in SFO.
“The Lectric Flowerz”?
February 13th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
February 17th, 2012 at 3:48 am
Jeremiah, I’m truly digging the notion of you leading a San-Franchised, San Franswers…’Lectric Flowerz indeed! With a ‘z’ even, as sometimes the Answerz were listed as such (w/ that new wave ‘z’ thing).
February 19th, 2012 at 2:31 am
I don’t know any one in SF who could handle that Axe, Eugene…
But I could dig up a Carvin through-neck active bass.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
The hills are alive with those basses. They are uncommon but affordable. i spy them when trolling basses of future passed.
And the present tense is still a holding pattern {to quote flem’s lyrics).
March 1st, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Hi Dave, Tony, and Jerry-
i’m really enjoying your reparte’ here about the Answers..
I can still se Jerry in his dandified attire, doing his thang on the dance floor as you guys played your incredible music.
But this was a truly amazing time capsule! I am blown away at the clarity of sound that Flem was able to get off of one of those cheap old green and white tapes we used to buy at the dollar store!
The moment I listened to “Ideas” again, i was taken back to a night at Headquarters or International Blend, and reminded just how out of the box The Answers were. Your lyrics and sound were far and beyond the average band-just completely more mature and sophisticated than most acts that were playing in Southern California. Just listening to you now, I still am stimulated and have to think to get my head wrapped around it all. The Answers were truly way before their time…yet again, timeless.
Thanks for sharing this with us all!