Their music is a mix of rock, folk, jazz and 20th Century Classical music. Music.com remarked that "...Thinking Plague stand out as a shining example of avant-garde music blended with just enough rock for it to be called progressive rock..." Music.com apparently has a system for measuring such things.
While never directly related to Rock in Opposition (RIO), Thinking Plague was strongly influenced by this late-1970s movement, particularly Henry Cow and Art Bears. In spite of Johnson's dislike of the term, the band has often been categorized as a "RIO" band.
Mike Johnson and Bob Drake first met in 1978 and played in several cover bands. They began experimenting with basement recordings in 1980 and by 1982 they had enough song material to attempt a few live performances. For these shows they enlisted the services of classically trained vocalist Sharon Bradford, luthier Harry Fleishman on keyboards, and Rick Arsenault on drums. This ensemble became the first incarnation of Thinking Plague. They played at a few venues around Denver in 1983 but their complicated music was not well received and Johnson and Drake decided to make an album of their material instead.
With Bradford, Fleishman and Mark Fuller on drums the band worked on and off for almost a year recording their songs at a crude 8-track recording facility in the basement of an old slaughterhouse called the Packing House Studios. Having limited funds they did all the tracking and mixing themselves, and released the album, ...A Thinking Plague in 1984 on their own Endemic label. Only 500 LPs were pressed with each cover hand painted by Drake with spray-paint and a stencil. In spite of the small scale, low-tech quality of the release, a number of distributors, including Recommended Records and Wayside Music (Cuneiform Records) agreed to sell the album and it was well received by some critics.
In 1985 Johnson and Drake began to record material for a new Thinking Plague album. The Packing House Studios had closed but they had access to a few "low budget" recording facilities in Denver. Having disbanded the "Packing House" group after their first album, Johnson and Drake recruited a new band: singer-song writer Susanne Lewis, drummer Mark Fuller and keyboardist Eric Moon. Disregarding, or ignorant of the proper "industry" way of doing things, Thinking Plague recorded their second album, Moonsongs. The title track was a fifteen-and-a-half minute "tribal-pagan-environmental-anti-materialistic avant-rock ritual" composed by Johnson. Initially Moonsongs was released in 1986 on cassette by Endemic, but the following year the band signed with Dead Man’s Curve Records in London and Moonsongs was released on LP. As with their first album, Moonsongs was praised in "progressive" circles and Thinking Plague enhanced their stature as an "avant-rock" band.
Riding on the success of their two albums, Thinking Plague performed a series of live shows in 1987 in Denver, opening for Sonic Youth at one of them. Pianist/clarinetist Lawrence Haugseth joined the band for the live performances, but left in early 1988. Haugseth's brief stay did, however, establish the need for a woodwind/reed section in the band. Fuller and Moon had also left the band in late 1987, which prompted the acquisition of three new musicians: classical pianist, Shane Hotle, bassist Maria Moran, and Mark Harris on clarinet, saxophones and flutes. Drake switched from bass guitar to drums.
Recording for a new album began in early 1988 in various studios, including a large rehearsal room in an old yogurt factory (referred to as 'the Yog Factory'). Johnson and Lewis had collaborated on a collection of songs for the album, which featured several "new" instruments, including sampler, tabla, various African and Balinese percussion instruments, and a fiddle (courtesy Bob Drake). Ex-Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith guested on one track, "Organism (version II)", the original version (also with Frith) having been released on Recommended Records' RēR Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.4. Drake did all the production work and the album, In This Life was finished in mid-1988. At the time ex-Henry Cow drummer and Recommended Records founder, Chris Cutler was on tour with Pere Ubu in Denver and Johnson gave Cutler a cassette tape of the new album. Cutler offered to release it on the Recommended label, and in September 1989, In This Life became the first US-made CD on the British label.
In This Life was widely distributed and began "gaining kudos from aficionados of avant-rock from all around the world." But Thinking Plague's euphoria was short lived when Lewis moved to New York City. Attempts to replace her with a local singer were unsuccessful and working "long distance" with her proved impractical at the time. Disillusioned, Drake relocated to Los Angeles to work as an engineer and producer, and Moran left the band, leaving Thinking Plague at the point of disintegrating.
In Los Angeles, Drake met drummer Dave Kerman of an avant-rock band, the 5uu's and began working with Kerman's band. Kerman's interest in Thinking Plague led to him joining the Denver band. Drake and Lewis also agreed to "rejoin" (despite the distances) and with the other remaining members, Johnson, Harris and Hotle, Thinking Plague "reformed" in 1990. For the next few years the band worked intermittently at some long-distance rehearsals, performed in a few concerts and made some new recordings, after which all work was put on hold. During this period of dormancy Johnson toured across Europe in 1995 with Drake, Kerman and the 5uu's, but upon returning to the United States the three agreed that reviving Thinking Plague again was not a practical option.
Johnson joined another local avant-rock band, Hamster Theatre in 1996, and suggested to its leader, accordionist and bassist Dave Willey that he join a new incarnation of Thinking Plague. Willey agreed and recommended Deborah Perry as a singer. At much the same time, Kerman moved to Denver and rejoined the band. With existing members Harris and Hotle the new Thinking Plague began recording new material that Johnson had written. In early 1998 the finished tracks were sent to Drake (now living in France) for mixing and production, and the result was Thinking Plague's fourth album, In Extremis, released in 1998 by Cuneiform Records.
