Kevin Nugent - Guitars, Vocals
Fred Melillo - Basses, Acoustic Guitar
Ray Frigon - Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, Vocals;
Fred Melillo - Basses, Acoustic Guitar
Ray Frigon - Drums, Cymbals, Percussion, Vocals;
What Was LEGEND?
Some Facts.
At the time LEGEND was formed (mid to late 1970s) my musical world was prominently filled with 'Fusion' bands, like Chick Corea's Return to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and the groups of Jean LucPonty. I also was listening to ELP, Yes, Kansas, Triumvirat, Gentile Giant, Renaissance, and many other Progressive groups out at the time. I also began to listen to Classical composers, as well. Truly, my days of heavy metal were largely well past my younger teen years of Black Sabbath, et al. I listened to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Doors, and other such groups. I listened to some Big Band now and then and other Jazz artists, as I could absorb what they were saying, musically.
I think I can safely say the musical interests of both Kevin and Fred were of the same categories. To be classed, today, with Heavy Metal, the likes of which did not exist in our day, is really odd to me, and Fred as well, in communicating with him. Matter of fact, he recently mentioned in an email to me that when fans of LEGEND find out Fred isn't playing heavy metal today they seem to be disappointed, if not indignant.
LEGEND simply took myths and legends, whether historical or fabricated, and set them to music of the times based on our own personal influences. I mentioned 'The Court Jester' in the interview below. That was originally based on a weird drum beat I came up with. It was far more Gentle Giant in nature than it was heavy metal. I also mentioned the 'Three Musketeers Suite.' 'Arimus the Lover' was a rather funky/gliding kind of rock song with a pretty seamless flowing chorus.
I wrote the lyrics, came up with basic melody lines, and the other guys put it all together.
Today, in commentary I see on the web about LEGEND, I read fairly common thoughts about R.A.R.Z. The general consensus is, "What is THAT doing on the album?" But if you lived in that time of music history, the song would actually make a lot of sense to have on the album. It was Kevin's thought that that song would probably end up getting the most airplay simply because of its genre, which was still pretty big back then. We just juiced it up some, and added the sarcastic lyrics. We "LEGENDIZED" it, if you will.
LEGEND was a power trio of which many before us existed and gave to the world their take on music made by guitar, bass and drums. The difference with Legend was we were not afraid to do things differently based on the musical influences we had, and still make it our own. So, in some ways, it was true that the full portfolio of LEGEND songs was difficult to categorize. Was there metal? Yes. Was there straight rock? Yes. Was there fusion and progressive? Most definitely. Was there 'jazz?' Indeed, in very small doses. Was there funky stuff? You can hear that influence on the album. Was there pop? I suppose one could find it in the acoustic songs we played, and even other pieces. That is why the majority of people who heard us live, or in rehearsal simply said, "You guys sound different." I suppose we did.
At the time LEGEND was formed (mid to late 1970s) my musical world was prominently filled with 'Fusion' bands, like Chick Corea's Return to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and the groups of Jean LucPonty. I also was listening to ELP, Yes, Kansas, Triumvirat, Gentile Giant, Renaissance, and many other Progressive groups out at the time. I also began to listen to Classical composers, as well. Truly, my days of heavy metal were largely well past my younger teen years of Black Sabbath, et al. I listened to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Doors, and other such groups. I listened to some Big Band now and then and other Jazz artists, as I could absorb what they were saying, musically.
I think I can safely say the musical interests of both Kevin and Fred were of the same categories. To be classed, today, with Heavy Metal, the likes of which did not exist in our day, is really odd to me, and Fred as well, in communicating with him. Matter of fact, he recently mentioned in an email to me that when fans of LEGEND find out Fred isn't playing heavy metal today they seem to be disappointed, if not indignant.
LEGEND simply took myths and legends, whether historical or fabricated, and set them to music of the times based on our own personal influences. I mentioned 'The Court Jester' in the interview below. That was originally based on a weird drum beat I came up with. It was far more Gentle Giant in nature than it was heavy metal. I also mentioned the 'Three Musketeers Suite.' 'Arimus the Lover' was a rather funky/gliding kind of rock song with a pretty seamless flowing chorus.
I wrote the lyrics, came up with basic melody lines, and the other guys put it all together.
Today, in commentary I see on the web about LEGEND, I read fairly common thoughts about R.A.R.Z. The general consensus is, "What is THAT doing on the album?" But if you lived in that time of music history, the song would actually make a lot of sense to have on the album. It was Kevin's thought that that song would probably end up getting the most airplay simply because of its genre, which was still pretty big back then. We just juiced it up some, and added the sarcastic lyrics. We "LEGENDIZED" it, if you will.
LEGEND was a power trio of which many before us existed and gave to the world their take on music made by guitar, bass and drums. The difference with Legend was we were not afraid to do things differently based on the musical influences we had, and still make it our own. So, in some ways, it was true that the full portfolio of LEGEND songs was difficult to categorize. Was there metal? Yes. Was there straight rock? Yes. Was there fusion and progressive? Most definitely. Was there 'jazz?' Indeed, in very small doses. Was there funky stuff? You can hear that influence on the album. Was there pop? I suppose one could find it in the acoustic songs we played, and even other pieces. That is why the majority of people who heard us live, or in rehearsal simply said, "You guys sound different." I suppose we did.
*******
LEGEND
This is an interview I gave to a gentleman, David Winn, who has a MySpace page. There's also a MySpace page another chap has dedicated to LEGEND. The interest continues to astound me.
There's a lot of misinformation about LEGEND floating around out there. Not surprising, given the history, or lack thereof. Not being into the music anymore, I still sense the need to fill in gaps on some things. So, here's a lengthy interview which can go some distance to answer some history about the band from my recollections.
"Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Exclusive Interview with Ray Frigon of Legend!
Category: Music
Thirty years ago in Connecticut a band formed that would live in the minds of their scattered fans as a legend, befitting of the name with which they christened. While not considered metal, they have gone on to influence many fans of metal and rock alike. While only one studio album was ever released, the legacy they've left for those who are privy is no less impressive than some bands with discographies tenfold in size. Ladies and gentlemen, the name was Legend.
Within the band existed a man who was a humble legend in his own right. Ray Frigon was a master behind the drums and an integral part of the driving force behind the music. Until now, little has been known about Legend, save for what was learned in a world-first interview with Fred Melillo in 2006, conducted by Vibrations of Doom magazine. Here, in another world-first, Ray Frigon shares with us his own recollections of Legend.
Has music always played a major role in your life? When and how was your introduction into the world of music?
My folks were into Mitch Miller a lot and I remember hearing his sing along albums playing when I was a child. Also the band leader with the accordion ... Lawrence Welk. I remember my folks watching him all the time. Matter of fact, recently I heard this tv commercial that had a song in the background, one that my father and I used to sing together when I was around 6 or 7. I think it was a Miller rendition of some beerfest kind of song, which I had no knowledge of as a child. I just sang words along with my dad. I can still picture that. So, music was around the house. Mostly orchestrated stuff, like movie soundtracks, and Andy Williams-type stuff.
