Guadalcanal Diary (band)
Encyclopedia
Guadalcanal Diary is an alternative jangle pop
group. They originated in Marietta, Georgia
, a suburb of Atlanta, but they were often billed as being "from Athens, Georgia
" in the early 1980s. The band formed in 1981 (originally as "Emergency Broadcast System") and disbanded in 1989. They reformed in 1997, but never recorded any new material. After breaking up again in 2000, Guadalcanal Diary temporarily reunited for a second time in 2011 for Athfest
, where they celebrated their 30th anniversary.
for a Rhino Handmade re-release of Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man
, Attaway described the group's sound:
This underappreciated Georgia quartet distinguished itself from any number of smart, tuneful American guitar combos by combining accessible songcraft with provocatively twisted lyrics. Singer/guitarist Murray Attaway's songs reflect a bizarre variety of far-flung interests, from a preoccupation with the supernatural to a fascination with American cultural imperialism; the band delivers them all with rootsy irony.
Conveying a sense of wonder as well as a sense of humor, Watusi Rodeo — which doesn't include the song of the same name — is an appealing debut, with four fine, offbeat numbers (most notably "Michael Rockefeller" and "Dead Eyes," both later re-recorded on Jamboree) and sturdy playing.
"Watusi Rodeo," a rollicking tale of American cowboys pillaging African wildlife, does appear on Guadalcanal's first longplayer, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man. Produced on the cheap by Don Dixon, the album presents rocking explorations of several of Attaway's pet themes: religious fanaticism ("Why Do the Heathen Rage?"), Civil War mythology ("Trail of Tears") and spontaneous human combustion ("Fire from Heaven"). There's also a pair of enjoyable instrumentals, plus an unlikely (though somehow appropriate) rendition of "Kumbayah."
Jamboree, produced by mainstream Southern-rock specialist Rodney Mills (with two additional tracks helmed by Englishman Steve Nye), features upgraded sound quality and contains some fine tunes, but overall the album is more competent than inspired. Standout tracks include "Pray for Rain," "Fear of God" and the title tune, all of which take dark views of religious faith; "Country Club Gun" and "Cattle Prod" (smartass redneck character studies); and "I See Moe," which uses the head Stooge as a metaphor for unchecked personal aggression.
Dixon — and inspiration — returned for the smashing 2 X 4, on which the group's members dip into their shadowy art-rock pasts (Attaway once fronted a Yes cover band) to finally create music as distinctive as the lyrics. "Litany (Life Goes On)," "Newborn" and "Winds of Change" sport big, ambitious arrangements that suit their subject matter just fine; "Lips of Steel" is an effective stab at space-rock, while "Say Please" and "Let the Big Wheel Roll" make rude cowpunk noise. Perhaps most impressive, however, is "3 AM," Attaway's quietly harrowing account of alcoholism. The CD adds a good cover of the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing."
Flip-Flop, which proved to be Guadalcanal's final album, finds drummer John Poe emerging as a worthy songwriter, supplanting guitarist Jeff Walls as Guadalcanal's auxiliary composer. Poe's moralistic rockers "Pretty Is as Pretty Does" and "The Likes of You" are among Flip-Flop's highlights, alongside Attaway's sardonically wistful "Always Saturday," the psychedelic "Fade Out" and the wacky singalong "...Vista."
Guitarist Jeff Walls later performed with the bands Hillbilly Frankenstein, Dash Rip Rock
, Southern Culture on the Skids
and Man or Astro-Man?
; he is a member of the Atlanta-based band The Woggles.
In 2010 Murray Attaway and Jeff Walls joined forces with several other musicians and formed the band Bomber City.
The band reunited in 2011 to play Athfest
for their 30th anniversary.
Jangle pop
Jangle pop is a genre of alternative rock from the mid-1980s that "marked a return to the chiming or jangly guitars and pop melodies of the '60s" bands such as The Byrds, with their electric twelve-string guitars and power pop song structures. Mid-1980s jangle pop was a non-mainstream "pop-based...
group. They originated in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, a suburb of Atlanta, but they were often billed as being "from Athens, Georgia
Music of Athens, Georgia
The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and New Wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie rock groups...
