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The title track to “Wild Child” just exudes cool. From the spoken narrative that starts out the track (think the opening to “Shaft”) and the ropy, cop-drama bass line present, and an individual would have a good idea of what The Spoken X are trying to do with this album. Instead of just sticking with that one sound for the entirety of the track, an electronic influence pushes its’ way a number of times. The vocals provide the thread that is weaved through the entirety of “Wild Child”, and the band does well in linking earlier and more current styles into a cohesive and current track.
“Superstitions” is another track of notice on this already solid album. Instead of immediately starting out with a narrative set of vocals as was the case during “Wild Child”, The Spoken X adds a rough and tumble set of vocals that are reminiscent of “Girls Girls Girls”-era Motley Crue. This does not mean that this narrative, sometimes ranting, sometimes poetic narrative is removed from the mix. Rather, the narrative links together “Wild Child” and “Superstitions” into something similar to chapters in a box. While individuals can listen to a single track on “Wild Child” and get an appreciation for the band, one needs to listen to the entire “Wild Child” to get a full idea of what the members of The Spoken X are trying to do with the album, and how well they succeed at accomplishing those goals.
The guitar is the vocal element to “Superstitions”, and while it mainly relies on repetition to put its’ point home, it varies enough to allow the band to succeed during the track. “Altitude” is the final track that merits further discussion, although all of the songs on “Wild Child” are impressive in their own right. It is during this track that the band really allows the instrumentation to take on a formless, amorphous style. One can hear space, a Star Trek-type of instrumentation that, when added to the narrative of the track, sounds as if Carl Sagan ate some really good shrooms. The Spoken X goes forward with an album in “Wild Child” that is miles away from what is traditionally heard in rock music. Like Zappa and anyone that has changed rock music completely, The Spoken X make something new accessible to fans and other musicians alike. I have no doubt that this album will be one that will be present on many an aspiring musician’s bookshelf.
Top Tracks: Wild Child, Altitude
Rating: 7.4/10
- Neufutur
Discography
Wild Child
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Bio
The Spoken X
“At the end of a gig, I want the audience to be buzzing like a crackling electric wire. Satisfied but not content. They should want more of what they just heard.
They should be reenergized, invigorated, excited, and at the same time they should
be provoked to contemplate what is this thing called life.” – Ted Golder
Formed in 2005, the Spoken X consists of Peter Parker and Ted Golder. The duo had been working on a different project in Peter’s home studio when the idea for the Spoken X was born, that idea being for Peter to lay down music while Ted performed his poetry on top of it. That initial concept has morphed and progressed over the past couple of years, maturing into a collaboration that spans various musical genres and spoken themes.
The Spoken X benefits from the vast experience these two men have in the world of music. Peter Parker, known most prominently for his bass skills, grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Yes, the Rolling Stones, and The Who, picking up his first guitar at age thirteen but soon focusing on the bass. He grew up with five brothers, watching them play along to rock classics and hit the road to go on tour. As his own skills developed, thanks in part to his studying bass guitar and music theory in college, he realized that writing and performing music was what he had always wanted to do. And he hasn’t looked back since, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, his hands on his guitar, and his foot on the distortion pedals. Peter has played with several prominent bands throughout his career, from a Phil Lynnott tribute gig with all of the original members of Thin Lizzy to his most recent gigs with Dirty Fuzz, a four-piece rock combo based in London. He has toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, and recently he has added production skills to his musical repertoire, which allowed him to take charge of the knobs when it came time to create the Spoken X’s debut, Wild Child.
Ted Golder began playing guitar and writing songs, poems, and stories while traveling the world in his teenage years. He first realized he wanted to be on a stage when attending his first rock concert, featuring the sights and sounds of the Grateful Dead. Whether studying the sitar in India, literature at the University of Oregon, comparative religion at the University of Chicago, or getting involved in theatre and working his way up through various minor roles to take the lead in a production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Ted has always harbored a fascination with the power of words. Recently, several of his poems have been featured in publications such as the Fishtrap Writing Anthology. Today, he continues to perform his poetry and folk/rock songs in a wide range of venues, including the Willamette Folk Festival and a recent art exhibition opening in Barcelona. But the Spoken X is where rock and roll gives him a chance to fully express the power of his lyrics.
So what happens when these guys combine their musical powers? Well, anything can happen, and the songwriting process can change from day to day. “Some songs were instrumentals first and Ted put his vocals on the track,” explains Peter. “Some songs I had written the music and sang the chorus and Ted put the vocals over the verse. Other tracks I put the music behind Ted’s poetry.” The result is somehow rocking and energetic, yet thought-provoking and textured. The music itself shows off influences that range from rock to blues to beyond, while the lyrics take on a variety of subjects. “I believe that good lyrics come from listening to great lyrics,” says Ted. “I draw from the classics…Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, Jim Carroll, and so on. I digest high literature and then bring it down to the street level and talk about real, concrete, modern things. I can always tell the difference between a street poet who has imbibed great stuff and those who haven’t. Then there are those stuffy types who have read great stuff but who have no connection to life. It has to be made relevant to modern life. The words have to be lived.”
Right now, the guys just want the results of their combined efforts to be heard by as many people as possible, to give their unique style of music a chance to spread its wings. They admit that getting their songs heard is the biggest challenge of being part of a relatively new project such as the Spoken X, but they have faith in their creations and they believe commercial success and artistic integrity can be achieved at the same time. “One without the other seems incomplete to me,” says Ted. “The words, the music, and the art cannot be compromised.”
For more information, visit www.thespokenx.com.
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