What are some of your first influences? Do you happen to have one of those defining moments where you said to yourself, "This is something that I want to do?"
Definitely. '64, Ed Sullivan, the Beatles, running into the kitchen for coffee cans and pencils, and just tapping away on the plastic tops. I was 9 at the time. Just hit me. Drums. My folks got me a guitar at ten, but I couldn't take to it. So they got me what I refer to as the "card board kit;" drums basically made of card board with a shiny wrap of some kind, plastic hardware, pie plate cymbals, and I learned to play by ear on that set until my first Ludwigs at 12. "Wipe Out" came out and I remember another kid in the neighborhood who had a set like mine, but mine was blue, his silver, and we set up our 'drums' on his lawn and played wipe out together.
My first real influences were the Beatles, the Monkees, and the groups that did top 40 back then in that genre. Then came Cream and Ginger Baker, and my musical universe changed dramatically. I can still remember playing along to Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep purple, lots of Chicago and stuff, but Cream and that influence became foundational for my playing I think, although Buddy Rich was ever in the background as the "Untouchable." I didn't like Big Band, but Buddy had to be listened to, regardless. Always humbling and exciting at the same time.
Then somewhere along the line came ELP, Yes, Kansas, Renaissance, Gentle Giant, and the progressive groups, and things changed again. Carl Palmer became a major influence.
Then I heard the Mahavishnu Orchestra late one night on FM, and absolutely freaked out at Billy Cobham. The planetary musical direction shifted again, Big Time. Cobham, another major influence. Chick Corea, Jean Luc Ponty, the fusion groups and that genre. A lot of intensity, unbelievable musicianship and the bar got raised again.
I was telling my wife this morning that for the most part being a professional musician was a means to an end for me, in my thoughts. All I ever really wanted was to be happily married and have what my folks had. Baseball. Thought a lot about that, and maybe playing for the Red Sox someday, but music and drums took over somewhere along the line. And when all was said and done, all I ever really wanted was to make enough money to open up a drum shop or two. The idea of having a career in music, given the fallout of zillions of groups that come and go, seemed fairly unrealistic. Although, I quit high school and really had nothing to fall back on. Music was the push. That was the direction I chose. And I suppose that Ed Sullivan program was the initial epiphany. I can also remember a program called "In Concert" on ABC, Friday nights. Seeing bands like that made an impact on life choices.
Before Legend, were you involved in any other sort of musical project?
Not one I recall. Went to a couple of auditions and failed both. I kept practicing and building the set. Bigger and bigger. If I had a space, I put something in it. I played a lot. My folks, believe it or not, learned to fall asleep when I was down in the basement practicing. I'd come up and see them sleeping in their chairs while the tv was going. Never understood how they could do that. My father used to try and tell me I needed something to fall back on, but being the foolish son I was, I disregarded his counsel. I just kept pushing. The thing is, I really had no connections, no outlet, no way to tap into anything or anybody, being out of school and not in any musical environment. But, I hoped to find a way into a band somehow. Then, the time came.
...And then came Legend. What were your circumstances going into the band? Had you been acquainted with either Fred or Kevin prior to this?
No, not at all. It was 30 years ago, too, so details are sketchy for me. The original Legend line-up was me, John Judge on bass, and Kevin. I can't remember how I met John, but he asked me to start a band with him. Maybe it was just an ad in the paper I answered. He came to my home and watched me play and wanted me to start a group. He knew a classical keyboard player and wanted to do an ELP sort of thing. The keyboard player wasn't really into it. John then introduced me to Kevin, when he brought him over to the house to see me play. I can't remember how he knew John. We all said okay and formed the trio. Then some rehearsals began.
What was the band like starting out?
Well, the music came very quickly. Basically, I wrote all the lyrics. I had a fairly imaginative mind back then. One of the things that influenced me was the art work of Frank Frazetta. I bought a couple of his plate books, would look at the pictures, and come up with a story or some lyrics around it. "Destroyer" was from a Frazetta painting. "Against the gods", as I recall. Even "Confrontation" was something of a melody line that came to me looking at one of his paintings, I think, although I had in mind taking it in another direction I'll mention later. So, the music was there. I'd take the melody/lyric line to Kevin, hum the melody line or sing a verse, chorus, etc., and then Kevin arranged his parts and the piece around that basic line. Then John would apply his knowledge of the bass to his parts. He had this really cool Alembic that he asked me to design artwork for up the fretboard. The guys at Alembic did a pretty interesting rendition of the artwork I gave him. The thing weighed a ton, as I remember it. He also played acoustic guitar on acoustic songs we did live.
We rehearsed at my house, in the basement. With all the drums it was the only option, really, and my folks were cool with that. So, that's how I remember it starting up. The atmosphere was a little more serious. John was a mysterious character.
Did you have a specific goal in mind for the band?
Musically, financially, professionally? Musically, though I see all this commentary on the web about Legend being a metal band, we didn't see it that way. I didn't. It was just a power trio playing rock with heavy, light and everything in between for influences. That's why there are funky spots, jazzy stuff that Kevin and Fred played, and the acoustic part of the show. Financially we certainly hoped and truly believed this was going all the way. For me, I just wanted to make enough money to buy some things for my folks, and also to open a couple of drum shops. Making an actual career out of it seemed less than possible, the way the industry functions. Bands in, bands out. Professionally, it was always my thing, no matter what I did, to do it as professional as possible. Do as much as can be done within the limitations one has. So, we dealt with our clothing, props, lighting, everything. Some of it may have been over the top, but still, we didn't want to play out just looking like any band out there. I remember John wore his black satin karate robe. Mom sewed some things for Kevin, Fred and me to wear. I had this monks robe made of some kind of gold material we found, which I didn't like and wore once or twice. And mom made a couple of other tops for me and Kevin to wear, out of fancy materials that caught lights and all. We had satin curtains she sewed up, and mounted them on poles. They were about 10 or 12' high, and we had the roadies pull them open as we went out to begin, while a Vangelis piece played in the background. The goal was to "make it." And as I recall, it was a very fast experience. Seemed that way, anyway.
How about live shows? Did you play often? Was there a lot of community interest?
We only played out 4 times before recording. Twice at one club, and twice at another, I think. Interest was good. The clubs had good turnout, mostly. Although I remember being disheartened, and Kevin and I getting into a moment of heated exchange when turnout wasn't too great at one club. We apologized to each other and finished the concert. It was during an intermission. It was a lot of time and effort to set up for a concert, and the weak turnout was hard on the soul. But we went from a packed house to a less than packed house our second show and wondered what happened. And you know, the listening public can be fickle sometimes. Or we could have been competing with the World Series or something. Who knows?
I don't know what happened to it, but I had this picture of my mom standing up on a chair clapping after my solo on our first gig. The concert was well received, and some record execs were in the audience, invited by a young guy who knew them. Full house, as I said. The execs thought the show was too long, and the solos bored them, etc., but hey, musicians play for regular folks. Execs are about money, and they differ widely how to make it and what will sell. A guy that had an FM program on a college station really loved the band and he did as much as he could to promote it. But this leads me to the next phase.