" in the early 1980s. The band formed in 1981 (originally as "Emergency Broadcast System") and disbanded in 1989. They reformed in 1997, but never recorded any new material. After breaking up again in 2000, Guadalcanal Diary temporarily reunited for a second time in 2011 for Athfest
Athfest
Athfest is a free annual music and arts festival in Athens, Georgia, first held in 1997. Jared Bailey founded the festival to promote the music of Athens, Georgia; he was formerly of the free alternative weekly Flagpole and the influential early nightclub the 40 Watt Club.- External links :*...
, where they celebrated their 30th anniversary.
Career
The group's music was characterized by clear, bright guitar sounds, upbeat rhythms, and Murray Attaway's clear, high tenor. Lyrically, the band mixed absurd, punk humor ("I Wish I Killed John Wayne," "I See Moe," "Watusi Rodeo," "Cattle Prod") with melancholy and spiritual themes ("Lewa Wechi," "Always Saturday," "3:00 AM," "Litany"). In liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
for a Rhino Handmade re-release of Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man
Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man
Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man was the first full-length album by Marietta, Georgia jangle poppers Guadalcanal Diary. The album was released in 1984 and was produced by Don Dixon. It was reissued on CD by Rhino Handmade in 2003, with additional tracks from the Watusi Rodeo EP, the B-side...
, Attaway described the group's sound:
- It was great fun to be able to take a line from a revered blues song, a drum pattern from Africa, and a guitar or bass riff from The StoogesThe StoogesThe Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
, and squeeze it all into some loud, tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
mush.
This underappreciated Georgia quartet distinguished itself from any number of smart, tuneful American guitar combos by combining accessible songcraft with provocatively twisted lyrics. Singer/guitarist Murray Attaway's songs reflect a bizarre variety of far-flung interests, from a preoccupation with the supernatural to a fascination with American cultural imperialism; the band delivers them all with rootsy irony.
Conveying a sense of wonder as well as a sense of humor, Watusi Rodeo — which doesn't include the song of the same name — is an appealing debut, with four fine, offbeat numbers (most notably "Michael Rockefeller" and "Dead Eyes," both later re-recorded on Jamboree) and sturdy playing.
"Watusi Rodeo," a rollicking tale of American cowboys pillaging African wildlife, does appear on Guadalcanal's first longplayer, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man. Produced on the cheap by Don Dixon, the album presents rocking explorations of several of Attaway's pet themes: religious fanaticism ("Why Do the Heathen Rage?"), Civil War mythology ("Trail of Tears") and spontaneous human combustion ("Fire from Heaven"). There's also a pair of enjoyable instrumentals, plus an unlikely (though somehow appropriate) rendition of "Kumbayah."
Jamboree, produced by mainstream Southern-rock specialist Rodney Mills (with two additional tracks helmed by Englishman Steve Nye), features upgraded sound quality and contains some fine tunes, but overall the album is more competent than inspired. Standout tracks include "Pray for Rain," "Fear of God" and the title tune, all of which take dark views of religious faith; "Country Club Gun" and "Cattle Prod" (smartass redneck character studies); and "I See Moe," which uses the head Stooge as a metaphor for unchecked personal aggression.
Dixon — and inspiration — returned for the smashing 2 X 4, on which the group's members dip into their shadowy art-rock pasts (Attaway once fronted a Yes cover band) to finally create music as distinctive as the lyrics. "Litany (Life Goes On)," "Newborn" and "Winds of Change" sport big, ambitious arrangements that suit their subject matter just fine; "Lips of Steel" is an effective stab at space-rock, while "Say Please" and "Let the Big Wheel Roll" make rude cowpunk noise. Perhaps most impressive, however, is "3 AM," Attaway's quietly harrowing account of alcoholism. The CD adds a good cover of the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing."
Flip-Flop, which proved to be Guadalcanal's final album, finds drummer John Poe emerging as a worthy songwriter, supplanting guitarist Jeff Walls as Guadalcanal's auxiliary composer. Poe's moralistic rockers "Pretty Is as Pretty Does" and "The Likes of You" are among Flip-Flop's highlights, alongside Attaway's sardonically wistful "Always Saturday," the psychedelic "Fade Out" and the wacky singalong "...Vista."
