XYZ News archive

XYZ recording new album, location of Tony Marcus, your help creating a FAQ page So much has been happening lately folks! Terry and Paul are in the studio with Jeff
Northrup. Bass player Sean McNabb (you'll remember him from the Cage project) put down the bass tracks. More details on that will follow. You may also
check Jeff Northrup's site for info as well. "Tango" is one song that will
be on the album. Fans will remember that from the U.S. version of the live album. A rough mix of the song is on The MTM VOL. 8 compilation, to be released in Nov. 4. Go to www.mtm-music.de for more info.

According to Paul, "It is a very versatile album with a few surprises that I cannot tell you about just yet. We will probably put one or 2 more samples on Jeff's page before the album gets released [in 2003].... Mostly all of the tracking is already done. No 80's flashbacks just yet but we are having a blast doing this and I honestly think that this is going to be the best XYZ album we ever did. Even though we don't have all original members, mostly all of the songs were written by all original members so it is definitely XYZ all the way. As far as a tour.....well........we will just have to see........."

It will be out on the MTM label of Germany. It's not clear if Sean will be considered a member of XYZ or if he just signed on to do the recording (Paul said, "Sean did an unbelievable job"). He is a member of Great White.

XYZ demo EP unearthed I could not believe what came to me in the mail! Merry Christmas indeed! This is an EP (Remember vinyl?) that XYZ did in France, Patt informed me, even though the liner notes to the live CD say that it was recorded in NYC. "It was recorded in france while Terry and I were visiting our folks for the summer one year long ago. We did it in a few days in a studio that was going out of business in 72 hours (leveled for a subway entrance) and i guess we were the last to record there before the wrecking crew showed on Monday. It was a long weekend, but the vibe was great."
Well, whatever! It's still super-cool. If you have the import version of the live disc, then you already have the songs (they're bonus tracks at the end), and you know how cheesy they are. Hearing the sweet, clear, perfect sound coming out of my stereo (Yes, Virginia, turntables still exist) was SUCH a treat. I know that it was Terry's voice (and definitely not the lyrics) that must have sealed the deal for the band. What a prize. I wonder how many exist?! I'll update the discography to include this piece under the promos section. I cannot thank the giver enough!

Terry uploads unreleased song to MP3.com Hey gang, check out what Terry's uploaded -- an unreleased song (have an e-mail in to him for details of when it was written). Go to the link above that I have to his MP3 site for download info. For all those who never got the live albums (two versions) or Cage, the site now has them available for sale.

XYZ's self-titled debut reissued in February 2001
The question I get asked most frequently is "Where can I get XYZ's self-titled album on CD?" You'll pay a half a mint on eBay for the thing sometimes.
I have learned that Axe Killer (France) reissued the self-titled album in February (remastered, with a slipcase cover). Here's information on the place that I got it, but you may need to call and special order it by now. A limited supply were available in February. I found the information in Goldmine magazine, which is a magazine for record and CD collectors, with a bazillion dealers in every issue. Tell them where you saw the info and that I got it from their Goldmine ad. It's 15.98. (There is a bonus track, "On The Blue Side Of The Night"; not sure if it's the same bonus track as on the Japanese version of the album [50 bucks imported!].)

Domestic orders shipped US priority mail with delivery confirmed tracking; orders shipped in boxes not envelopes; PO Box addresses are OK; orders add 1.50 for insurance if desired; flat rate shipping is now 4.50 per order; money orders or checks are accepted; checks can delay shipping up to 15 days; all items are new unsealed CDs; credit card preorders are not charged until mailed to you; foreign orders credit card sales only.

Mail orders: Buccaneer Records
PO Box 1212
Abingdon, MD 21009
Fax credit card order 24/7: 410-569-3697 Orders ship w/in 24 hours
Phone orders w/ credit card: 410-569-5697 Master card and visa customer order line open M-F 1-9 p.m. EST (10 a.m.-6 p.m. PST)

As of October 2002, Buccaneer had XYZ's Hungry reissue back in stock, though it appears that their catalog section of the site is under construction (or higher capacity than my old browser).