Mr. Judge found himself in a set of circumstances that brought Kevin and I to the point of asking him to leave the band. I ended up in a Top 40 band with Kevin. We had gone through various ideas for another band. Kevin knew Fred from days they had in a music school, and also bands they played in. Fred came in, and it was magic. It was so much fun that first rehearsal we laughed after the first jam. It was amazing. The flow, the timing, the whole thing was about as good as communication between musicians can get. Fred had a much different feel; funky, earthy, fun yet still technical and compositional. So, it hit the ground running. Musically, camaraderie-wise, it was a good thing.
Live it was another animal, altogether. I remember shows being two and a half hours, plus encore, which was generally, RARZ, then Blue Wind, by Jeff Beck. I have some pics of a couple of the concerts we did. Memories.
Fred with his fretless, which was so cool to watch him play. Kevin had his 6 and 12 Ibanez. That big fro of his. I had my own 'menagerie' of stuff up there. At the time, I think it was 21 drums, 30 cymbals, 12 gongs and tymp and other percussion things. I played it all, too, at some point. Matter of fact a fun part of the concert was when Kevin and Fred grabbed sticks and played on toms set up on each side of the drum set for them to play, and we played this back and forth thing, and then we all hit gongs. Crowd pleaser, though Fred was never quite comfortable with drum sticks. He did well though.
Fred used to stand behind Kevin and play his 6 string, while Kevin played the 12. People freaked when they saw that. I freaked every time I saw it. It was really out there, and Fred played without seeing what he was doing. It looked so strange from the front. It was something they had been doing together for years, I guess. We had some props, like these 8' tall wizards I made and Ioannis (the album cover artist) painted up, that sent off charges from their hands. Although, our pyro-tech guy loaded a charge backwards the first night we used them and it went through the front window of the club. Thankfully, no one got hurt. The band's back faced the street and people could watch from the street. Fred's shirt got scorched, I sent the pyro-tech packing for being drunk, and on with life we went. I never did drugs, not even smoked a joint, or drank, and I required the guys to be clean for shows. What they did on their own time, well, it was their life, but on band time, no way. But live it was an awesome thing. People generally sat kind of transfixed at it all. It was anything but a regular rowdy kind of rock and roll show. We jammed a lot. Extended solos for all. It was classic stuff for its day, considering its location in CT and all.
"From the Fjords" is, nowadays, the only thing that my generation knows of Legend. Can you tell us a bit about the recording of this album?
Fjords is about all any generation would know about Legend. My folks co-signed a loan. The album was made for around $6,000, as I recall. Kevin knew of an 8 track studio in New haven, CT. My first recording experience. As the drums were being set up, the engineer began getting stressed out. Didn't think he had enough mics. Plus the set was tight, and placement of mics became a hassle, but I compromised some things, like the snare drum mic placement and damping on it, taking front bass heads off, etc., and off we went. Most of the songs only took a take or two, as I recall. We did it 'live,' for Fred and I. Kevin's track was generally a rhythm track, and then he played solos later, for the most part. Percussion was added later, too. Maybe some things Fred did, I don't quite remember that. I had a difficult time with the studio, itself, being as 'soft' as it was. Just dense heavy velvet curtains all around, with I forget how many inches of insulation behind them. Super quiet, which I understand for the neighbor's sakes, and certain acoustic qualities, but for drums, it was dead, and I had a hard time playing the set. Just no life to it. But our energy levels were good, and that made up for it. And Buddy set things up so it had some life in my headphones.
Now for the fun memories. It's been such a long time. We recorded the songs as they appear on the album. Destroyer went quickly. The Wizard took an interesting turn. At the end, Kevin asked me to sing the wizard's part. I said, No Way. I only sang back-up in concert on a couple songs, hated that mic boom in my face, and once I varied a harmony and Kevin chewed me out. So singing was not my thing. But he persisted, so I said, Okay. The moment came and in my excitement, I kind of shouted the wizard's last lines. Kevin was in the engineering room, and said, "No, No. Try it again." So, we did it again, I calmed down, and sang the lines. A few minutes go by and Kevin and Buddy are jumping up and down in the room, and I said, "What's going on?" They played back what they did and I about fell over. They just joined the two efforts together and out came this bombastic vocal track.
The Bell is one of my favorite all-time pieces, though rock isn't my thing anymore. When we did the song, Kevin was just playing rhythm throughout. When the guitar solo segment came, Fred and I just kicked into that funky groove and went for it. The communication was very tight between us. I can still see Fred's face as we did all that. It was a cool moment. Kevin was smiling huge and just had his wheels turning. The time arrives for doing the solo, and Kevin was struggling to come up with something he felt fit what Fred and I did; the kicks and all. He went through a few solos, and I said, "What's wrong? That's good!" "No, not that," he said. And he tried more. I got kind of impatient, and said, "C'mon, Kev. That's good enough." "Shut up," he said. "I know what I'm doing. It's in here somewhere," he said, pointing to his head. He didn't mean to be rude. We were very close friends. He was just intensely concentrating on coming up with something. And the next try he hit the grand slam. Those chords. That sound. The groove. It just flew like an eagle and jabbed like Ali. It was stunning. Buddy was amazed. I don't remember Fred being there for that, for some reason. Sorry, Fred, if you were right there. Anyway, when it all played back, Kevin said, "Man, nobody is gonna figure out those chords." It was a jazzy masterpiece, really, for the song of that genre. BTW, the "bell" was an old, aluminum pot top of my mom's cookware set I snatched up. No kidding. And the piece itself, lyrically, developed from a movie I once saw about guys going after a treasure in some temple. Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier played the leads, I think. And I remember this huge bell sounding out that made everyone wince up when it struck. I didn't set the lyrics to the movie's story line. But it was the foundation.
"Confrontation" was the instrumental with wide open energy. It was originally based on something I thought up for a battle between a knight and a dragon. Live, I wanted to ultimately have an enormous dragon's head enveloping the drum set, and when the solo came, the mouth would close and smoke come out the nostrils, lights flaring up inside. Oh well. Never got to that stage. But the piece had a lot of influences well beyond heavy metal.
"R.A.R.Z." stands for 'rock and roll zole.' "Zole" is a British slang word for a--hole. Not sure how Kevin knew that. Maybe from his brother. Anyway, it was our parody of rock and roll, southern/country rock, our relative distaste of its icons, in general, and especially, as the lyrics state, how we saw the whole music industry. Kevin wrote the music and words for that one. And to be true to ourselves as musicians, we played the song with everything we had, and put in as much imagination as possible into it. Don't get me wrong. I listened to the Allman Brothers, and a few other southern bands and we all listened to whatever rock in our collections, but overall, it just had an attitude or something we really didn't like. I remember Buddy giving me this big thumbs up when I did a tom run at some point in the song. I think that song was his favorite. Kevin, though it might seem not so, really liked to do that song. Actually, it was a fun song to play because of how far removed it was from what we generally did, so we just blasted away, but with some flare to it, I guess.
"Against the gods" speaks for itself lyrically. Frazetta's paintings had this 'man in impossible scenarios'-type theme to them. The song grew out of one of his paintings. And in my heart, although an atheist at the time, I had a pretty strong sense of right and wrong, and doing the right thing, standing up for something in life in some foundational way. From my folks, I reckon. The song re-creates that mind set.
