Jerry Gaskill

Item: Come Somewhere
Author: Barry Nothstine

Come Somewhere

(2004)

Reviewed by Barry Nothstine

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Spotify

Label InsideOut Music AmericaThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

hard rock power pop progressive rock

When the Beatles broke up George Harrison took the opportunity to release All Things Must Pass, a triumphant three-album set of now classic rock compositions he had not been able to finish or release with the Fab Four. The resulting album caused folks to stand up and take notice of the "quiet" Beatle.

Fast forward to 2004 the "quiet" member of King's X, drummer Jerry Gaskill has released his first CD of tunes that he has had brewing in his mind for quite some time. And while the CD is not as epic in scope (or length!) as All Things Must Pass, King's X fans and rock fans in general will be pleasantly surprised at the strength of this offering from Gaskill.

Behind a cover featuring an unclad (but covered by her arms and legs), pensive lady in a room empty except for a floral arrangement is a collection of tunes featuring a combination of hooky, acoustic guitar and fuzzy drop-tuned guitar arrangements that I found instantly appealing. Kicking the CD off is "The Kids"--a song that immediately sets the tone for the record with a few classic-rock sounding acoustic notes that veer promptly into a yummy King's X-like funky guitar hook.

Jerry's voice is immediately recognizable if you are familiar with King's X (not surprising since he has provided background and harmony vocals on many of their songs). Gaskill sounds a lot like band-mate Ty Tabor (this is a good thing!), and I even hear some Jerry Garcia at times in his vocals. The vox compliment the music nicely.

As a fan of King's X works (admittedly I tend to enjoy their early stuff more) I found myself musically enjoying the CD on the first listen. Come Somewhere reminds me of some of the earlier work and some of Ty's great solo efforts. The songs feature strong drumming (not a surprise from Jerry), interesting hooks, classic-rock acoustic guitar work, and some cool retro-sounding touches. Kind of a King's X meets Beatles/77s/acoustic Led Zep/ CSN&Y vibe.

The lyrics are all over the map and take a stream-of-consciousness tone that cover topics from relationships and love to abstract concepts and thoughts that probably only Jerry could explain. Take these lyrics from "Gallop" for example: "Lift up your skirt and show me just what you're thinking/I can read your mind/down there, nowhere." Absent is the spirituality that has laced lyrics of King's X in the past, and some readers will want to know that Gaskill lobs the f-bomb at the end of the song "L.A. Flight" and many times during the hard rocking "Face the Day."

Bottom line: Musically Come Somewhere is enthralling; lyrically it is enigmatic and puzzling. If you are a die-hard King's X fan this will be essential. Fans of the first three to five King's X albums will enjoy the music, but may not appreciate the lyrical content.

4 tocks