Midtown - a brief historical note
In mid year 1982, Stephen Burns left New York City after more than 3 years with The Scruffs having failed to achieve the monetary rewards from major record companies that were not as forthcoming as the critical acclaim that the music and songs of The Scruffs had garnered. The Scruffs had honed their live act by playing every major rock club on the circuit including concerts in front of 25,000 people in NYC.
A multi-year long sabbatical of self-indulgent depraved weekends were the background against which the songs on the recording which began the album “MidTown”. Abject bitterness was the emotional backdrop of the majority of the material.
Most of the songs on MidTown contain no set Scruff lineup, with the exception of “When Donna Romances”, “Secret Affair” and “My Little Russian Girl” which feature the Scruff line up that is on the second album, “TeenAge Gurls”. “When Donna Romances” was recorded in Philadelphia and was a pick hit in Record World in early 1982. “Secret Affair” was recorded live in NYC at the old Vanguard Studios where Bob Dylan and Joan Baez recorded. And “My Little Russian Girls” was recorded in Nyack, New York (no multi-tracks survived and this track was mastered from the only existing cassette copy.) “Judy (She Put The Devil In Me”) was also recorded in NY shortly before Burns departed.
The other musicians on MidTown were Memphis bohemians floating in and out of the MidTown/Scruffs/Big Star musical scene. Ross (Tav Falco Panther Burns), Randy (Randy Band), Lisa (Tav Falco), Jim Spake (sax with everyone), Gary, Zeph Paulsen (original Scruff drummer) made of the primary group on the recorded tracks. During this period, Stephen Burns returned to the concept of the early Angst by playing all the guitars and keyboards and doing most of the vocal overdubs himself.
“Things Are Green” begins the album wherein the song finds the writer realizing that the women in his life care more about money than him (her). Another self-fulfilling prophetic song that would set a pattern for years to come. “Machiavellian Eyes” with the clever lines “she’s asexual, she’s amoral, but she’s so ambitious”, yes ‘tis in fact better to be feared than loved per Machiavelli. “Obsession” reaks of a quiet reflective bitterness and “Swimming Pool (Theme from MidTown)” poetically described the issue of the “moneyed gentry of East Memphis (“Lisa’s got a painting of a swimming pool”) set against the bohemian skint (Scottish for “no money”) style of midtown Memphis. All of these songs were recorded at either Ardent of Doug Easley studios.
“Emotional Gravity”, possibly the only bitterless song on the CD, is a love song with astronomical imagery, a favorite Burns subject. It features a solo Stephen on guitar and vocals with Gary on a synth keyboard and recorded at Gary’s house on a small 4 track. “Cycles” was also recorded at this home studio featuring the original Scruff drummer, Zeph and Jim Spake and Gary.
“Metaphors” was recorded in studio C at Ardent as was “Revolution Eyes”, a tribute to certain Memphis musicians who thought that “psychedelic miniskirts” and creating a controversy would get them on the radio (probably not as far fetched as trying to write pure creative musical pieces). Some of the tracks were recorded on Burns’ 30th birthday at Ardent studios and all of the tracks were kept until the CD was put together over 10 years later in 1998. When it was released, the Village Voice (Check out the mention here) considered it an “honorable mention for album of the year”.
And the bitterness just kept on coming.