He was an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, who played keyboards, guitars, drums, bass and cellos, as well as singing vocals. His talents also extended to producer. He toured with Eddie Money before winning the Yamaha songwriting competition with his progressive rock group Giraffe. Producer Patrick Leonard was impressed with Gilbert's performance at the competition and invited him to join him in forming a new band which became Toy Matinee. During this time, Gilbert worked on the projects of several established pop musicians, including Madonna, Michael Jackson and produced Keith Emerson's album Changing States.
The lone Toy Matinee album was released in 1990 but effectively shelved by the record company, so Gilbert assembled a new backing band to promote the album, eventually getting two successful singles released: "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and "Last Plane Out".
Later, Gilbert was part of a songwriting collective (called "The Tuesday Music Club") that met at producer Bill Bottrell's studio in Pasadena, California. After he began bringing his then girlfriend Sheryl Crow to the sessions, the result was Crow's debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club. Gilbert co-wrote many of the songs on that album, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year "All I Wanna Do." Crow later acrimoniously split with most of the musicians in the collective and only Bottrell was involved in her follow-up album. Meanwhile the remainder of the collective worked with singer-songwriters Susanna Hoffs and Linda Perry on two more albums.
Gilbert continued to work in television and movie soundtrack work as well as studio work and producing and eventually released his first solo album Thud(1995) as well as partially reforming Giraffe to perform the Genesis masterpiece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" at Progfest 94. Gilbert's manager sent a copy of the recording to Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who were searching for a new Genesis front man to replace Phil Collins. His manager was coming to Gilbert's home to tell him that he had managed to get him an audition when he discovered him dead.
Gilbert's second solo album, The Shaming of the True was released posthumously. The album was largely incomplete, but Gilbert's estate asked Spock's Beard drummer Nick D'Virgilio to complete it based on the extant tapes and Gilbert's notes. A live album (composed mostly of songs from Thud), and a compilation of Giraffe material that Gilbert had been working on and an "industrial" album with Gilbert's latest group, Kaviar have also been released in the years since his death. His estate has promised two more posthumous studio albums and a live performance from Gilbert's promotional group for Toy Matinee.
Discography:
N.R.G. - No Reasons Given (1984)
Giraffe - The Power Of Suggestion (1987)
Giraffe - The View From Here (1989)
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990; remastered & rereleased 2001)
Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
Kevin Gilbert - Thud (1995)
Giraffe - Giraffe (1999)
Kevin Gilbert & Thud - Live at the Troubadour (1999)
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True (2000)
Kaviar - The Kaviar Sessions (2002)
Kevin Gilbert - Nuts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Bolts (2009)
Kevin Gilbert - Performs Toy Matinee Live (2010)
Kevin Gilbert - Toy Matinee Acoustic Rehearsal (2014)
Back in N.Y.C.
Kevin Gilbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you think I'm a tough kid? Is that what you heard?
Yeh- well I like to see some action and it gets into my blood.
They call me the trail blazer, Rael-electric razor.
I'm the pitcher in the chain gang, we don't believe in pain
‘Cos we're only as strong, yes, we're only as strong,
As the weakest link in the chain.
Let me out of Pontiac when I was just seventeen,
Uuuhh! You say I must be crazy, ‘cos I don't care who I hit, who I hit.
But I know it's me that's hitting out and I'm, I'm not full of shit.
I don't care who I hurt, I don't care who I do wrong.
This is your mess I'm stuck in, I really don't belong.
When I take out my bottle, filled up high with gasoline,
You can tell by the night fires where Rael has been, he has been.
As I cuddled the porcupine you said I had none to blame, but me.
Held my heart, deep in hair, time to shave, shave it off, it off.
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape. No!
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape. No!
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape.
Off we go. Off we go. Off we go. Off we go.
You're sitting in your comfort, you don't believe I'm real,
You cannot buy protection from the way that I feel.
Your progressive hypocrites hand out their trash,
But it was mine in the first place, so I'll burn it to ash.
