Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
Unlike the Western Cowboys of old, the Galactic Cowboys show no signs of fading off into the sunset, into the far reaches of history. They’ve not allowed themselves to be roped in by the stylistic limitations of metal, nor driven out, like rounders, by the recently ended grunge era.
The band has seemingly found a home with Metal Blade Records, and has just released its third album for the label, At The End Of The Day. Now sharing the same record company as Kings X, Metal Blade gives every appearance of being the perfect range for these Cowboys to roam in.
This band has always placed emphasis upon sing-able melodies and well-sung vocals, as well as concentrating on tight playing and tricky licks, and this album is no exception to that established attribute. And if you like Galactic Cowboys’ poppier leanings, then when the end of the day comes, you’ll probably find a lot to like about this album.
“It’s probably more pop-oriented than anything,” comments singer Ben Huggins, “but it’s heavy pop. We still have our heavy sound — you know big guitars and big drums. But the vocals just got bigger, and the melodies got just a little bit more catchy.”
Keep in mind, though, that there’s a strong line connecting intelligent songs behind this particular group’s tasty bait. Although the Galactic Cowboys don’t write concept albums, per se, there are usually themes of some sort running through their recorded work.
“With the last album (The Horse That Bud Bought),” notes Huggins “we kind of went back in our history as individuals. Bassist Monty Colvin told a story about his childhood, and we had artifacts and things from our childhood that lined the inside of the CD. That was that album; it was kind of about our childhood.”
“This album talks a lot about our history as a band,” he continues. “Not the whole album; but Monty wrote a medley for it that starts at the beginning of us as the Galactic Cowboys and brings us through to the point where we are now.”
Although few of these songs will be confused with an episode of A&E’s Biography series, there are many biographical and personal moments to be discovered here.
“One song is called 'Nothing To Say,' which is basically a song I wrote because of frustration. It was me saying ‘You know, I’ve written a lot of songs. I’ve put down a lot of words that I thought had a lot of meaning, and now I just have absolutely nothing to say, for some reason.’”
It sounds like a songwriter’s reaction to writer’s block, but Huggins says it was much deeper than just that. “It’s just about, maybe, a temporary loss of vision, or perhaps a point in a search for something substantial,” adds Huggins, searching for words, even now, to describe this dilemma.
Songs as personal as these have brought out a wide range of emotions in Huggins. Especially one called “Young Man’s Dream.” Huggins admits, “It’s the only song I’ve ever written that’s made me cry. I started thinking about dreams I used to have,” says Huggins “Not necessarily regrets, but I was definitely wondering whatever happened to those dreams. It had been a long time since I actually sat down and thought about them. I think I cried for like three hours. I got it out of my system. It’s all over.”
These dreams he was recalling were big dreams. “It’s just about everything: What do you want to be? What kind of house do you want to have? How many kids do you want to have? Where do you want to send your kids to school?
“It’s about everything in your life, and the things you have plans for. And then when you’re looking back you say, ‘Yeah, I remember when I had those plans.’
“But then you’re so caught up in just kind of getting by, that you don’t think about those things anymore. And then you’re like ‘What happened to the dreams?’”
Another song touches upon what happens to people when they think they have it all, then they lose it all. It’s called “How Does It Feel.”
“It’s basically about people who think they’ve got it all under control. You think you’ve got everything, but then everything’s taken away.”
Not every song on this album sounds like notes from a psychoanalyst’s session, though. There are more lighthearted moments, too. “There’s a song called ‘Ants’ that guitarist Wally Farkas wrote. Monty wrote the words, and it’s kind of what it’s like to view the world and view people from the position where God is: Way, Way up there, we must all look like ants. Not profound, but cool.”
Simply from a sonic perspective, Galactic Cowboys have always emitted aural cool. To many ears, the Galactic Cowboys are what The Beatles would have sounded like if they’d gotten their start on the Sunset Strip in the eighties, instead of in the Liverpool, England of the sixties.
“I’d have to say that The Beatles are still the biggest influence on us,” says Huggins, “all the way around — except for maybe the guitar tones. They were great songwriters and vocalists.”
The Beatles may be the primary influence, but they’re not the group’s one and only inspiration. Nevertheless, the Fab Four are inspirations for many of these other groups that influence Galactic Cowboys. Call these other groups second generation influences, if you like. “Somewhere in there would have to be Cheap Trick,” adds Huggins, “and any band that writes a good song, and plays well and sings well. That’s the thing we’re into.
“A few years ago, I was listening to Jellyfish, when they were actually together. They had that same kind of feel: good songs, good vocals, and good melodies.”
There’s an old Southern saying that goes “You gotta dance with what brung ya,” and Galactic Cowboys have always followed this simple guideline. This band has stayed put, right at the intersection of rock and pop. “We’re sticking with our history,” summarizes Huggins. “That’s basically what got us attention, and what got us out there in the marketplace.”
The Galactic Cowboys have stayed afloat in the marketplace because they back up their keen sense of style with something solid and real lyrically. “The people that I admire,” explains Huggins, “combine form and substance. And the people that are all form, and no substance, are those people that only have one or the other.”
Much of what passes for metal these days fits this stale description. “It’s all the heavy stuff, and a lot of power, but it’s so unmemorable. It’s like, when it’s over, you go ‘Wow, I just got hit in the face with a brick,’ but there’s no scars left.”
NEXT PAGE
All Pages | 1 | 2
Return to Internet Exclusives
Comments