"Iron Horse." That was one take, I think. Just tried to keep it simple on the solo, within three minutes or so, and had some solo ideas in my head going into the studio that I practiced before hand, and the guys said were fine. I came up with the melody and Kevin came up with his song structuring, and with the incredible chords for the train whistle, it came off well. Very good piece. Fred's work is really cool on that piece. Hard to solo on those soft feeling drums in the studio, but I managed, I guess. I remember the look on Kevin's face when I did that last round-house flurry around the set. He was into it.
"From the Fjords." Closer on the album, closer in concert. People would come to the basement and watch us rehearse. Their eyes would open wide when he hit our stride in that piece. It was the 'goose bump' piece. It was an epic thanks to Kevin and Fred, really. Lyrics mine, basic melody for verses mine, and I might contribute my "humming" to enter some ideas, but the piece, arranged for so much instrumental work, went to Kevin. I think the coolest part is when the Vikings are sneaking up on the next village to conquer, and how it just explodes from there. Kevin and I worked on that part. John Judge, too, as I recall, when we first put it together. I can't say I was ever totally comfortable with that last scream on the track. The last time I heard it, many years ago, it sounded pretty hokey. Actually, and my memory is fuzzy here, the keyboard player in an interim band we had after John Judge left, called Cathedral, sang the song and did a scream, and his voice was such that it sounded rather awesome and chilling, like one might picture a viking making. Kevin's version, because the guy was such a comic and clown all the time, had a different feel to it. Of course, no one knew that when they heard it. It's just something I hear. Not sure what Fred thinks of it now. I need to ask him about that. I've been asked what sound I played on the song during verses and it was a 'pang' cymbal; a china with a flat edge. I played chinas a few times like that on the record, and a lot live. That was an influence from fusion players, not generally found in rock or metal at the time.
The artwork was done by a young guy, Ioannis. Greek for John. Man, I forget his last name. Sorry, John, if you see this. I gave him the concept for the cover, front and back. We also asked another artist to work on it. Ioannis got the job, and after some tweaking, sent off his final artwork. The album cover is not a good representation of the original. The crisp detail was not captured, which really burned us, big time, but, too late for that. We went black and white to have the money to print more copies of the disk. Fred remembers 500. I thought it was 2000, but could be wrong. Ioannis did a color version, it was great, and he wanted that one to go, but ... more money to print album jackets. We went B&W, and figured we would end up doing another recording when we signed with someone, and would have full color for the jacket then.
Now for the real 'interesting' part. The studio's two owners were drifting apart. We sensed we were going to lose our investment if the studio went belly up. We appealed to both men exactly what the deal was, and they assured us, cutting each other down all the time, that things were okay. Not. So, when things were all recorded, Kevin and I asked the engineer for the tapes. We wanted out. He refused. So, Kevin and I cooked up this 'good cop, bad cop' gig and we went into the studio one day and scared the stuffing out of the engineer, who ultimately gave us the tapes. I forget who was the 'good cop' and who the 'bad cop,' but it worked. [memory foot note - I was the bad cop, which makes sense, 'cause I had the quick temper and was bigger than Kevin].
Anyway, now we had the tapes and began to try and find a place to mix them down. As I recall we ended up in a little studio in western CT devoted to Celtic music, and penny whistle-type bands. Seriously. But the guy said, Yes, so in we went. The look on his face as our music was playing back through the monitors was memorable, as you can imagine. Kevin did all the engineering. The tech side wasn't my thing. I just sat and listened and made suggestions. Tapes got mixed, and off it all went to the manufacturer of the disk.
You mentioned to me that you had a lot of material written that, unfortunately was never committed to a recording. Exactly how much was there, and were future albums planned?
Probably 5 or 6 albums worth. It flowed out of us like water. Melody lines and lyrics, sit with Kevin, piece basically constructed, Fred puts in his parts, and away we'd go to finished song. Like any piece I might have had to change words to suit Kevin's breathing and playing at the same time. Typical changes you make as you construct things. Can't say we 'planned' other albums. The group didn't last long enough, but we had more songs and more in the wings. Don't forget we did long concerts. So, lots of stuff was already written. We just chose 8 for the album. I'll tell you what, though. I had this idea of doing three groups. Kevin and Fred and I would be the core of each group. All three groups would play concerts, and record. A lush, more keyboard oriented prog band; a jazzier fusion group, and Legend. I'd use three different sets for the concerts, the guys would use different axes, and an evening would have been a good four hours long for us. When I first expressed the idea, Kevin said I was insane, and Fred rolled his yes, but as I explained it all, Kevin saw it. Fred kind of said, "Yeah, when I see it happen." But we could have pulled it off. I know we could have. The music was in us. The vision was there for me. Fred was always kind of, I'll believe it when I see it. Kevin pretty much had enthusiasm for my ideas, as out there as they could be. Fred was more cautious. [side note - Fred is now in a multiple-band situation with a core of three. Told ya, Fred ;-) ]
I find it interesting to note the lyrical themes of Legend. There's a lot of fantasy scenarios, and in particular references to Vikings and that sort of Norse mythology. I find this particularly interesting because it predates the Viking rock of the 80's and what became Viking metal in the latter part of that decade. It seems pretty ridiculous sometimes to actually label a musical genre based on lyrical content, but it is a distinct feature. Were you involved in writing any of the lyrics? What inspired Legend to use these lyrical themes?
As I mentioned, I wrote the lyrics. Crazy imagination, I guess. Stuff just continually came into my mind. It wasn't Viking rock by any means. I can't say I've ever heard any of that, to be honest. I was always into all kinds of ancient humanity and legends, etc., hence, the name. Music about myths and legends. I had a suite for the Three Musketeers in my head, with two or three songs composed. One, "Arimus, the Lover," was something Mr. Judge went off and recorded himself. It was that which moved us to ask him to leave the group. But we had music for all kinds of things. I was always into swashbuckling movies and epics - Pirates, Musketeers, King Arthur, knights, warriors, Spartacus, the 300 Spartans, the Robe, Ben Hur, Rome, Greece, The Odyssey, and all that stuff. Might be one of the reasons I am so interested in religious history now. The Viking thing was just one small part of the whole. So the idea for the group was to put things like that to music. Legend.
"Iron Horse" is quite possibly one of my favorite musical pieces because of your amazing drum work. Did you often do extended solos as part of the live show?
Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate that. Yes, probably 20 minute solos. Fred and Kevin both had their spots, too. Fred on fretless. Too cool. Kevin doing his 12 string thing. Plus we had the acoustic set. Fred wanted to get a stand-up bass into the gig. Would have, too, if we continued on. The drum solos had the usual concert stuff in them. Visual things. Things I just couldn't put into the Iron Horse solo. I remember doing this thing standing up playing a couple hi-hat tempos, one stick on a cymbal, another stick on a bell, and a stick in my mouth on a bell, all playing different rhythms. People kind of got off on that part. The gongs. I had a 40" and 48" gong, plus the smaller ones. Plus Chinese theater gongs. Carl Palmer's influence on all that. I built a big wooden rack for a lot of it, and also made some drums, like my own octobans, from PVC. Between Buddy, Baker, Palmer, and Cobham I had a foundation that made things fun and inspiring for me. Now, my Creator and Lord is my biggest Influence, and I think I play much better now, then '79. Tony Williams became the last major influence when I was around 38, after hearing him "again." Incredible musician. But God has given me the talent, and giving it back to Him makes for channels of expression to open that were never there before.
Many fans of metal that have stumbled across Legend hail it as an exemplary album, really pushing the envelope in many directions. Did you consider Legend a part of the heavy metal movement?
I didn't think metal. The songs that had the heavy structure, had it because of the lyrical content, the story, the characters. Other things flowed in different ways. We had a song about a court jester that had anything but, a heavy metal flavor to it. Of course, no one knows about those songs. We chose what we did for the album for a couple obvious reasons - length, and overall appeal to an audience. I certainly didn't consider myself a metal drummer, and I am certain Fred would say the same, and Kevin if he were still with us. I think we were far more fusion oriented as musicians. Funny how we heard a couple times from people who thought for sure there had to be a fourth musician behind a curtain somewhere, playing keyboards or something. It was a lot of sound, a lot of musical energy that did not fit metal formulas or typical rock formulas at the time. We used to get 'Rush' comparisons at times, and Uriah Heep for some reason, but for the most part people said we sounded different than what was out there. I don't recall anyone classing us as a metal band. Although the FM radio guy was into metal, and liked us a lot, so ...
At the time did you feel as though you were pushing the envelope? Was musical progression an important part of it?
Hmm. Good question. Not really, from my viewpoint. As far as pushing envelopes, not consciously. But, yes, we did consciously try to put our own musical influences into the music, knowing if we played fusion riffs, etc., it would make it sound different in ways. We just played what naturally came out of us based on all our influences and where the music took us in each piece. We certainly did not consider ourselves visionaries or pioneers or anything. I think for me, personally, if we actually did the 'three band thing' I would have enjoyed the fusion group the most. For one thing, it would have freed me up from writing songs and I could just concentrate on playing drums, alone, seeing it would have been an instrumental group. And if Legend stayed together, the metal label would not have taken shape, I don't think. Too much other music would have come out of us capturing the other influences more concisely, I believe. It's one of the reasons I believe we would have made it, even in the changing 80's. Maybe a smaller audience, with everything going so static and sterile, but we would have gone all the way. It may have taken a bit more time. And it would have captured a more varied audience than just heavy metal.
The Lord Weird Slough Feg did a cover of "Wizard's Vengeance."
What are your thoughts of impacting today's music with something you did almost 30 years ago?
Three regular guys from CT, playing in a club band, for all intents and purposes, thinking about having such an impact 30 years later? I have an extremely difficult time wrapping my head around this whole situation as I look at things on the web about it all. Matter of fact, when I look at groups we are put in stock with, I kind of cringe. I didn't see us with these attitudes and darkness then, that I see now. But, see, people do not know us personally, and skies the limit wondering about it all. The cover artwork and some of the songs could certainly class us in this kind of category, without any human focal point to key in on. Sorry folks, we weren't angry young men with bad attitudes making a statement to anyone about life as we saw it (save for RARZ, of course). And really, because of RARZ, the industry way of thinking that controls what people end up hearing, all music has taken a beating for it. There is stuff out there today, which to my ears is not music, not even rock, of any kind. It's noise. Just plain noise to shock the senses, and these groups could not have gotten out of the garage in our day. Now they make millions. Go figure. Sign of the times. But, hey, listen to tv commercials using back up tracks that are 30, 40, 50 years old. I wonder what that says about today's music? Even current bands doing their own takes of old songs, some really old; back to the 40's.
After Legend was an established band, were you satisfied with the music and your life?
I can't honestly say Legend was an 'established band.' It all went really quick, at least for my time with it all. Four concerts, studio recording, and I was into a whole new existence at the end of it. I was not satisfied with my life, at all. My life felt quite empty, despite the group and album project.
My conversion experience was just around the corner from the time we entered the studio. I was tired of life, at 24 no less. I felt extremely alone, and the whole recording gig was getting to me, being ripped off and all by the studio. Bible studies began coming to the mailbox, I read them, wrote a long letter to the return address, accepted a visit from a Bible instructor and eleven days after I met him, gave my heart and life to Christ. The guys didn't understand what was happening to me, but I was changing fast. Very fast. My tastes and inclinations and thoughts about life changed radically. I remember looking at the album cover one day thinking, "I just can't do this anymore." By the time we went to mix the final tapes my conversion experience to Christianity had taken place, and my heart wasn't into it as much. It was a difficult time; for me to continue, and for Kevin and Fred, trying to figure out what happened to me, especially Kevin, seeing we were so close. I hung out with Kevin all the time. We were like brothers. We were in the Top 40 band together. He taught me how to play Backgammon. Taught me how to make spaghetti sauce. I shared everything with him about mostly every aspect of my life. I lost a lot of weight during that time. He turned me on to Jerusalem artichoke flour pastas. He was always trying to lose weight, too. He wasn't a Leslie West or anything. But he had a few pounds to lose. I remember going out to pizza places with him and each of us pounding pies, even Sicilians, by ourselves. So, we spent a lot of time together, but I just didn't have anything concrete to hold on to, not even as far as a love life.
My parents remained an incredible influence for me about marriage. I did not have the life they had in that respect, though I am now married to a wonderful and hugely supportive woman, and we're very happy together. She's just a real peach. But back then, I was pretty miserable. Plus, I didn't smoke or drink, so the clubs, the people, the atmospheres. It was not my thing. Music was my thing, but 'sex, drugs and rock and roll,' definitely was not. Kevin, and especially Fred, would kid me about things all the time. I was the milk and cookies guy, doing cookie monster imitations from behind the kit in the top 40 band, just clowning around, and when my 21st or 22nd birthday arrived, people in the band and in the audience began sending up white Russians for me to drink .... 11 later, by the time my drum solo came, I couldn't feel my legs from the knees down.
A couple days later, Kevin came by with a Christmas/birthday gift, a backgammon set. I was quite despondent, and he saw that and asked what was wrong. I told him I was disgusted with myself for getting drunk, and just vowed, never again. It is such a waste of energy. A waste of money. A waste of time and brain cells. Kevin sat quietly. He didn't know what to say. He and Fred were into partying a lot. So, all in all, even though we were on the verge of going places with Legend, I was in a pretty sad state of mind, and God hit me with the big invitation and I accepted, was born again in a 'knocked off my horse' fashion late one night, and life took off with real deep meaning and purpose for me.
Christianity plays a very prevalent role in your life currently. Did you have any sort of belief system during this point in time?
Music was my god, the drum set my temple, and playing was my religion, for all intents and purposes. I was raised Catholic, became an agnostic, then atheist very early in life. I vividly remember a moment in the studio when someone told a joke about the Saviour and his walk toward Calvary. I fell on the floor laughing. When I was born again, that moment came back to my conscience with such force it was horrible. I just threw myself down before the Lord and asked His forgiveness. I mean, this was all happening with such rapid succession. My whole being was changing. For the better, to be sure, but not without serious emotional stuff going on. Huge changes, spirit, soul and body.
What are some of your favorite memories of the band? Do you have any particularly amusing stories?
Memories. Times in the basement. I had these sheets hung around the walls, and I did caricatures of all the musicians and friends who came over. Even had some of my folks. We had some great times down there.
Our first concert. Setting up. The sound company trying to figure out how to mic the set. Sound check. People in the club arriving early and watching us set up. Parts of the drum solo I remember. The acoustic set, being so nervous out front when I sang I felt like throwing up. The encore. The ovation at the end. When it was all over, this black guy came up to me out of the audience and said, "Man, you the baddest assed drummer I ever seen since Billy Cobham." I have to admit, that compliment meant a whole lot, considering the time put into the instrument.
Our third concert stands out as the one that retains all the color and energy in my mind. Fred had joined. We played well. The audience was real responsive. Things really clicked that evening.
Humorous stuff was just to be around Kevin. He could keep you in stitches. Funny, funny guy. But seriously, one of the best guitarists of his day, bar none. He was good. Very good. Great. Fred was and I'm sure still is a great bass player. [side note - having heard a bunch of Fred's work these days, yeah, great bassist]. They both had the schooling, so they played not only with their hearts, but with their heads, too. I was not a schooled musician, and still can't read a note. They had to keep me counting sometimes, to keep it tight. I just played by feeling, and at times, it needed more than that. And I have to admit, when I did the numbers, things did get easier.
Legend was, in my frame of thinking, as good as anything out there in the day, anywhere. It had three fine musicians which made it what it was. Some times groups have a great guitarist, or great drummer, or great keyboardist, etc., but the days of prog and fusion changed that in many ways. Groups had superb artists at every position, and we had a thing of that caliber. There was never any question in my mind we would have gone all the way, and I guess the current interest reveals that.
When did Legend officially end and what were the circumstances?
Well, technically, I was not there at the very end. You'd have to ask Fred about that. But, here's what happened from my time. I was converted. Life was changing for me, quickly, as I mentioned. One of the guys, or someone knew a guy who worked for Atlantic records, and invited him to hear the tapes. When the tapes were finished, we set up a night in my folk's living room. Removed all the furniture and set up a system Kevin's brother Al brought in from the hi-fi store he worked at. Big Ohm towers. We all sat there and listened to the tapes. I was having a terrible bitter-sweet experience. When the recording ended, there was an outburst of acclamation. The young guy from NY just said, "Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Never heard anything like it. Amazing." He asked some questions and then said, "Look, you guys do what you want to. Do your own thing and all for now, but when you decide to come to New York doors will be open. No question. Come whenever you want to." Things to that respect. Needless to say, there was a great deal of excitement in that room. The horizon broadened exponentially. But my folks knew what was coming, and knowing everything that went into the project and my life in drumming to that point, they were shocked, to say the least. I had shared something with them before everyone came over.
I went down to the basement with Kevin later on that night. We sat down in front of the drums, and I told him, as best I could, how things felt for me, my new faith and all, and that I made the decision to leave the band. He reached for a cigarette instantaneously, knowing I didn't allow any smoking down there. But, he was dumbfounded. He was more than shocked, even though he saw how things were changing for me. You can imagine things he said to change my mind. He was heartbroken. Confused. I guess he told Fred later on. My path was settled, though, and I had to go forward on it. I made the right decision.
The album came out, but I was basically moving on and had no major role in its distribution, though I remember having copies and giving a couple to cousins. It received airplay on a station or two. I don't know how they marketed it, or if it made them any money. I remember a friend from church being at the house and hearing it played on the radio. The whole album, but the last cut, I guess because of time restrictions. She freaked out. And you know, you hear your work out there in the public arena and you do get moved by it. "Wow, I did that?"
The guys brought over a younger guy one day, I forget his name, that they asked to take my place. He was a lefty, and he played well, especially to see him play a set unknown to him and all. But, to be honest, it didn't have the same vibe, and it couldn't. I'm not sure when Kevin and Fred packed it in, as far as Legend. 1980 sometime? I don't know. I saw Kevin a few times. Just in passing. It was so different. They started another band together.
Things got strained between Kevin and me. I ended up having to sell my drums to pay off the album loan, and got a job washing dishes to deal with it, as well. I don't know what happened to my copy of the record. A friend from church had one before his conversion, and gave it to me. That got lost in a recent move down south. I had no idea what they are worth, so it wasn't as protected as it would have been had I known otherwise. My oldest daughter was given one by a former boyfriend who's deceased father had it in his collection. So she has one, and has been checking out the web finding info out about it. Fred seeks one for his youngest daughter. Hasn't been successful yet. The whole thing is really mind blowing. Truly. [side note - Fred found a second copy for his daughter].
Then one day I got the news, from the same friend who gave me his album, that Kevin passed away in his sleep. I was just stunned, literally stunned. And he had mentioned to me a couple times that Kevin wanted to speak with me, and I hadn't followed up on it for one reason or another. Have mercy, my heart hit the floor. I hadn't seen Fred since the split, as I remember. I'll never forget his face when he saw me at the cemetery. He was very close to Kevin. They knew each other for many years. He was really torn up by Kevin's passing.
So, no Legend reunions. And as I understand it from Fred, who I hooked up with just last fall after almost 30 years, there will not be a release of the tapes for a CD. I believe Kevin's brother Al has the tapes. Even though I paid for the project and all, that's how it worked out, and that's alright. They'd just be sitting around or gone if I had them. If a CD were released, I'd like a share. There's certainly things of an honorable nature I would do with any funds from it. But I understand Fred and Al's position not to release a CD, in honor of Kevin's life involved in it and all. [Side note - No master tapes. Gone forever. No re-issue, though various record companies have requested permission. Without the tapes, with all the web sites you can download from, and all the bootlegs out there, we see no real reason to do it if it can't be re-mastered from the originals.]
I certainly never thought Legend would become a legend. Some feel things should be kept mysterious about it. Why? Truth never hurts in the long run. The music was what it was. It is what it is. We were and are, what we were and are.
Fred has a web site. He's into a lot of stuff these days. It's been so interesting to get in touch after all these years, especially given the current environment surrounding the group and the album.
I stopped playing for around 12 years. Got back into playing, making my own drums. Did a couple clinics a few years back. Would love to do more of that. I had a Christian group for around ten years, called Asaph. Made some home grown videos called Concepts for SOLO Drum Set that I shared with guys all over the world that I met on the web. I would love to be out there again, doing it professionally for a living, but ... hasn't happened. And at 52 it may not happen again. But hey, we "made it," right Fred? We did indeed. And eternity will offer me far more opportunities than anything this earthly sojourn has to offer. So, I can abide satisfied until then. Hope is a good thing.
I want to thank Ray again for this unique, enlightening, and unprecedented interview. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!"
There's a lot of misinformation about LEGEND floating around out there. Not surprising, given the history, or lack thereof. Not being into the music anymore, I still sense the need to fill in gaps on some things. So, here's a lengthy interview which can go some distance to answer some history about the band from my recollections.
"Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Exclusive Interview with Ray Frigon of Legend!
Category: Music
Thirty years ago in Connecticut a band formed that would live in the minds of their scattered fans as a legend, befitting of the name with which they christened. While not considered metal, they have gone on to influence many fans of metal and rock alike. While only one studio album was ever released, the legacy they've left for those who are privy is no less impressive than some bands with discographies tenfold in size. Ladies and gentlemen, the name was Legend.
Within the band existed a man who was a humble legend in his own right. Ray Frigon was a master behind the drums and an integral part of the driving force behind the music. Until now, little has been known about Legend, save for what was learned in a world-first interview with Fred Melillo in 2006, conducted by Vibrations of Doom magazine. Here, in another world-first, Ray Frigon shares with us his own recollections of Legend.
Has music always played a major role in your life? When and how was your introduction into the world of music?
My folks were into Mitch Miller a lot and I remember hearing his sing along albums playing when I was a child. Also the band leader with the accordion ... Lawrence Welk. I remember my folks watching him all the time. Matter of fact, recently I heard this tv commercial that had a song in the background, one that my father and I used to sing together when I was around 6 or 7. I think it was a Miller rendition of some beerfest kind of song, which I had no knowledge of as a child. I just sang words along with my dad. I can still picture that. So, music was around the house. Mostly orchestrated stuff, like movie soundtracks, and Andy Williams-type stuff.
What are some of your first influences? Do you happen to have one of those defining moments where you said to yourself, "This is something that I want to do?"
Definitely. '64, Ed Sullivan, the Beatles, running into the kitchen for coffee cans and pencils, and just tapping away on the plastic tops. I was 9 at the time. Just hit me. Drums. My folks got me a guitar at ten, but I couldn't take to it. So they got me what I refer to as the "card board kit;" drums basically made of card board with a shiny wrap of some kind, plastic hardware, pie plate cymbals, and I learned to play by ear on that set until my first Ludwigs at 12. "Wipe Out" came out and I remember another kid in the neighborhood who had a set like mine, but mine was blue, his silver, and we set up our 'drums' on his lawn and played wipe out together.
My first real influences were the Beatles, the Monkees, and the groups that did top 40 back then in that genre. Then came Cream and Ginger Baker, and my musical universe changed dramatically. I can still remember playing along to Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep purple, lots of Chicago and stuff, but Cream and that influence became foundational for my playing I think, although Buddy Rich was ever in the background as the "Untouchable." I didn't like Big Band, but Buddy had to be listened to, regardless. Always humbling and exciting at the same time.
Then somewhere along the line came ELP, Yes, Kansas, Renaissance, Gentle Giant, and the progressive groups, and things changed again. Carl Palmer became a major influence.
Then I heard the Mahavishnu Orchestra late one night on FM, and absolutely freaked out at Billy Cobham. The planetary musical direction shifted again, Big Time. Cobham, another major influence. Chick Corea, Jean Luc Ponty, the fusion groups and that genre. A lot of intensity, unbelievable musicianship and the bar got raised again.
I was telling my wife this morning that for the most part being a professional musician was a means to an end for me, in my thoughts. All I ever really wanted was to be happily married and have what my folks had. Baseball. Thought a lot about that, and maybe playing for the Red Sox someday, but music and drums took over somewhere along the line. And when all was said and done, all I ever really wanted was to make enough money to open up a drum shop or two. The idea of having a career in music, given the fallout of zillions of groups that come and go, seemed fairly unrealistic. Although, I quit high school and really had nothing to fall back on. Music was the push. That was the direction I chose. And I suppose that Ed Sullivan program was the initial epiphany. I can also remember a program called "In Concert" on ABC, Friday nights. Seeing bands like that made an impact on life choices.
Before Legend, were you involved in any other sort of musical project?
Not one I recall. Went to a couple of auditions and failed both. I kept practicing and building the set. Bigger and bigger. If I had a space, I put something in it. I played a lot. My folks, believe it or not, learned to fall asleep when I was down in the basement practicing. I'd come up and see them sleeping in their chairs while the tv was going. Never understood how they could do that. My father used to try and tell me I needed something to fall back on, but being the foolish son I was, I disregarded his counsel. I just kept pushing. The thing is, I really had no connections, no outlet, no way to tap into anything or anybody, being out of school and not in any musical environment. But, I hoped to find a way into a band somehow. Then, the time came.
...And then came Legend. What were your circumstances going into the band? Had you been acquainted with either Fred or Kevin prior to this?
No, not at all. It was 30 years ago, too, so details are sketchy for me. The original Legend line-up was me, John Judge on bass, and Kevin. I can't remember how I met John, but he asked me to start a band with him. Maybe it was just an ad in the paper I answered. He came to my home and watched me play and wanted me to start a group. He knew a classical keyboard player and wanted to do an ELP sort of thing. The keyboard player wasn't really into it. John then introduced me to Kevin, when he brought him over to the house to see me play. I can't remember how he knew John. We all said okay and formed the trio. Then some rehearsals began.
What was the band like starting out?
Well, the music came very quickly. Basically, I wrote all the lyrics. I had a fairly imaginative mind back then. One of the things that influenced me was the art work of Frank Frazetta. I bought a couple of his plate books, would look at the pictures, and come up with a story or some lyrics around it. "Destroyer" was from a Frazetta painting. "Against the gods", as I recall. Even "Confrontation" was something of a melody line that came to me looking at one of his paintings, I think, although I had in mind taking it in another direction I'll mention later. So, the music was there. I'd take the melody/lyric line to Kevin, hum the melody line or sing a verse, chorus, etc., and then Kevin arranged his parts and the piece around that basic line. Then John would apply his knowledge of the bass to his parts. He had this really cool Alembic that he asked me to design artwork for up the fretboard. The guys at Alembic did a pretty interesting rendition of the artwork I gave him. The thing weighed a ton, as I remember it. He also played acoustic guitar on acoustic songs we did live.
We rehearsed at my house, in the basement. With all the drums it was the only option, really, and my folks were cool with that. So, that's how I remember it starting up. The atmosphere was a little more serious. John was a mysterious character.
Did you have a specific goal in mind for the band?
Musically, financially, professionally? Musically, though I see all this commentary on the web about Legend being a metal band, we didn't see it that way. I didn't. It was just a power trio playing rock with heavy, light and everything in between for influences. That's why there are funky spots, jazzy stuff that Kevin and Fred played, and the acoustic part of the show. Financially we certainly hoped and truly believed this was going all the way. For me, I just wanted to make enough money to buy some things for my folks, and also to open a couple of drum shops. Making an actual career out of it seemed less than possible, the way the industry functions. Bands in, bands out. Professionally, it was always my thing, no matter what I did, to do it as professional as possible. Do as much as can be done within the limitations one has. So, we dealt with our clothing, props, lighting, everything. Some of it may have been over the top, but still, we didn't want to play out just looking like any band out there. I remember John wore his black satin karate robe. Mom sewed some things for Kevin, Fred and me to wear. I had this monks robe made of some kind of gold material we found, which I didn't like and wore once or twice. And mom made a couple of other tops for me and Kevin to wear, out of fancy materials that caught lights and all. We had satin curtains she sewed up, and mounted them on poles. They were about 10 or 12' high, and we had the roadies pull them open as we went out to begin, while a Vangelis piece played in the background. The goal was to "make it." And as I recall, it was a very fast experience. Seemed that way, anyway.
