Ted Lucas
self-titled ("The Om Album")
scum stats: limited quantities (400?) on green vinyl. the rest on black. should be in print for all eternity
Ten years of emails and phone calls, contractual negotiations, in person meet-ups, the physical relocation of a mess of tapes and probably a bunch of shit I'm forgetting. This is what it took to get Ted Lucas released on Third Man. And for me, spiritually, it was absolutely worth it.
There is so much I could write about this record, but at the moment it feels best to point you to an interview I did with local NPR station WNXP....
There's audio of me flapping my gums as well as fairly insightful text excerpts of said gum-flapping at that link. If I can further belabor maybe just two points touched on in the interview there, it's as follows:
- there is SO MUCH more Ted Lucas music to sift through and to share. LIke, it might be more that 100 reels worth of material. Across every and all iterations of bands and styles that Ted embodied, from commercial jingles he wrote on spec all the way down to field recordings and answering machine tapes, Ted chronicled and saved just about everything. And film footage? You better believe it. Thank god.
- the digital bonus track of "Love Took A Trip" is just magnificent in every way. I cannot stop listening to it even now, months after first hearing it. This is the song that overwhelmed me and brought me to tears in the Turnip Truck (Iocal grocery store) parking lot. As a raga, as a blues ramble, as an acoustic paean to the twists and turns that are inherent to the nature of "love" as it were...this song inhabits at least three different personas and each one of them is independently brilliant. But married together they take on a profile larger than the sum of its parts.
Here's how you win a green vinyl copy of this record. Just go to whatever your preferred method of streaming is and listen to the entire album, including the four bonus tracks. Once you've done so, just come back and post a comment here. You can say you loved it, say you need it, whatever. You can also say nothing, maybe just "i listened" and I will randomly select from that pool of commenters. Get in before midnight Thursday February 27th.
You really gotta listen though. If you're gonna lie, what's the fucking point? My job, my goal here, is to use my enthusiasm to help convey to you why something is important. So...pony up kiddos.
Listened to this album all the way through this morning while the sun was shining and the birds were chirping outside. Had never listened to Ted Lucas before but I’m entranced by his music; there’s something about his voice that’s compelling and ethereal.
Loved the rhythm of Robins Ride and the journey that Love Took A Trip takes you on. Looking forward to digging through more of his work.
Need yes please!
Nice listen on Tidal, but surely better on Vinyl…
Easy listening in the best imaginable way. An record for smooth evenings with a good drink.
Absolutely worth owning it! It’s so nice to get stoned…
Looking forward to see it spinning on my turntable ;-)
Completely new artist for me but this is special, especially love the switch up in style from Robins Ride onwards.
Good stuff😁👍
One of those records that can’t be listened while doing something else.
I didn’t know about this record until this reissue was announced here last month. I’ve listened through a few times and it’s a really smooth listening experience. It has a vibe all of its own.
Thank you Ben !
I listened this album and I like it, it’s a beautiful album !