And I've tasted all the strongest meats,
And laid down, down in coloured sheets. I laid down in coloured sheets
Who needs illusion of love and affection
When you're out walking in the streets with your mainline connection? Connection.
As I cuddled the porcupine, you said I had none to blame, but me.
Held my heart, deep in hair, time to shave, shave it off, it off.
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape. No!
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape. No!
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape.
The lyrics of Kevin Gilbert's song Back in N.Y.C. suggest that the singer is reminiscing about his hometown in New York City. He identifies himself as a tough kid who likes to experience action and adrenaline rush that comes with it. He is referred to as the trailblazer, someone who is daring and not afraid of pain, but who is only as strong as the weakest link in his chain gang. The singer's past in Pontiac is also referenced, where he had to leave it all behind and get it out of him, possibly suggesting a troubled past that he had to escape.
The second verse shifts to a more aggressive tone, where the singer admits to not caring who he hits or hurts. He takes ownership and responsibility for his actions, indicating that it's him, not anyone else, who is hitting out. The chorus echoes his readiness for action, as indicated by his bottle filled with gasoline that marks his trail. The third and final verse focuses on the singer's rejection of societal norms and the idea of love and affection. He declares that he doesn't need illusions and is content with his mainline connection, implying that he is content with his unconventional life.
Line by Line Meaning
I see faces and traces of home back in New York City! Aha.
The singer is back in New York and feels a sense of familiarity.
So you think I'm a tough kid? Is that what you heard?
The singer questions the perception of them being tough.
Yeh- well I like to see some action and it gets into my blood.
The singer enjoys being in intense situations.
They call me the trail blazer, Rael-electric razor.
The artist has a reputation for being a leader.
I'm the pitcher in the chain gang, we don't believe in pain
The artist is part of a group that doesn't let pain slow them down.
‘Cos we're only as strong, yes, we're only as strong,
The strength of the group is only as strong as its weakest member.
As the weakest link in the chain.
This line reinforces the previous line's message.
Let me out of Pontiac when I was just seventeen,
The artist left Pontiac at a young age.
I had to get it out of me, if you know what I mean, what I mean.
The artist needed to leave to pursue something important.
Uuuhh! You say I must be crazy, ‘cos I don't care who I hit, who I hit.
The artist is being criticized for not caring who they hurt.
But I know it's me that's hitting out and I'm, I'm not full of shit.
The singer is owning up to their own actions.
I don't care who I hurt, I don't care who I do wrong.
The artist is somewhat callous and unfeeling.
This is your mess I'm stuck in, I really don't belong.
The singer is in a situation that isn't their fault.
When I take out my bottle, filled up high with gasoline,
The singer is likely referring to a Molotov cocktail.
You can tell by the night fires where Rael has been, he has been.
The singer has been causing fires.
As I cuddled the porcupine you said I had none to blame, but me.
The artist is being told to take responsibility for their situation.
Held my heart, deep in hair, time to shave, shave it off, it off.
The artist is cutting themselves off from their emotions.
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape. No!
The singer doesn't have time for love and is being harsh.
You're sitting in your comfort, you don't believe I'm real,
The singer believes others don't understand them.
You cannot buy protection from the way that I feel.
Others can't protect themselves from the artist's emotions.
Your progressive hypocrites hand out their trash,
The artist is accusing others of being hypocritical.
But it was mine in the first place, so I'll burn it to ash.
The artist is taking responsibility for their actions.
And I've tasted all the strongest meats,
The singer has experienced the best things in life.
And laid down, down in coloured sheets. I laid down in coloured sheets
The artist has had some indulgent experiences.
Who needs illusion of love and affection
The singer doesn't value love and affection.
When you're out walking in the streets with your mainline connection? Connection.
The singer suggests that others are only focused on their drug addiction.
No time for romantic escape, when your fluffy heart is ready for rape.
This line is repeated as a reminder that the singer doesn't want love.
Off we go. Off we go. Off we go. Off we go.
This line repeats as the artist is ready to leave the situation.
Contributed by Adalyn J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.