The best thing I ever accidentally stumbled upon at the once-great MP3.com was the music of Bruce Lash – a Chicago musician with a sparkling thing going on: equal parts George Harrison, Joe Strummer, Donovan, Spacemen 3, and some other influences I haven’t yet put a finger on. But I don’t mean to paint him as a mere collection of influences – he’s all Bruce Lash.
At a certain point, Lash “realized the music business was a business” and, sadly for all of us, took his early self-published CDs off the market (check these clips of 1996’s High Water or 1997’s I Went to Tea With the Elephant Man). Totally off the public radar, Lash’s music would still be in my personal Top 100 lists today, if I kept Top 100 lists (I don’t).
On the side, he started doing easy listening / lounge versions of classic 70s and 80s rock, under the name Prozak for Lovers, covering anthemic tracks such as Love Will Tear Us Apart, Rebel Rebel, London Calling… but with vibraphone, bongos, and soul-soothing vocals. Spellbinding.
Lash and I have corresponded a few times over the past four years, but I hadn’t heard from him for a while. Then, out of the blue last week, received email from him saying that Prozak for Lovers II was almost out. Received a copy yesterday, and have been listening non-stop. Three years since the last one, but flowing in perfect sync with the first. Insanely great new lounge songs for your next dinner party: Mexican Radio, Misty Mountain Hop, Heart of Glass, Psycho Killer, Alabama Song, and Blister in the Sun (samples here).