Top 10 Lists Watchmojo.com Wont Do: Kevin Gilbert Songs

Kevin Gilbert, my favorite musician of all time. The odds WatchMojo ever even mentioning his name on any list are about as good of a chance I end up playing some of his music on 89.3 The Current.

They may some day do a Jeff Buckley Top 10 songs, although that kind of seems silly since Jeff only had 1 official album in Grace, but he has a ton of other unreleased songs, live tracks, and of course the double LP of demos on Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk).

But Kevin and his many projects, that spanned about 11 years while he was alive, and approaching 20 years since he died, that a ton of which has been released posthumously (I count 5 releases that are studio, including the 2015 Thud Deluxe/Anniversary), has a plethora of music that was just in those official releases; per a Top 10 and Honorable Mentions for him wouldn't be all that difficult to do. And that's not even including some of the covers, namely the Genesis ones from ProgFest 1994 which was officially released as well.

And there's of course a lot of stuff that still has not been released, although with the Nuts, Bolts and Deluxe Thud, a lot of that stuff now has come out, but given how prolific he was recording, every year, month, week, day, I still suspect there's more that could come.

But other than 1 selection on this list, I chose just to focus on the studio releases from his different work. And of course this is like splitting hairs in ranking, as I could easily stick more than half of the Honorable Mentions below in the Top 10 (or 11 as I took a liberty). In other words, take every track I chose, and even throw in another 10-20 others, and throw them in a hat and pick any of those 10 and I would have no problem with those being included and ranked in whatever order for the most part.

But I will say, #1 really is the song that made me become a huge fan. I knew his name, some of his story and even some of his music before 2004, but it was that Summer or early Fall where I fell head over heals and found his music to call to me. And it has ever since.

Blurbs? not now, or maybe not ever really. I dunno. I may at some point, or maybe do a YouTube video for them. I think the songs speak enough for themselves, so much, I doubt anything specific right now I could write, would add more to them initially.

But maybe down the road I can try and find the time to..I may do the previously mentioned Jeff Buckley though with a slightly different Entry title, lol.

10. Because of You from The Power of Suggestion, 1987


9b. Goodness Gracious from Thud, 1994



9b. Water Under the Bridge from The Shaming of the True, 2000




8. Air Dance from A View From Here, 1988



7. Finally Over You from Nuts, 2009



6. Things She Said from Toy Matinee, 1990



5. Best Laid Plans from The Shaming of the True, 2000



4. Imagemaker from The Shaming of the True, 2000



3. Tired Old Man (Puppet Suite) unreleased, 1984-85?



2. Home/Progress from The View From Here, 1988




Honorable Mentions:
The Ballad of Jenny Ledge (Toy Matinee, 1990)
Turn it On Salvador (Toy Matinee, 1990)
There Was a Little Boy (Toy Matinee, 1990)
Queen of Misery (Toy Matinee, 1990)
City of the Sun (The Shaming of the True, 2000)
Long Day's Life (The Shaming of the True, 2000)
Staring Into Nothing (The Shaming of the True, 2000)
Suit Fugue (Dance of the A and R Men) (The Shaming of the True, 2000)
Shrug (Because of Me and You) (Thud, 1994)
Joytown (Thud, 1994)
Shadow Self (Thud, 1994)
Waiting (Thud, 1994)
Welcome to Suburbia (No Reasons Given, 1985)
When Strangers Part (No Reasons Given, 1985)
From Here to There (The Shaming of the True, 2000)
The Sultan of Brunei (The Kaviar Sessions, 2002)
Indian Burn (The Kaviar Sessions, 2002)
This Warm Night (The Power of Suggestion, 1987)
The World Just Gets Smaller (The Power of Suggestion, 1987)
Kashmir (Led Zeppelin, Kashmir EP 1995)
Childhood's End (Nuts, 2009)
The Best of Everything (Bolts, 2009)
Big Heart (Thud Remaster/Anniversary Edition, 2015)
Until I Get Her Back (Demo) (Thud Remaster/Anniversary Edition, 2015)



1. Last Plane Out from Toy Matinee, 1990

Christian Nesmith and the Theme Music Players - Kevin Gilbert tribute

A large amount of irony for myself seeing this. Not so much because these are covers/tributes to Kevin Gilbert, as there are certainly a handful of those out there on Youtube and other places. I recall when I 1st got into Kevin Gilbert, his website had a handful of tribute songs available to download (which they still may, I haven't looked for them in years there).

But the irony is, Christian Nesmith is the oldest son of Michael Nesmith, who of course was in The Monkees and has an extensive solo career since the early 1970's. And I recently have discovered enjoyment for Michael Nesmith's solo music. But also my girlfriend is about as big of a Michael Nesmith and Monkees fan out there, and she has been exposed to Kevin's music ever since knowing me of course.

Tying the 2 together is unexpected, but now thinking about it, it's not so odd. Kevin was a big Monkees fan. Peter Tork I guess once attended a private event Kevin's band Kaviar played not long before his death. And Kevin along with Marc Bonilla I recall, did a cover of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" live on a radio show which is streamable on Kevin's site I think. It was shortly after Toy Matinee had come out.

