Genre: pop
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Spiders In the Night
Company: Kama Sutra
Catalog: KSBS
2036
Year: 1971
Country/State: G
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: still in shrink wrap; cut out hole top left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5554
Price: $25.00
If you've looked through my website reviews you'll quickly figure out that I have a thing for offbeat and non-mainstream artists. Obscurity's a good thing in my catalog. Obscure music isn't always enjoyable, but it's usually interesting. Needless to say Andy Zwerling fits into all of those categories ...
Probably not a major surprise, but while still attending high school in Long Island one of Zwerling's first jobs was as a freelance writer for Rolling Stone magazine - naturally he contributed record reviews to the magazine. He apparently also wrote songs on the side and through a weird set of circumstances, was introduced to A&R man/producer/friend Richard Robinson. Zwerling had previously written a favorable review of a Flaming Groovies LP that Robinson had produced. Their meeting led Zwerling to record some demos for Robinson who was then working for Kama Sutra Records. Robinson somehow then convinced the company to sign Zwerling. The catch was that Kama Sutra demand that Zwerling finish the record using no more than 64 hours of studio time.
inner sleeve photo
Co-produced by Robinson and the late Lenny Kaye (the two also provided instrumental backing throughout the set), 1971's "Spiders In the Night" showcased Zwerling as a capable, if slightly offbeat singer/songwriter. With his blaring baritone Zwerling certainly wasn't the greatest singer you've ever encountered and the largely acoustic songs were a bit on the spare and under produced side (remember he had roughly three days to finish the project). Sure, as you'd expect from a 17 year old living on Long Island, there was plenty of suburban angst on display in Zwerling originals like 'Slicing', 'Sifting Around In A Haze', and 'It's In the Morning'. On the other hand tracks like 'Knife Man', 'Orange Skylight' (an apparent meditation of the annihilation of American Indians) and 'Turtles vs. Green Ants' weren't exactly your standard James Taylor-styled singer/songwriter fair. Deeply personnel, moody, and occasionally simply indecipherable, nothing here was particularly commercial (at least in a top-40 sense), though there were plenty of melodies floating amidst these ten original songs. Combined with Zwerling's earnest dedication to the material, the set had a certain hard to describe quirky appeal - imagine a less eclectic Jonathan Richmond, or a more focused Skip Spence (whom Zwerling has named as an influence) and you'd be in the right musical neighborhood. It's truly one of those records that grows on the listener the more you listen to it ... personnel favorites included 'Words To This Song' (the unexpected female chorus always makes me smile) and the ethereal title track that's always reminded me of an outtake that could have come from David Crosby's "If I Could Only Remember My Name" album. Unfortunately by the time the album was released Zwerling's mentor Robinson had left for an A&R job with RCA. Being in college and unable to actively support the album didn't exactly help Zwerling's cause; not that it mattered since confronted with a host of business and financial issues Kama Sutra had little interest in supporting the LP. The net result was instant obscurity.
"Spiders
In the Night" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Knife Man (Andy Zwerling) - 4:28
2.) Slicing (Andy Zwerling) - 2:57
3.) Turtles vs. the Green Ants (Andy Zwerling) - 2:52
4.) It's In the Morning (Andy Zwerling) - 2:01
5.) Spiders In the Night (Andy Zwerling) - 7:10
(side
2)
1.) Sifting Around In A Haze (Andy Zwerling) - 4:20
2.) Words To This Song (Andy Zwerling) - 2:42
3.) Orange Skylights (Andy Zwerling) - 4:17
4.) Branches (Andy Zwerling) - 1:33
5.) Downwaters/Crosswaters
(Andy Zwerling) - 6:52
Normally I'd stop writing about here, but Zwerling's story is pretty intriguing so I'd keep on going.
Dropped by Kama Sutra and unable to find a new recording contract, over the next three years Zwerling actively pursued his musical career, even managing to record some demos first for Paul Nelson at Mercury Records and then a couple of songs for Columbia. Sadly neither company signed him. Finally in 1974 he decided to turn his attentions in a different direction - law school. Enrolled in Hofstra Law School, he continued to write and record demos (his sister Leslie frequently participating) and also found time to form his own publishing company - Snow Beach Music. In 1980 Andy, Leslie and former Hofstra student Elissa Epstein formed their own Opportunity Rocks, Inc. label. Zwerling and his sister Leslie recruited Hofstra students and friends to back them and after rehearsing in his mother's living room, they recorded an album's worth of material that was subsequently issued as "Opportunity Knocks". Credited to Andy and Leslie Z, the pair started playing New York clubs, including CBGBs, but again failed to find a label to sign them. Moreover they weren't making any money so in 1986 Andy and Leslie decided to call it a day, once again paying his bills as a lawyer. Leslie shifted her attention to jewelry design and art.
In 1999 Zwerling renewed a friendship with late night horror show television host/DJ John Zacherele. Zacherele had been instrumental in introducing Zwerling to Richard Robinson which led to his signing with Kama Sutra. A big Zacharele fan, the prolific Zwerling offered to write a song for the man. Zacharele actually recorded the track - 'Overdrawn at the Blood Bank'. The song subsequently ended up on a Zacharele fan club 'best of'' compilation that was sold via the internet. Seeing an opportunity to use the net to get some of his material out to the public Zwerling pulled out his demo tapes and took them to Steve Young's Long Island-based Media Recording Studios in order to get them digitized (in case you were wondering, Young played guitar for The 1910 Fruitgum Company). As it turned out the tapes were in extremely poor shape and in order to be salvaged had to be 'baked' before they could be digitized.
