1. An industrial group from LA
1. An industrial group from LA
2. A post-punk act from Detroit
The first and most well known is the Los Angeles electronic-industrial music group, formed in 1992 by Matt Green and his New York-based collaborator, Rob Morton. The group signed to Cleopatra Records. That same year, a self-titled, four-song EP with vocals supplied by Scott Franklin (later to become bassist for The Cramps), was released. In 1993, they added vocalist Athan Maroulis and recorded their debut album Collateral Damage. Their sophomore effort, The Coiled One, appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. After his departure, the line-up was expanded to include Christian Death drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This offered a beginning of the fuller, more diverse, dark electro-industrial sound that Spahn Ranch would continue to pursue. By 1997 Spahn Ranch pared themselves down to a tight, three-piece unit of Green, Maroulis and Lewis.
Architecture, released in 1997, featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey. This album took an even more experimental appraoch to the Spahn Ranch sound, incorporating elements of drum and bass, dub and for the first time, live guitar parts. Beat Noir, in 1998, followed a similar path even further and included work with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J.The band regularly toured throughout North America during their existence with the likes of Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Switchblade Symphony and The Electric Hellfire Club. Spahn Ranch also made a couple of European treks prior to their demise as a group in 2000. Closure was a posthumous release in 2001 of their final album recorded in 2000.
The second band was formed in Detroit, MI in 1986 and released one album in 1987 called Thickly Settled. In it's infancy, the band played in many local venues on the bill with various local bands. Quickly a strong following developed, which immediately precipitated a self titled cassette release of six tracks on the Ikthus Network label. After having missed their own billing at a show, the band was introduced to Eric Cope of Insight Records from San Francisco, CA. He offered them a contract with Insight after reviewing their cassette and video work. The band accepted and began recording their first LP, 'Thickly Settled' in California where they were welcomed by receptive audiences. 'Thickly Settled' was hailed as one of the best albums of the year by England's Underground Magazine, and also met favorable reception in the U.S.A. None of the members of Spahn Ranch had any formal music training and had not played an instrument prior to forming the group. "The sound they create is tense and raw, not polished to distract from the music itself. Drummer Odell Nails lays down a thick, almost tribal drum beat, accompanied by Hobey Echlin's bass foundation for the music. Guitarist Bradley Horowitz adds the energetic, consuming guitar melodies, changing the tunings for each song in order to make no two sets alike. Bob Sterner's vocals with a touch of folk influence, mesh with the instrumental sounds that give the finished product, intense music which envelopes and audience." Hobey Echlin later joined the band as bassist.
An Exit
Spahn Ranch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So completely in another age
Stumbles toward a pale room
Turn another page
The pulsing of the gauge
The eyes turning to her frame
And all that he saved
From the roles he played
He looks to the door
And finds it no longer a race
He is looking through the door
And finds it no longer a race
The light is partially glazed
Silence of the screen
The line they cannot read
And it's contrary to belief
The browning of the page
From all the yesterdays
He looks to the door
And finds it no longer a race
He is looking through the door
And finds it no longer a race
He looks to the door
And finds it no longer a race
He is looking through the door
And finds it no longer a race
Eyes to a frame
Are all he saved
Eyes to her frame
Are all he saved
He looks to the door
And find it no longer a race
He is looking through the door
And finds it no longer a race
He looks to the door
And find it no longer a race
He is looking through the door
And finds it no longer a race
The lyrics of Spahn Ranch's song "An Exit" paint a picture of an aging actor who has lost his relevance in the entertainment industry. He bows to a crowd that belongs to another age, stumbling towards a pale room while turning another page. The pulsing of the gauge and his eyes turning to her frame may suggest that he is remembering his past successes and the women he seduced while playing the roles he saved, but now he must face the reality that he is no longer the celebrated actor he once was.
As the song progresses, the actor looks to the door and finds that it is no longer a race. This may suggest that he no longer cares about the competition, as he can no longer keep up. The light is partially glazed, and there is silence on the screen, suggesting he may not be getting the roles or attention he once did. The browning of the page from all the yesterdays may symbolize that his past successes are fading away, and he must now face the present.
The actor's eyes to her frame are all he saved, suggesting that he may have had a special love interest who is no longer with him. He is now looking through the door and finds it no longer a race, perhaps suggesting that he is at peace with the fact that he is no longer the sought-after star that he once was. The lyrics paint a haunting picture of a once-revered actor facing the end of his career and coming to terms with the loss of his fame and his mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
The actor bows to a crowd
The performer shows his respect by bowing as a gesture of gratitude towards the audience.
So completely in another age
The performer is stuck in a different time and cannot relate to those in the present.
Stumbles toward a pale room
He feels uncertain and is walking towards a dull and lifeless place.
Turn another page
He is trying to seek new opportunities and experiences.
The pulsing of the gauge
The throbbing of the meter indicates that he is expecting a change or a new phase in his life.
The eyes turning to her frame
The gaze of people shift towards her and her beauty and not to him anymore.
And all that he saved
All the things he accomplished throughout his career are what he cherishes the most.
From the roles he played
From the performances he embodied throughout his working life.
He looks to the door
He wants to leave this place and move on to the next stage.
And finds it no longer a race
He finally understands that there is no hurry or rush to get to the finish line.
The light is partially glazed
The light is partially obscured, indicating the presence of a haze or a fog.
Silence of the screen
The screen is quiet and nothing is happening, no action, or movement.
The line they cannot read
Everyone is confused or perplexed by something they do not understand or cannot interpret.
And it's contrary to belief
It is the opposite of what people assume or expect it to be.
The browning of the page
The page is slowly turning brown which implies the aging of the material and the fleetingness of time.
From all the yesterdays
The brown stains are marks of time passing from all his past experiences.
Eyes to a frame
His focus is shifting towards the beauty of the woman framed before him.
Are all he saved
All the joy and the good in his life are embodied by this woman - she is what he holds dear.
He looks to the door
He still wants to leave and start a new life outside that room.
And find it no longer a race
Now he has reached a place of clarity - there is no more stress or rush to complete anything as he moves forward.
He is looking through the door
He stands at the door and peers through, getting one last look at everything, while preparing to move on.
And finds it no longer a race
He realizes that there is no need to run away, he can take his time moving forward with a peaceful mind.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BROOK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind