Sold Date: April 27, 2017
Start Date: November 23, 2015
Final Price: $39.99 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 6427
Buyer Feedback: 3404

DRYWATER 'Backbone Of The Nation' LP (US, Time-Lag, Catalogue #TLR 057/058) Brand new/unplayed copy of absolutely superior Time-Lag label LP + 7" edition of ultra-rare (only 25 copies originally pressed!) and sought-after 1973 American basement private-press rural rock document by wasted Pennsylvania teens Drywater.

(NOTE: LIMITED EDITION OF 500 COPIES ONLY!)

'First ever reissue of this massively cool & hideously rare 1973 rural Pennsylvania private press jewel, originally released on the legendary RPC custom label in an edition of 25 copies. This one might slip right by you on first listen, but there is a subtle brilliance buried in the grooves that's captured the hearts of the lucky few who've had the chance to spend some time with the album... and once you've connected, there's no turning back... Like the very best of the upper echelon 60s & 70s private press benchmarks, 'Backbone Of The Nation' is a crystal clear snapshot glimpes into a precise time & place, a unique moment captured, a lost reality preserved... small town working class teen ethos expressed with raw precision. Zero hippie hangover or arty posturing here... the sound is essentially split between the two dominate modes of polarized male youth psyche: alternating moody, dejected, love scorned melancholy folkrock with wasted, howling, proto-punk garage fuzz brain fry... all together it's a totally sincere lost in time vibe, delivered with gobs of naive charm & executed with almost zero resources. The album was recorded and mixed direct to tape in just a few hours, without overdubs or even the option to mixdown. You can hear the clearly unprepared recording engineer frantically flipping switches & tweaking knobs in a state of near panic as these kids tear furiously through a rapid fire album worth of original songs, always teetering on the edge of total collapse, yet never quite imploding. While the end results are, to say the very least, very crude, the band pulls together a distinct and wonderful sound, underpinned by Ken Turcic's dry, low, rubbery bass lines and Greg Cheplick's wildly raw & cool drumming (he's only 15 at the time) Dennis Cheplick (Greg's older brother) and Jack Sarvis trade off vocal duties, guitar licks, and writing credit. Rhythym guitars chug excitedly, acoustic 12-string adds a sweet, chiming, folky texture, and Sarvis switches between a great, slightly surf-tinged ringing reverb tone and frenetic fuzz figures. What really sets this one apart from the crowd, though, is a surprising sophistication lurking deep within. There's real depth and staying power to the song writing that sneaks up on you with repeated listens, combined with the sort of subtly clever vocal and guitar arrangements that imply a band maturity well beyond their amateur exterior. A grower if ever there was one... and totally essential if the sound of "rural", "real people", and "garage" all in the same sentence peaks your interest. Pressed on highest quality 180gm virgin vinyl. Packaged in an exact reproduction heavy weight reverse tip-on cover, with exact repro label art, a heavy double sided insert with loads of vintage color photos and extensive liner notes, plus a bonus heavy vinyl 45rpm 7inch. The 45 contains two non-LP tracks featuring both Cheplick brothers and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee just months after the 'Backbone' sessions, and preserved only on a single copy acetate demo disc. While due to the original format the sound quality of the 45 is less than ideal, it's an awesome pair of songs and a wonderful complement to the LP, clearly hinting at the brooding folkrock masterpiece these guys could have pulled off had Drywater ever entered the studio again. One time vinyl only pressing of 500 copies.'

'A recently discovered basement document from the depths of private press America. This is home-made 1970s rock at its most basic, comparable to crude garage-era titles like Rasputin & The Monks, except with the fun-loving innocence of the '60s replaced by an unglamorous, realistic '70s outlook. Rootsy, rustic tunes with titles like "Backbone Of The Nation" are nervously brought home, the band sweating hard to keep their songs from collapsing. The lead guitarist and drummer seem particularly ill-rehearsed, while the bass-player isn't too shabby. The songs and arrangements are surprisingly ambitious, with bridges and choruses and recurring fuzz guitar figures, which combine oddly and most delightfully with the amateur playing. As usual for these albums, Creedence and Neil Young seem to be lurking somewhere in the background, yet the stripped-down and absolute realness of the sound makes it quite personal. It's remarkable how many good albums there are in this style, which is timeless in its lack or trendiness. One to file next to Fortune Teller, Jarvo Runga and Neutral Spirits in the Amateur '70s Basement Rock section. May and should appeal to '70s punk/DIY fans. Hardly for everyone, and even among genre fans like me, the shaky musicianship may grate at times, but I would still give Drywater my support.' - Patrick Lundborg/Acid Archives

Tracks on this LP are as follows:

Tracks on the 7" are as follows:

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