Leslie and Andy Zwerling (guessing its a mid-80s photo)
Credited to Andy Z. & Leslie, the result was 2001's "Somewhere Near Pop Heaven" (Snow Beach catalog SN B2) - a 2 CD, 41 track retrospective clocking in at almost two and a half hours that included material from their earlier releases, plus a slew of previously unreleased tracks - Zwerling's reportedly written thousands and stashed away thousands of songs over the years). The CD attracted some major league media attention, including a lengthy article by former Rolling Stone editor Ed Ward in the New York Times and an article by Rolling Stone contributor Dave Marsh. Unfortunately, American sales were few, though internet sales somehow saw one of the tracks 'Someday Forever' go top-20 in Croatia !!! Little bit of free promotion for the artist - you can buy a copy of the CD directly from them at:
http://www.opportunityrocks.com/index2.shtml
"Somewhere Near Pop Heaven" track listing:
(CD 1)
1.) Two Hearts Ago (Andy Zwerling) - 4:04
2.) Ready To Be Committed (Andy Zwerling) - 4:33
3.) Unmistakably Amy (Andy Zwerling) - 5:31
4.) Corporation (Andy Zwerling) - 2:52
5.) Love Is Hard (Andy Zwerling) - 3:29
6.) Rock 'n' Roll Music (Andy Zwerling) - 2:02
7.) Talk About Susan (Andy Zwerling) - 2:51
8.) Girls Are Forever (Andy Zwerling) - 2:42
9.) One O'Clock In the Morning (Andy Zwerling) - 2:51
10.) Somewhere Tonight (Andy Zwerling) - 3:40
11.) I Still Love You (Andy Zwerling) - 3:22
12.) Car and a Condo (Andy Zwerling) - 3:57
13.) She Never Married a Beatle (Andy Zwerling) - 3:32
14.) What Can I Do? (Andy Zwerling) - 1:41
15.) Always You (Andy Zwerling) - 3:08
16.) Safe From My Heart (Andy Zwerling) - 4:17
17.) Oki (Andy Zwerling) - 2:46
18.) Sweetest Dream (Andy Zwerling) - 4:37
17.) TV Girls (Andy Zwerling) - 3:18
18.) High School Girls (Andy Zwerling) - 1:54
19.) Snow Beach (Andy Zwerling) - 3:21
(CD 2)
1.) Someday Forever (Andy Zwerling) - 4:56
2.) Simple (Andy Zwerling) - 5:31
3.) Overdrawn at the Blood Bank (Andy Zwerling) - 4:16
4.) Rockabilly Moon (Andy Zwerling) - 4:12
5.) Summer Songs (Andy Zwerling) - 3:06
6.) Beautiful Day (Andy Zwerling) - 2:31
7.) I Saw Her Last Night (Andy Zwerling) - 2:04
8.) Dreams Never Die (Andy Zwerling) - 4:24
9.) Rapid City (Andy Zwerling) - 2:12
10.) Segue (Andy Zwerling) - 3:21
11.) I Start To Rhyme (Andy Zwerling) - 2:49
12.) Bye Bye One Hit Wonder (Andy Zwerling) - 3:19
13.) Stars Out Tonight (Andy Zwerling) - 4:26
14.) Hey Honey (Andy Zwerling) - 2:47
15.) Turn Off the Radio (Andy Zwerling) - 2:44
16.) Don't Come Just To Go (Andy Zwerling) - 3:55
17.) Summer of Love (Andy Zwerling) - 4:59
18.) Play Irrigation (Andy Zwerling) - 1:46
19.) Angel Woman (Andy Zwerling) - 2:44
12,) Music Playing (Andy Zwerling) - 2:30
Inspired by the cancer death of a close friend, six years later Zwerling decided to return to the studio. Recorded with keyboard player Lynn Portas, longtime friend Steve Young, and sister Leslie, 2006 saw the release of "Holding Up the Sky".
"Hold Up the Sky" track listing"
1.) TV Pizza (Andy Zwerling) -
2.) Jenny Lewis Is Live (Andy Zwerling) -
3.) The sound of Trains (Andy Zwerling) -
4.) Flower Girl (Andy Zwerling) -
5.) Here In My Heart (Andy Zwerling) -
6.) Public Radio (Andy Zwerling) -
7.) I'm Gonna By Brazil (Andy Zwerling) -
8.) I Want To Go Home (Andy Zwerling) -
9.) Jazz About the Blues (Andy Zwerling) -
10.) Africa's Calling (Andy Zwerling) -
11.) Love Is Not Safe (Andy Zwerling) -
12.) Flight Pattern (Andy Zwerling) -
13.) String Theory (Andy Zwerling) -
14.) Holding Up the Sky (Andy Zwerling) -
As mentioned earlier, I'll get back to these later releases as some point in the future.
Zwerling has a myspace site:
http://www.myspace.com/andyzwerling
Oh, you can hear a fascinating National Public radio segment on the man at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94718933