LP - Cletus Black - Rapid Fire Love (Original 1984 Pressing)
Still sealed. Mint, unplayed 1984 pressing.
Note: Sealed vintage records can sometimes have slight storage warps. We can not guarantee perfect flatness, but we do guarantee playability. Returns will only be accepted on records that do not play through slight lifts and/or warps.
Ohio-native Cletus Black has been writing, recording, and releasing albums and singles for nearly 50 years. His first Privately Pressed album “Suite 7 - Holly’s Drive” came out on his own imprint, Night Wax Records, back in 1978 and it is also the rarest release on the “label”. The other three LPs on Night Wax are surely scarce, even if they’re not “grails”. You’ll never find a copy of any of his records “in the wild”. If it weren’t for Discogs, you might not even know they exist…which is a damn shame. Cletus was also tragically overlooked by the Acid Archives contributors. His albums were all privately pressed (mostly before 1982) and his version of outsider, singer-songwriter Outlaw Country bridges the gap between Circuit Rider and Bruce Springsteen, which is why we’re here to shine a light on this especially talented and prolific underrated artist. His records sell themselves off the turntable (true story) and there should be a whole sub-genre of record collecting named after his record label, Night Wax Records. HIs original material was definitely meant to be listened to after dark and the label design should’ve been embroidered on a silk jacket, back patch, and/or baseball tee to now be sold in vintage clothing stores for hundreds of dollars. This is bizarro world music made for an alternate universe attempting to resemble the one we come from. Cletus Black should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve been a household name under different circumstances. Who knows, maybe it’s not too late. (Lance Barresi - Permanent Records)
“Rapid Fire Love”
Straight out of the gate, Cletus seems like he’s out for vengeance on his last album of the ‘80s. “Smokey Blue” is the hardest rocking song Mr. Black has shared with us up to this point. The three years since “In The Shadow” seemed to have hardened Mr. Black. I think Nick Cave would absolutely love this track. A Bad Seeds cover would be absolutely incredible! On track two, Cletus reprises “Baby Deluxe” from the “Basic Black” album. I’ll have to go back and A-B them after writing this review, but I generally don’t like it when artists do this. Leave the original as it was, I say. I think you’ll agree that a fresh track would have been a better choice here, but these decisions have already been made. “Buttercup Bandits” is a fresh cut and it’s a step in a slightly different direction for Cletus. The effect on the guitar is decidedly 80s and very endearing. Regardless of how you feel about Cletus’ oeuvre in general, his ability to write a catchy hook is undeniable and it’s on full display here. Reese’s better watch out, “Buttercup Bandits” are on the loose. Batting clean-up is another reprise. This time it’s “50 Songs” from “In The Shadow”. This version is a much more commercial endeavor than the original. It’s not quite radio-friendly, but it’s damn close. This recording is a perfect example of how any good song, if done “correctly” could potentially be a hit. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beer holder. I’m on my second pint and I think this song is at least pretty, if not traditionally beautiful. The last track on Side A is yet another re-recording. This time we’re going all the way back to 1979 for the redux of the “Rapid Fire Love” 45. If you want to hear the original version, you’ll have to buy the 45 (we have a couple of those for sale too). Most of y’all will be fine with this more produced version, but I find the OG (pew-pew-pew synth blasts and all) to be more endearing. To each their own. Regardless, we all need an “Alibi” every once in a while, right? You can find Cletus’ in the first grooves on the flip side. This is Mr. Black at his most punk. There’s something decidedly Cramps-y, or at the very least, Scientists-y about this track. A good ’84 punk band could’ve turn this track into a classic. Punk isn’t really Cletus’ bag though. Re-recordings are extremely un-punk and the next track on this album is yet another one of those. “Woman Woman” first appears on “Classic Black” in its original raw form. The version included here is much more commercial and may actually be the most accessible of all of Mr. Black’s recordings. Not quite Yacht Rock, but certainly sea worthy of a freshwater pontoon party. “Put Down” is making its debut appearance next, as is a saxophone and a four-on-the-floor drum beat. Calling this Disco is a stretch, but it’s not, not Disco. Further proof that Cletus could’ve had quite the songwriting career if just one big name would’ve taken notice. This song is almost danceable, which is not something I would have said about any of the other tracks on any of the other albums. Go, Cletus, Go! “Blindfold” isn’t a reprise, but it’s certainly a a return to form. Those of you who dig Cletus’ Springsteen influenced tracks will love this one. It would really be something to hear The Boss record one of these songs. Obviously, Bruce doesn’t need anybody to write songs for him, but he covered Suicide, so why not give a little shine to Cletus, man! For the last track on “Rapid Fire Love”, Cletus treats us to a down-tempo blues-y rocker replete with copious amounts of vocal echo on the opening verse. I would not call this music “wasted”, but I get the feeling that Cletus liked to party based on the vibes emanating from these grooves. “Blues On Time” isn’t a far cry from the wasted biker rock vibes of fellow Ohio-native Raven’s “Back To Ohio Blues” to my ears. “HIgh” praise, indeed. If you toke, you’ll want to put all of this Night Wax in your pipe and smoke it.
REVIEWS
“As a songwriter, Black stands on the shoulders of giants…Every song has a distinctive hook and lyrics are sufficiently mature and esoteric.”
Steve Byrne, SCENE MAGAZINE
“His sandpapery voice and emotional depth charges remind me of an alt-country Leonard Cohen, with toasty-oaked, wiskey-soaked shades of J.J. Cale at his edges. Black’s songs come from a heart that’s surely on its way to said color, lined with Springsteen flourishes and melancholy violets…Black’s one hell of a poet…And much larger than local.”
Peter Chakerian, COOL CLEVELAND
“Cletus Black is one of the most distinctive singer-songwriters in the area and-given his knack for lyrics-one whose reach is beyond the region is way overdue…Bloodlines to the Heart builds on the strengths of Black’s solid 2001 offering Black Ice, a disc abundant with hooks that establish a variety of engaging moods and pictures. Black gets a lot of storytelling mileage out of the short, simple phrases from which he typically fashions his tunes.”
Duane Verth, SCENE MAGAZINE
“Cletus Black’s music harks back to a generation of blues and country-informed folk rockers who sprang from the loins of Bob Dylan. His roosty eclecticism, storytelling lyrics, strong song writing craft and tough-hewn voice have much in common with the seemingly bottomless pool of talented Texas singer-songwriters such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zant and Tom Russell. His music would sound more at home in Austin than in his native Cleveland…”
Anastasia Pantsios, FREE TIMES MAGAZINE
“Cleveland’s lyrical poet, cletus Black is back with his latest batch of rockin’ blues ballads and stories of life. Stuck in Ohio with a Greenwich attitude and a backcountry outlook, Black is kickin’ up some of the best talent around him to deliver his latest edicts…An Ohio original, Cletus Back is an elite wordsmith with a unique musical vision…scope this out…it’s rockin’ blues noir!”
Mark A Cole, BIG CITY BLUES MAGAZINE
“Black is one of the city’s true hidden treasures.”
Jeff Niesel, Music Editor SCENE/FREE TIMES MAGAZINE
