LP - White Boy And The Average Rat Band (LIMITED RAT CHEESE COLORED VINYL)
2025 reissue on "RAT CHEESE" COLORED VINYL! LIMITED TO 283 COPIES!
This is a perfect example of the "don't judge a band by their name" rule of record collecting. One would be sorely mistaken to think that this record is lame because of the band name. Not all great bands are blessed with the ability to name their bands appropriately. These guys obviously did not possess that ability, or they just didn't care, which is more likely. Anyhow, this is a quintessential Acid Archives rarity, that's actually worth they outrageous sums original copies go for. Here's the description from the Acid Archives:
"This is stretching the limits of the Archives here -- it's an 80s album and sounds much closer to the kind of post-punk hard rock that got college airplay in the late 80s than it does like anything else reviewed on this website. That said, it's speedy not-quite-metal hard rock with a pulverizing distortion sound (to call it "fuzz guitar" is to understate it by a mile). One song is acoustic, but mostly this is just an in-your-face blitzkrieg, and it's really great. [AM]
That's right, this White Boy and The Average Rat Band LP is an in-your-face proto-metal blitzkrieg from Richlands, Virginia, 1979 and it'll totally appeal to fans of the greatness of groups like Sabbath and Motorhead. It'll also appeal to fans of the production style of the original KBD records, but it's more metal than any of that stuff which is ironic considering Killed By Death is a Motorhead song. Weird. Highly recommended and to be considered for reissue of the year as well.
The Origin
White Boy and the Average Rat Band was formed in the unlikely small mountain town of Richlands, Virginia in late 1979 by guitarist and songwriter Michael Matney. Fresh out of high school in 1979, Matney would venture over the mountain to neighboring Tennessee to try his luck in the music Mecca of Nashville. There Matney would join Kriss Famous’ longtime established local act “Tabu”, replacing Ron Keel as lead guitarist. It was in this arrangement that Matney would be christened with the name “White Boy”.
His time with “Tabu” and in Nashville would be brief before returning back to Virginia. Once back home, Matney would take a job with a local record store and recording studio owner who would grant him recording time in exchange for employment. There Matney would helm his own project deemed White Boy and the Average Rat Band; writing, composing and producing the self-titled debut. On the project, Matney played all the instruments, in exception to the two separate drummers used to complete the album. Musicians were then assembled in order to represent a band on the album and in live performances.
The Album & Its Reputation
In 1980 the White Boy and the Average Rat Band self-titled debut album would be released in a limited number of 300 copies, of which 50 would be lost. They would see very limited distribution, which only added to the curiosity the album would become. The band in the early 1980’s would have a short lifespan that would well be surpassed by their reputation on into the next couple of decades.
Matney would then go on to other projects, such as a live guitarist sitting in with Dr. Hook and as a touring guitarist with David Allen Coe. During which time, unannounced to Matney, White Boy and the Average Rat Band’s name was gaining somewhat of a cult status amongst record collectors around the globe seeking private press releases and on-the-fringes type rock bands. As the records continued to circulate through the hands of these collectors, the album began to become more and more difficult to find, as well as fetching prices in the high hundreds of dollars.
In 2010 a bootleg pressing of the band’s album would begin to circulate. This unofficial release would be a response to the high demand of people seeking the record. Although it was unknown to the band at the time and obviously done without permission, the bootleg only helped to grow the band’s cult status even greater.
Side A
1.Prelude 01:30
2. Neon Warriors 04:51
3. Sector 387 03:28
4. Maybe I’m a Fool 02:06
Side B
5. The Prophet Song 04:35
6. Leaving Tonight on Vacation 02:50
7. Blue Moon 04:19
8. Oriental Doctors
