BAND OF THREE

by Jim Pruy

got into Soothing Sounds For Baby during the Newton North High School days, when they were just starting to perform live. I had known the drummer (Allan Heifetz) through our TV Production class and would often lean over his shoulder while he edited music-videos for his band. Their music was very much influenced by The Beatles; REM and The Who - very melodic and 'poppy' sounding, but very original and filled with a great sense of humor. There were also elements to their music that I couldn't grasp, but mostly because I hadn't discovered punk rock yet. All that was about to change.

Their Amnesty show at our high school's cafeteria was the first rock concert I'd ever been to and the Sounds worked the audience up into a frenzy with a 45 minute set of songs that seemed to cover every musical genre possible!! With hilarious in-between-song banter and mini sound-art comedy-bits (that would've been worth the price of admission alone), almost everybody in attendance left the show feeling like they'd just witnessed something special. The Sounds 'blew the roof off of the place' and given my own excitement, I wasn't about to let them leave the building without showing them my gratitude. As I helped them carry their equipment out to the parking lot - I gladly offered them my free time - if they ever needed help promoting their act.

As a result, over the next 12 years I gradually became their personal photographer; videographer; roadie; flyer producer and friend, watching them blossom into master musicians and songwriters, unrestrained by any music-industry pressures to narrow or compromise their creative vision. To their credit Matt Kaden (guitar); Tony Flackett (bass) and Allan Heifetz (drums) remained true to their artistic 'bottom-line', which was always to produce music that was weird; wild and devoid of conventional cliches.

So you can call them progressive / alternative / experimental / math-rock / scientist-rock / post-punk / a garage band representing their block (as D. Boon of The Minutemen might have called to them...) - but just DON'T call them left behind!!

Click to view Soothing Sounds For Baby performing Live on CCTV in 1993.




"Buzzard In The Cupboard"

Soothing Sounds For Baby
"ROLLERCOASTER ROCK" ('89-91)

3. Gradual Man
(MP3 / 1.6MB)
4. A To Z
(MP3 / 3.5MB)
5. Scrog Rock
(MP3 / 3.2MB)

"ROLLERCOASTER ROCK"