The Silent Age

The Silent Age in Their Manhattan Rehearsal Loft, ca. 1982

In late ’81 guitarist Hank Wyatt, drummer Steve Stagename, and I left NYC brainbash rock band The Mental Notes to form The Silent Age. Drummer Nicky Armstrong replaced Steve soon after. We never played a gig, but did spent a lot of time recording.

All the recordings were done on 4 and 2-track equipment with just a few crude effects boxes for sweetening. There are no overdubs except vocals - the basic instrumental tracks are all “live in the studio”, although sometimes it’s hard to believe one guy with a guitar could make all that sound. All the recordings and original mixdowns were done between April and October 1982. Video Christians, Things to Say, Hey Mr. Reagan, and Back in the Saddle received extra polish and were issued as an eponymous 12-inch EP in mid-’82, and the band dissolved sometime late that year. The tapes moldered among my personal stuff 18 years, waiting for someone (i.e. me) to get around to editing and mastering them. I used some modern equipment to liven up the mixes a bit and a fixed couple of bum notes using the miracle of digital audio editing, but they’re mostly just as we played ’em. Here they are. If you like the music feel free to share it. If you'd like a CD drop me a line.

Hank Wyatt, guitar, vocals - Julia Fish, bass, vocals - Nicky Armstrong, drums, except tracks 1 and 12 Steve Stagename drums

Tracks 1, 7, 8, and 12 originally appeared on the 12" EP "Silent Age"
Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 were written by Hank
Tracks 3and 8 were written by Julia
Tracks 11 and 12 by Julia, based on the well-known songs of the same names
Track 6 was written by Jonathan Richman
Drums on tracks 1 and 12 by Steve Stagename
Front cover art: The Oath of the Horatii by Jean-Louis David

1. Hey, Mr. Reagan - Reagan’s election in 1980 was viewed with horror by many with left-wing leanings, myself and bandmates included. The “dance” thing alludes to Ron Reagan, Jr., a dancer, who did not get sent to invade Grenada. One of the few songs we carried over from Mental Notes days (Steve played drums), and one of the four on the EP. It rocks.

2. Inaction - The first purely Silent Age product. The new sound really gels, driven by Hank’s cascades of sweetly clangorous chords and evocative vocals. “... knowing that my needs are hanging on a verb - inaction”

3. A Thousand Heroes - One of my more successful songwriting attempts, I think it’s about loss of childhood innocence. Another one that overlapped the Mental Notes era, though the Notes played it about twice as fast

4. Done Today - I don’t think we gave this one much attention back then, it’s a shame, cause it’s a nice melodic number. Wonder what he’s singing about...

5. Menace - The opening chords blew my mind when Hank first whipped this one out. The song was never really titled - we called it “Muslim Menace” because of its vaguely mid-eastern feel. I have no idea what “rolling a beetle from under you” might involve.

6. She Cracked - A Jonathan Richman song I was surprised to find we’d covered. Must’ve been Hank’s idea. It was only years later I heard the original, I like ours better.

7. Video Christians - Reagan’s “Moral Majority”, or “Righteous Wrong” as they were referred to by some, spawned a plague of televangelists. This song opened the EP, and is one of our all-around most-polished efforts.

8. Things to Say - Another of mine, but powered mostly by Hank, both vocally and with his gee-tar. Nicky thumps along nicely underneath as well. It’s about communication in relationships, and also appeared on the EP.

9. Once and Twice - My personal fave. From tentative, probing verse to apocalyptic bridge to cataclysmic chorus and back again for another round, it’s a wrenching ride.

I know your bedroom eyes
I know your undressed stare
I know you’ve settled your accounts

Although you’ve sheltered smiles
You know how soft I am
You’ve seen the changes over time
Though you deny it you approve

Once I used to cry
Once I felt the guilt
Wondering if time could shoulder me

Twice or more I’ve dreamed
Twice and time again
tenderness and loving for a short while

Why jump away?
Why paranoia?
Why - I feel like loving you
Is it the first time you’ve been wrong?

I know a world of difference
You said you saw it too
You’re sworn to vows and know who you are
I have no use for permanent things

Once I used to cry
Once I felt the pain
Wondering if time would honor me

Twice or more I’ve dreamed
Twice or more and damned
Tenderness and loving for a short while

Why jump away?
Why paranoia?
Why - I feel like loving you
Is it the last time you’ve been wrong?

10. Hand in Hand - A bouncy U2-ish number. I never knew Hank to be overtly Christian but maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention...

11. She Loves You - My adaptation of Lennon and McCartney, inspired by Yanna Trance of Big Stick. Buy their CD Pro Drag, it's awesome.

12. Back in the Saddle - Euphoric relief at having shed Jimmy Carter’s impotence swept the country as a true cowboy took the reins. To our surprise, Reagan actually did go on to fix the military and rebuild the economy! Who knew? The song is of course Gene Autry’s western classic, and the “Where the vegetables are green/and you can pee right into the stream” lines are from Firesign Theatre’s I Think We’re All Bozos on This Bus.