Zeus cover Big Star's Ballad of El Goodo (download)

Alex Chilton-               December 28, 1l 1950 - March 17, 2010

It's not all that surprising that when asked to cover an artist for Toronto's Q107 Classic Rock disCOVERy Series Session, Zeus settled upon Big Star's Ballad of El Goodo.  Zeus is indebted to a certain sound from a certain time but it's difficult to gauge exactly what that time is and who those references are.  Their bio for their first full length Say Us acknowledged as much:

"Lots of young bands can conjure memories of the four B’s—the Beatles, the Band, the Beach Boys and Big Star—with the help of vintage gear and an ear for melody; very few can write songs that have a fighting chance of taking on the canon the way Zeus does here."

Possessed of three extremely talented songwriters Carlin Nicholson, Mike O'Brien and Neil Quin (with Rob Drake on drums)- when the group first emerged they were hailed with a new The Band type of acclaim owing to their coming into their own prominence while supporting Jason Collett (similar enough to how The Band came out from under Dylan's wing- and the Canadian angle worked).  But Zeus influences are so specific and they own them so fully as their own (Genesis and Queen are fairly obvious reference points and the only two bands they've covered since their earliest shows) that it's hard to seperate them out.  They are also deeply invested personally, physically and spiritually in their own vintage and jerry rigged laboratory Ill Eagle Studios on Toronto's east end.   Legendary bandleader Dave Azzolini of The Golden Dogs (having played on the earliest informal zeus recordings as well as led Quin and Nicholson for periods as members of his group) has said of Ill Eagle studio "that they have the drum sound down, and alot of the time that's what you work so hard to capture".

In other Zeus news the CBC recently paired them up for a performance with a true legend to them and all Canadian's Randy Bachman - choosing a Guess Who song (These Eyes) that suited all their strengths, 3 part harmonies, strong feel playing, intense instrumental proficiency.  Similarly Ballad of El Goodo plays to all of these strengths, with Neil Quin coming further and further into the fore as a truly unique voice blue eyed rock soul 'n roll voice.  With Alex Chilton's passing two years ago and the deep reverence with which he's held amongst independent musicians it seems only fitting that Zeus would tip their hat in their direction.