Puzzle Gut News

Puzzle Gut has played a couple of recent gigs at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. That's Johnny Depp's club. Keep tuned to this space for details of other gigs when info comes available, or drop me an e-mail, and I'll put you on the news list. Sometimes gigs are last-minute, and I don't have a chance to get the news here, but I will always send the info to my list-ers. I do not spam or sell your names & emails because that's just wrong.

There's word of a Puzzle Gut page going up by someone close to the band. More when I have the address.

Anyone taking pics at either Puzzle Gut or Flynn shows, let me know and I'll put up your jpgs. :) Thank you!

Update from Patt! As of late October 2000, Patt reported that he and (I assume) current bandmates are writing and recording, but due to the state of the ever-fickle and merging record industry (my editorializing), it may or may not see commercial release.

Update from Patt!I heard from Patt in the inbox on Dec. 23, 1999... what a great Xmas present! He and Joey are in a band called Puzzle Gut. The band has a CD out (released in 1997) and is working on #2. Check out the new link for more info! I know I can hardly wait to see them live! (Come to the Midwest, come to the Midwest....) Flynn I heard from Terry Ilous in the in-box on Oct. 24, 1999! He has a new solo album out, under the pseudonym Flynn and is GIGGING around the Los Angeles area. Anyone out there with a camera? Get me some current tour photos and I will post them!

The URL for information on his new release (and the place to buy it) is: www.flynn-ontheweb.com. You'll note that he's writing with Jeff Northrup (King Kobra, also on the Cage CD, see above links within this page) and Patt Fontaine!!

The Flynn site has Real Audio clips for you to preview the CD, but you know you want to buy it. Terry's singing for gosh sakes! My money order ($12 only!) for the CD went out in the mail Oct. 26, and I received the CD November 9. That's just two weeks! Check it out!

Ok, I admit I played the "Well" clip a few times (all of them really), but I was singing along even before I had heard the full song. It's really good stuff, gang. There's a couple of notes that he hits in songs on here that remind me of the Tal Bachman song that's on the radio now, "She's So High." You know it, trust me. This CD could fit very well in with what's on the radio now. If he were on a major label, this stuff would be all over the radio.

The first thing that I thought of when I put this CD in today while I was home for lunch was this: "This is the musical equivalent of a sigh." It'll put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

Some people might be disappointed that it's not a carbon copy of XYZ, but you know what? Love them like we do, it has been about seven years since they were touring. The musical climate has changed a couple of times since our beloved "hair metal" was in vogue.

Fans of the CAGE CD will have no problem with this CD. People who like songs that you can sing along with will have no problem with this CD. Just because it has lots of acoustic guitar on it does not mean it's wussy. It's a beautiful, melodic, rockin' album, and well worth your time and money. As an extra added bonus, he even includes the Free hit, "All Right Now." There. That's my plug. Now go buy it.

As an added bonus, I got a promo pic from him with my order! I'll post it after I get it scanned; I don't have a scanner, so I'm not sure when that'll be, but soon I hope.

Hungry Reissued w/ bonus track XYZ's Hungry has been reissued and it features the bonus track, "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right." Longtime fans remember this song as the B-side of the "Face Down In The Gutter" single. If you didn't pick up that single when it was out, I'd recommend picking up this reissue.

It can be obtained through Terrible Ted's Music, a Goldmine magazine advertiser. Either pick up the current copy of Goldmine magazine or follow this link: Terrible Ted's Terrible Ted's lists the price at $17.99, with $4 priority mail shipping.

UPDATE FROM PAUL MONROE!

I was lucky enough to hear from Paul Monroe in the inbox March 22, 1999! He would like to dispel some misinformation that I had received about him.

First, he said that he was not associated with the band Rumbledog. (Anyone have this CD and can tell me why it keeps coming up on eBay as having Paul in it?)

And second, he told me that I was misinformed when told his departure from XYZ was due to drugs. "In fact, what you heard and wrote was very far from the truth. It made me laugh though cause that is exactly what P & T [Patt and Terry] would have said to make things sound interesting," he wrote.

I would like to apologize wholeheartedly to Paul for assisting in the disemmination of this information.