Royally Truxed Up

Quantum entanglement is the physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group of particles is generated, interact, or share spatial proximity in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the pair or group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, even when the particles are separated by a large distance. The topic of quantum entanglement is at the heart of the disparity between classical and quantum physics.

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Quantum Entanglement by Royal Trux, is the physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair of sleeezoid junkies interact and share a spatial proximity in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of their very being thrums in time with the numb-nutted fucked-up strut of Exile On Main Street.  This quantum entanglement compels them to pick up guitars in their shaking, palsied hands and serve up some of the best, most authentic drug rock I know.

Royal Trux: it certainly ain’t pretty and I really would advise you to wear protective gear at all times as unguarded contact could lead to festering wounds and some very questionable lifestyle choices.  It’s too late for me, sadly, back in ’95 I cut my hand on ‘Map Of The City’ from their LP Thank You and my love for them has been mouldering ever since.

Quantum Entanglement is what for most bands would be a greatest hits, for the Trux the hits they needed to score were of an entirely different kind than chart success.  Released in a miniscule edition for RSD2019 on yellow vinyl* I grabbed it from Probe Records, with absolutely no competition from anyone else for it.  Ah well.

Teen guitar slinger Neil Hagerty served time in 1537-faves Pussy Galore** before becoming enmeshed with 16 year-old Jennifer Herrema and striking out on their own woozy frolic.  Heroin, committals, threatened finger amputations, LP advances spent on chemicals, homelessness, marriage, a major label deal, divorce, house arrest and modelling for Calvin Klein followed.  To get a sense of the insanity and chaos I utterly recommend this excellent interview.

This ain’t an easy LP, you have to get your ear in, but once you do, I swear to you on my last scrip that the rewards are there.  Playing ‘Waterpark’ or ‘Platinum Tips’ can be a bit disorientating, like looking at something through a depth of water, you need to put your face in it to get the proper perspective^.

When you do venture through the looking glass Royal Trux music reveals itself to be a complex, diverse little beastie.  Yes there are grunged-up Stones references but an awful lot of funky touches, odd rhythms, strange echoes of hip-hop and perfectly executed about turns.  Think Sonic Youth with genitals.  Trust me.

The musicianship is deceptively excellent throughout, Hagerty is a brilliant unshowy player, capable of some great riffs and touches.  It may not surprise you to learn that Royal Trux burned through a coachload of bassists and drummers in their time, possibly not providing the most stable of workplaces.  Notable amongst them was drummer Chris Pyle, who’s dad , Artimus, was in a band too apparently.

Take the sheer oddness of their homage to Steven Seagal, ‘Stevie (For Steven S.)’ which really does sound like some long forgotten 70’s AM radio AOR band being forced to write a hit in an hour flat at gunpoint, whilst slurping expired cough medicine.  Or, the royally fucked-up Transplants/Rancid sounding ‘Sunshine And Grease’, where all is fine and dandy until Herrema breaks into the song partway through and starts, for want of a better word, toasting, at which point normal evaporates.

Quantum Entanglement does have some, comparatively, straight-ahead turns on it too and I find myself clinging to them sometimes, so as not to get carried too far downstream.  Check out the jagged ‘I’m Ready’ with its almost-stadium chorus, ‘Waterpark’ or ‘Stop’ with their classic structures and sentiments, or the charming campfire-iness of ‘Ray O Vac’ – ‘Gotta build your rock on the Ray-O-Vac / Gotta build your rock on the Ray-O-Vac’. 

Best of all though is the Jonesing country honk of ‘Junkie Nurse’, the ballad of a romantic pharmaceutical fubar.  The guitar is superb; as is everything else.

Junkie nurse, o junkie nurse
I could not love you more,
Since I found out you keep the keys 
To the safe on the second floor

Spoiler Alert: it doesn’t end well.

There’s a whole bag full of interestingly coloured pills here, all shapes and sizes.  Royal Trux were never built to last, far too much chaos needed channelling for that to be feasible and they split; for a bit and then finally.  Jennifer Herrema went on to make some truly odd funky music with her band Black Bananas and Hagerty makes some good, often rocky stuff with Howling Hex, these days.

Ultimately this is a lot to take and Quantum Entanglement jumps around a lot in a disorientating fashion, but for me it never loses a certain frayed  charm, particularly when it howls and growls at its hardest.

Now wash your hands.  

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Quantum Entanglement is the physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group interact, or share spatial proximity in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the pair or group cannot be described independently of the state of the others. Even when the particles are separated by a large distance we will have their scuzzy legacy forever. 

986 Down.

PPS: You have to love a morning moon.

PS:  Because you’re worth it, you filthy beasts!

*it isn’t on Discogs properly yet, which probably tells you a certain amount about the state of my fellow Trux heads.

**Dial ‘M’ For Motherfucker, being one of my fave LP titles ever.

^1537 Enterprises Ltd would like to clarify that this sentence neither endorses, or intends to incite any impressionable readers into sampling any of the following activities: heroin, committals, threatened finger amputations, spending LP advances on chemicals, homelessness, marriage, major label deals, divorce, house arrest and/or modelling for Calvin Klein.  1537 Enterprises Ltd accepts no legal liability for any halfwits who would do that sort of thing based upon the say-so of a fellow halfwit blogger, you are pond life.