These versions are pretty faithful to the originals, although pretty nice visual parts with "Suit Fugue" including using some "A&R Women."

I suspect Christian attended The Shaming of the True tribute show back in June in Southern California. Had I been there and met him or even Mike, my girlfriend would have freaked, haha. Maybe another time.

Kevin Gilbert's The Shaming of the True (live) 6/2/2012

CalProg is honored to announce the only show of the epic rock opera by the brilliantly twisted late, great Kevin Gilbert called "The Shaming of the True". This full-scale theatrical production is being directed by Mark Hornsby (Rewiring Genesis) and Nick D'Virgilio who also is featured in the starring role as Johnny Virgil. The band is comprised of musicians that all performed with Kevin at some point in his career. They are:

Stan Cotey - Guitar (Giraffe)
Dave Kerzner - Keys (Thud)
Paul Ill - Bass (Kaviar)
Brian MacLeod - Drums - (Toy Matinee, Tuesday Night Music Club, Thud, Shaming, Kaviar)
Plus Special Surprise Guests

"Shaming" was something that Kevin worked on off and on for years throughout his career. NDV who had been intimately involved in many aspects of the project decided to complete it for him following his untimely tragic passing, and the finished product was this brilliant piece of work. It was performed live only once in 2002 at ProgWest. It had been recorded for a live release, but due to glitches in the recording it was never released. This time it will be recorded digitally for a DVD/CD production, and there will be no "glitches"!

Shaming of the True Live
Saturday June 2, 2012 - 8:00pm
The Shannon Center for the Performing Arts at Whittier College (seats 400)
Tickets go on sale This Saturday (March 17) at 8am, only at http://www.calprog.com (do not call the theater)
$80 - Orchestra
$70 - Mezzanine and Balcony

THE STORY
The album follows the career of a singer/musician named Johnny Virgil, which follows an arc common to many big rock and roll bands/stars. It starts out promisingly, but he is lured into the common trap of record-company exploitation and seduced by fame and drugs/alcohol. He becomes more and more burned out and withdrawn as his career becomes larger than life, feeling like he's losing touch with his humanity, until the whole thing culminates in a breakdown. He goes through a period of disillusionment and depression but eventually makes peace with himself. A number of clues (last song title, lyric "End of a long days life," reprise of train whistle in distance, etc..) may also indicate that Johnny dies penniless on the street or takes his own life.
(Wikipedia)


http://www.calprog.com/


I'd love to go, but with this, as of right now, looking at costing $500 or so at least (the cheapest airfare from Minneapolis to LA around June 2nd, is $319 right now, lol), along with other costs and potential trips

-The Dear Hunter in Boston May 9th
-A cousin of mine's Bat Mitzvah in Cleveland May 11th-12th
-Marillion in Chicago June 22nd/23rd

-Bend Sinister in Winnipeg March 13th
-A trip to Scottsdale, Arizona in the next month
-Arch/Matheos in Hartford, CT May 5th

I just don't follow how I will be able to afford this. The Marillion shows are the only one's I am certain I will put money and priority to, as I bought 2 tickets to each show for myself and my girlfriend.

I suspect the timing of this being so-close to not only the upcoming Marillion tour in June, but also Nearfest Apocalypse, which just sold out a little over a week ago, I'm thinking were not factored in. It likely was the best and maybe only time/weekend all these people had free over the next 6 months or more. Namely Nick I'd imagine, with his busy Cirque Du Soleil schedule.

But it's unfortunate for myself and maybe some of those others who already planned trips to see Marillion and/or Nearfest (among other shows/trips) this late Spring/Summer. Because if this was taking place say in August/September/October I'd probably not even question about going. I would, even at the somewhat hefty $70-$80 ticket cost. Given this is Kevin's music, played by people who he played with, and that it seems, like The Dear Hunter show in Boston, like a sort-of Kevin Gilbert fan convention, the $500 wouldn't seem so unreasonable. But so soon around the time of this other stuff, I'm really doubting I can throw that level of cash to this.

I guess their may be some kind of Kevin Gilbert-related opener, but that is not able to be announced at this time.

At least it may come out on CD/DVD unlike the 2002 ProgWest show, but that's kind of a consolation at best. I suppose the thinking could be, like the Kevin tribute act, Champions of Nothing, they could try and do this another time in the near future. Maybe even in Chicago, but that may be wishful thinking, because like I said before, a lot of the timing of this, was how it could work around the schedules of those involved. Nick and some of the others may never have another weekend to do this (and time to prepare) for many years, if ever.

But I guess we'll see. I will at least think about buying a ticket, like I did for The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum show. Other things like meeting the Used Bin guys and some other stuff in LA would be nice, along with meeting many of the Kevin Gilbert fans. I wonder if even some of his direct family or ex-girlfriend Cintra Wilson might be there. Or The Debster (Debbie Miller) who runs his website and 1 of the email lists as well. Some of them likely, which I suppose meeting them would be another potential interest of mine. But I still can't ignore the cost and timing for now.