In Extremis was rated the top album in 1998 by Gnosis, and its success resulted in new concert appearances for the band. A new member, Matt Mitchell on keyboards was recruited to replace Hotle who had left after the making of In Extremis, and Thinking Plague performed at the 1999 ProgDay Festival, followed by a tour of the eastern and mid-western United States. In June 2000 the band played at NEARfest, a recording of which was mixed three years later by Drake and released as Upon Both Your Houses in 2004 by NEARfest Records. In July 2000 the band toured France and Italy.
After the concerts in Europe, Kerman left the band and was replaced by ex-Sleepytime Gorilla Museum drummer David Shamrock. Work began on a new album, A History of Madness, which was released in September 2003 by Cuneiform Records. It was recorded over a period of two years, with half the band members flying into Denver from across the United States to add their contributions. A History of Madness was the first Thinking Plague album that Bob Drake did not produce; Johnson and Mark McCoin, of the Brave New Audio studio where the album was recorded, did all the mixing.
The Guardian
Thinking Plague Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
of an avalanche army
now the guardian
retreats in cool shade
unaware of the numbers bled
and by whom the desert war was led
the war like a large blind bird
flew hard slow and clumsy
Guarding the world's
sleeping sapphire head
at the foot of a billion beds
The war like a large blind bird
flew slow and clumsy
through many years
the territories
knew the shadow
cast by havoc's head
and the worms
that filled faith's abandoned bread
from hills and seas oozed
crimson red
but one day chance appeared
luring the guardian
into it's path
But one day chance appeared
luring the guardian
into it's path
and by chance havoc's tail
fell down from the sky
into the guardian's hand
he grabbed the tail and flung it round
until havoc's jewelled innards
splattered to the ground
(chorus)
The lyrics of "The Guardian" depict a story of a once powerful army, represented by a pebble in an avalanche, who now have become a guardian who protects the world's sleeping sapphire head. The guardian retreats in the cool shade, ignorant of the number of people that have died and the leader of the war. The war was like a large blind bird that flew hard, slow, and clumsily. Throughout the years, the territories knew the shadow cast by havoc's head, and the worms filled faith's abandoned bread. But by chance, havoc's tail fell into the guardian's path. The guardian grabbed the tail and flung it round until havoc's jewelled innards splattered to the ground.
The song is a beautiful blend of poetry and music that provokes introspection about the cost of war and the futility of engaging in such activities. It gives us a glimpse of how those left behind to guard a world destroyed by war must feel. The lyrics also highlight the power of chance, how it can change our fate, and how we must be prepared to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Once the pebble
At one time, the Guardian was only a small part of a larger force, like a tiny pebble in an avalanche army.
of an avalanche army
The Guardian used to be part of a larger group of soldiers, perhaps fighting in a war.
now the guardian
Currently, the Guardian is acting as a protector or keeper of something important.
retreats in cool shade
The Guardian has withdrawn or stepped back into a quieter, more relaxed position.
unaware of the numbers bled
The Guardian is not aware of the amount of casualties or people who have been injured or killed either in the war they previously fought in, or in general.
and by whom the desert war was led
The Guardian doesn't know who was responsible for leading the war that they participated in.
the war like a large blind bird
The war was like a huge bird that couldn't see very well and may have been clumsy or slow-moving.
flew hard slow and clumsy
The war was not nimble or speedy, but instead plodded along, maybe causing a lot of damage along the way.
Guarding the world's
The Guardian is fulfilling a dutiful role, perhaps as a protector or overseer.
sleeping sapphire head
The object or idea that the Guardian is watching over is precious like a jewel or sapphire, and may be sleeping or dormant.
at the foot of a billion beds
The Guardian is stationed at the base of numerous beds or resting places, perhaps watching over people as they sleep.
through many years
The war that the Guardian was part of lasted for a long time.
the territories
The areas where the war was fought over or for control of.
knew the shadow
The people in the territories were aware of the negative effects of the war and the destruction it caused.
cast by havoc's head
Havoc refers to destruction and chaos, and its head would be the entity or force leading the chaos or war that caused destruction in the territories.
and the worms
The rot and decay caused by the war and its associated destruction.
that filled faith's abandoned bread
The negative effects of the war permeated even the areas that were supposed to be safe or untouched, like a person's faith or the sustenance they relied on for survival.
from hills and seas oozed
The damage and destruction were everywhere and affecting all aspects of the territories, from the highest points to the lowest points.
crimson red
The color of blood, which was probably spilled in the war and added to the destruction and death toll.
but one day chance appeared
One day, something unexpected happened, perhaps a chance encounter or opportunity.
luring the guardian
The unexpected event drew the Guardian toward it, tempting them to investigate or pursue it.
into it's path
The Guardian was directed onto a new path or trajectory by chance, possibly leading it to a new purpose or mission.
and by chance havoc's tail
The force or entity of destruction and chaos, which was referenced earlier as havoc, had a tail that was somehow involved in this chance event.
fell down from the sky
Havoc's tail was not necessarily a physical object, but it came into view or revealed itself in some way.
into the guardian's hand
The Guardian was given the responsibility or task of holding or controlling Havoc's tail.
he grabbed the tail and flung it round
The Guardian acted on its duty to control Havoc's tail, by physically manipulating or disposing of it.
until havoc's jewelled innards
Havoc's innards represent the heart or core of what caused destruction and chaos, which the Guardian was able to expose or dismantle.
splattered to the ground
Havoc's core was destroyed or made powerless, which likely led to the end of the war or other associated destruction.
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.