Guitarist Jeff Walls later performed with the bands Hillbilly Frankenstein, Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock is a New Orleans based rock band built around the songs of singer-guitarist Bill Davis.The band is a legendary live powerhouse, often being credited with founding the musical genre known as "Country Punk." The New York Times said Dash Rip Rock is "the kind of band that provides a...
, Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids, also sometimes known as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...
and Man or Astro-Man?
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is a surf rock group that formed in Auburn, Alabama, in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s like that of The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of...
; he is a member of the Atlanta-based band The Woggles.
In 2010 Murray Attaway and Jeff Walls joined forces with several other musicians and formed the band Bomber City.
The band reunited in 2011 to play Athfest
Athfest
Athfest is a free annual music and arts festival in Athens, Georgia, first held in 1997. Jared Bailey founded the festival to promote the music of Athens, Georgia; he was formerly of the free alternative weekly Flagpole and the influential early nightclub the 40 Watt Club.- External links :*...
for their 30th anniversary.
Members
- Murray AttawayMurray AttawayMurray Attaway was the lead singer and guitarist for the Marietta, Georgia jangle pop band Guadalcanal Diary. After the band's breakup, Attaway recorded one solo album, titled In Thrall, which was released in 1993. Attaway also had the track "Allegory" featured on DGC Rarities, Vol. 1.-External...
- vocals, guitar - Jeff Walls - guitar
- Rhett Crowe - bass
- John PoeJohn PoeJohn Poe is the name of:* John P. Poe, Sr. , American jurist & politician* Johnny Poe , American football coach* John Poe was a prospector, and in 1870s founded the mining town Poeville, Nevada...
- drums
Albums
- Watusi RodeoWatusi RodeoWatusi Rodeo was the debut independent EP from the American jangle pop group Guadalcanal Diary. It was released in 1983 on DB Records. The album was later re-released by Rhino Handmade on the same CD as their re-release of the band's debut LP, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man."Watusi Rodeo" was...
(1983, EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
on Entertainment On Disk records) - Walking in the Shadow of the Big ManWalking in the Shadow of the Big ManWalking in the Shadow of the Big Man was the first full-length album by Marietta, Georgia jangle poppers Guadalcanal Diary. The album was released in 1984 and was produced by Don Dixon. It was reissued on CD by Rhino Handmade in 2003, with additional tracks from the Watusi Rodeo EP, the B-side...
(1984, Elektra RecordsElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
) - JamboreeJamboree (Guadalcanal Diary album)Jamboree is the second full-length release by Marietta, Georgia jangle poppers Guadalcanal Diary. The album was released in 1986.-Track listing:#"Pray for Rain" - 4:06#"Fear of God" - 3:22#"Jamboree" - 3:17#"Michael Rockefeller" - 4:50...
(1986, Elektra) - 2X42X4 (Guadalcanal Diary album)2X4 is the third album by Guadalcanal Diary. It was released in 1987.-Track listing:# "Litany " – 3:41# "Under the Yoke" – 4:28# "Get over It" – 3:00# "Little Birds" – 3:57...
(1987, Elektra) - Flip-FlopFlip-Flop (album)Flip-Flop is the fourth and final album by Marietta, Georgia jangle poppers Guadalcanal Diary. It was released in 1989 on Elektra Records.-Track listing:#"Look Up!" – 2:33#"Always Saturday" – 4:15#"The Likes of You" – 3:06#"Barometer" – 4:07...
(1989, Elektra) - Live at Your Birthday Party (1999, recorded live after re-forming)
Singles
- "Trail Of Tears" 1985
- "Watusi Rodeo" 1985
- "Spirit Train/Cattle Prod" 1986
- "Litany" 1987
- "Get Over It" 1987
- "Lips Of Steel" 1987
- "Always Saturday/Kiss Of Fire" 1989
- "Pretty Is As Pretty Does" 1989