HOW TO BECOME AN OBSCURITY IN 10 STEPS

Terry Reid is exactly the kind of artist I'd like to highlight in Pockit Rockit: an artist with all the talent in world, with a voice that could belt and rasp like a young Rod Stewart or Steve Marriott and search or wail more like Tim Buckley--simultaneously gregarious and introspective--who could have had the world at least twice, yet who ends up in deep (but not yet hopeless) obscurity.

Intro: You're a hugely talented kid starts rising through the scenes in England. Everyone who hears you sings your praises. You're soon opening up for Cream and the Stones. You're 18.

Step 1: Sign a management deal with the biggest, most happening guy around.

Step 2: Have him bungle your first two records with uneven material and sub-par recording that doesn't present you at your strongest.

Step 3: Watch him not even release your debut in your home country, where you've probably built up the greatest number of fans.

Step 4: Get approached by Jimmy Page to become the vocalist for the New Yardbirds (i.e. Led Zeppelin), but turn it down due to your budding solo career and the threat of massive legal repercussions from your manager.

Step 4: Add insult to injury by recommending your replacement, in this case, Robert Plant.

Step 5: Perform the same trick twice by turning down the Deep Purple vocalist position, also largely due to the threat of massive legal action by your manager.

Step 6: Finally sue your manager to get out of his contract and poor management. Lose much of your money and don't release an album for 3 years, in the process. You're maybe 21.

Step 7: After years of litigation, finally release your finest album, a quiet, introspective, non-rock star, folk-blues album that your label barely supports.
(Courtesy of Paul Toms)

Step 8: Drift into obcscurity playing solid-quality, but relatively modest, soul/r&b-based rock/pop to a small group of devoted fans through the 70s.

Step 9: Fall off the Earth altogether in the post-punk, alternative/indie rock eras of the 80s/90s.

Step 10: Hopefully, start to get reappraised as your work is slowly reissued and insightful blogger write about you in the 00s. You can check out what Terry's up to these days at his website.

(Courtesy of Paul Toms)

Here are a couple of rare live tracks and two tracks from my fave Terry album, River:

Silver White Light -- A soaring rocker recorded live in San Francisco around 1969/70. Originally on Terry's second album, Terry Reid. Pretty easy to picture Terry with Zeppelin at this point.

Changes/Stay In My Home -- Terry did a rapturously well-received set at the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre. This is one great piece that I found from that show.

Things To Try -- This shows that Terry had not lost his joy for life during his legal battles with his management. Great country, blues, folk-rock piece.

Dream -- One of my favorite Terry songs. It's very difficult to channel bits of solo Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and even some bossa nova in one track.