Rick Rizzo, guitarist and songwriter of the Chicago band Eleventh Dream Day, is growing into contemplative maturity. He’s embarking on the traditional “difficult” later career phase, without ever having enjoyed the commercial success that ought to precede cult status. After more than a decade at the helm of the most consistently overlooked American band of recent years, priorities have changed.
“When we got back from our last big tour in 1993, things kind of fell apart. I decided to go back to school and do a teaching degree. I still enjoy playing, but it’s not a business.” But, in shrugging off professional restraints, Eleventh Dream Day suddenly find themselves with a liberated new sound and a vital new album, Eighth, released tomorrow.
Their 1988 debut, Prairie School Freakout, is one of the greatest rock albums of all time. Recorded in one all-night session, it sounds like Neil Young’s Crazy Horse fuelled with an amphetamine post-punk rush, a cast of unhinged small-town losers slouching through Rizzo’s closely observed narratives. When the band first played in Britain at London’s Camden Falcon in the spring of 1990, they had just signed to Atlantic Records, desperate for the next REM. Even then Rizzo displayed a cautious, guarded optimism that belied his youth.
He married the band’s drummer, Janet Beveridge Bean, and the second album, Beet, was completed at a more leisurely, major-label-funded pace. All Rizzo wanted from Atlantic was for Eleventh Dream Day to be left alone. As it turned out, the label left the band alone to the extent that an opportunistic lawyer might have encouraged them to sue for neglect. The three critically acclaimed records they made while signed to Atlantic were all deleted within a year. Rizzo explains: “This was back in the pre-Nirvana days and the ‘alternative’ department didn’t take us seriously.”
The band’s paymasters even failed to sneak them into public consciousness via the Trojan horse of the grunge explosion, which saw dozens of lesser bands don plaid shirts and seize their 15 minutes of fame. After their 1991 album, Lived to Tell, Eleventh Dream Day staged a mutiny. “We noticed a loophole that would get us out of the contract. But Atlantic’s president, Danny Goldberg, saw our request to leave on his desk and flew into Chicago to take us out to lunch.” Goldberg’s peace feast turned out to be only a light buffet, but it was enough to persuade Eleventh Dream Day to stay. 1993’s El Moodio saw their garage-rock template expand via hazy, extended tracks such as Honeyslide, but then Goldberg left Atlantic and the band was dropped.
Rick and Janet’s son was diagnosed with a rare glucose deficiency – only 12 cases have ever been recorded – and their grizzled lead guitarist, Wink O’Bannon, jumped ship. “Eleventh Dream Day was put on the backburner,” recalls Rizzo. In the meantime, Rizzo has been sitting in with Chicago luminaries such as Palace, Red Red Meat and Tara Key; Janet’s folksy acoustic duo Freakwater was appropriated into the indie-country movement; and bassist Doug McCombs developed a more spacious style with egghead experimental ensemble Tortoise.
So when a reconfigured Eleventh Dream Day released 1995’s Ursa Major on the independent label City Slang, they offered a unique new sound; that of a road-tested garage band with country harmonies and experimental ambitions.
The new album develops this weird hybrid. Classic guitar lines fuse with modern studio interference, and McCombs’ new-found confidence provides a groundswell of melodic bass leads. The band’s old sound turns inside out, with cyclical jazzy keyboards and dubby effects burying Rizzo’s incendiary guitar in the mix. Eighth, he explains, contains few “songs” as such: “I don’t pick up guitar as much as I used to. Things either evolve in the studio or disappear. We’re not a garage band now and I’m not 25 years old any more.” Only the acerbic Two Smart Cookies and the urgent melancholy of April recall Rizzo’s back catalogue of self-propelled story songs. “Two Smart Cookies is the oldest song on the record,” Rizzo says. “That kind of songwriting style is in my blood. I couldn’t change that.”
Lyrically, Eighth spins tales of regret and resignation, of a coming to terms with things. The final track, Last Call, might be taken for the band’s farewell note. “I got tired of your dark side, I got a sinking feeling, I swallowed air, closed my eyes…” sings Rizzo before a guitar break that sounds too tired to go anywhere: “…I’m disconnected, across the miles of wire, this could be the last time, and it’s past time, to let you go…”
When asked to recall the circumstances of the recording session for their debut album, Rizzo tells the story word for word the same as he did in 1990. “It was 3am and we wanted to stop but Janet was yelling ‘C’mon you pussies!’ ” But that was a long time ago. Eleventh Dream Day, more by accident than design, are unshackled from commercial considerations and free to pursue brilliant artistic whims. “Why should it stop if it’s still fun?” concludes Rizzo.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com