How about live shows? Did you play often? Was there a lot of community interest?
We only played out 4 times before recording. Twice at one club, and twice at another, I think. Interest was good. The clubs had good turnout, mostly. Although I remember being disheartened, and Kevin and I getting into a moment of heated exchange when turnout wasn't too great at one club. We apologized to each other and finished the concert. It was during an intermission. It was a lot of time and effort to set up for a concert, and the weak turnout was hard on the soul. But we went from a packed house to a less than packed house our second show and wondered what happened. And you know, the listening public can be fickle sometimes. Or we could have been competing with the World Series or something. Who knows?
I don't know what happened to it, but I had this picture of my mom standing up on a chair clapping after my solo on our first gig. The concert was well received, and some record execs were in the audience, invited by a young guy who knew them. Full house, as I said. The execs thought the show was too long, and the solos bored them, etc., but hey, musicians play for regular folks. Execs are about money, and they differ widely how to make it and what will sell. A guy that had an FM program on a college station really loved the band and he did as much as he could to promote it. But this leads me to the next phase.
Mr. Judge found himself in a set of circumstances that brought Kevin and I to the point of asking him to leave the band. I ended up in a Top 40 band with Kevin. We had gone through various ideas for another band. Kevin knew Fred from days they had in a music school, and also bands they played in. Fred came in, and it was magic. It was so much fun that first rehearsal we laughed after the first jam. It was amazing. The flow, the timing, the whole thing was about as good as communication between musicians can get. Fred had a much different feel; funky, earthy, fun yet still technical and compositional. So, it hit the ground running. Musically, camaraderie-wise, it was a good thing.
Live it was another animal, altogether. I remember shows being two and a half hours, plus encore, which was generally, RARZ, then Blue Wind, by Jeff Beck. I have some pics of a couple of the concerts we did. Memories.
Fred with his fretless, which was so cool to watch him play. Kevin had his 6 and 12 Ibanez. That big fro of his. I had my own 'menagerie' of stuff up there. At the time, I think it was 21 drums, 30 cymbals, 12 gongs and tymp and other percussion things. I played it all, too, at some point. Matter of fact a fun part of the concert was when Kevin and Fred grabbed sticks and played on toms set up on each side of the drum set for them to play, and we played this back and forth thing, and then we all hit gongs. Crowd pleaser, though Fred was never quite comfortable with drum sticks. He did well though.
Fred used to stand behind Kevin and play his 6 string, while Kevin played the 12. People freaked when they saw that. I freaked every time I saw it. It was really out there, and Fred played without seeing what he was doing. It looked so strange from the front. It was something they had been doing together for years, I guess. We had some props, like these 8' tall wizards I made and Ioannis (the album cover artist) painted up, that sent off charges from their hands. Although, our pyro-tech guy loaded a charge backwards the first night we used them and it went through the front window of the club. Thankfully, no one got hurt. The band's back faced the street and people could watch from the street. Fred's shirt got scorched, I sent the pyro-tech packing for being drunk, and on with life we went. I never did drugs, not even smoked a joint, or drank, and I required the guys to be clean for shows. What they did on their own time, well, it was their life, but on band time, no way. But live it was an awesome thing. People generally sat kind of transfixed at it all. It was anything but a regular rowdy kind of rock and roll show. We jammed a lot. Extended solos for all. It was classic stuff for its day, considering its location in CT and all.
"From the Fjords" is, nowadays, the only thing that my generation knows of Legend. Can you tell us a bit about the recording of this album?
Fjords is about all any generation would know about Legend. My folks co-signed a loan. The album was made for around $6,000, as I recall. Kevin knew of an 8 track studio in New haven, CT. My first recording experience. As the drums were being set up, the engineer began getting stressed out. Didn't think he had enough mics. Plus the set was tight, and placement of mics became a hassle, but I compromised some things, like the snare drum mic placement and damping on it, taking front bass heads off, etc., and off we went. Most of the songs only took a take or two, as I recall. We did it 'live,' for Fred and I. Kevin's track was generally a rhythm track, and then he played solos later, for the most part. Percussion was added later, too. Maybe some things Fred did, I don't quite remember that. I had a difficult time with the studio, itself, being as 'soft' as it was. Just dense heavy velvet curtains all around, with I forget how many inches of insulation behind them. Super quiet, which I understand for the neighbor's sakes, and certain acoustic qualities, but for drums, it was dead, and I had a hard time playing the set. Just no life to it. But our energy levels were good, and that made up for it. And Buddy set things up so it had some life in my headphones.
Now for the fun memories. It's been such a long time. We recorded the songs as they appear on the album. Destroyer went quickly. The Wizard took an interesting turn. At the end, Kevin asked me to sing the wizard's part. I said, No Way. I only sang back-up in concert on a couple songs, hated that mic boom in my face, and once I varied a harmony and Kevin chewed me out. So singing was not my thing. But he persisted, so I said, Okay. The moment came and in my excitement, I kind of shouted the wizard's last lines. Kevin was in the engineering room, and said, "No, No. Try it again." So, we did it again, I calmed down, and sang the lines. A few minutes go by and Kevin and Buddy are jumping up and down in the room, and I said, "What's going on?" They played back what they did and I about fell over. They just joined the two efforts together and out came this bombastic vocal track.
The Bell is one of my favorite all-time pieces, though rock isn't my thing anymore. When we did the song, Kevin was just playing rhythm throughout. When the guitar solo segment came, Fred and I just kicked into that funky groove and went for it. The communication was very tight between us. I can still see Fred's face as we did all that. It was a cool moment. Kevin was smiling huge and just had his wheels turning. The time arrives for doing the solo, and Kevin was struggling to come up with something he felt fit what Fred and I did; the kicks and all. He went through a few solos, and I said, "What's wrong? That's good!" "No, not that," he said. And he tried more. I got kind of impatient, and said, "C'mon, Kev. That's good enough." "Shut up," he said. "I know what I'm doing. It's in here somewhere," he said, pointing to his head. He didn't mean to be rude. We were very close friends. He was just intensely concentrating on coming up with something. And the next try he hit the grand slam. Those chords. That sound. The groove. It just flew like an eagle and jabbed like Ali. It was stunning. Buddy was amazed. I don't remember Fred being there for that, for some reason. Sorry, Fred, if you were right there. Anyway, when it all played back, Kevin said, "Man, nobody is gonna figure out those chords." It was a jazzy masterpiece, really, for the song of that genre. BTW, the "bell" was an old, aluminum pot top of my mom's cookware set I snatched up. No kidding. And the piece itself, lyrically, developed from a movie I once saw about guys going after a treasure in some temple. Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier played the leads, I think. And I remember this huge bell sounding out that made everyone wince up when it struck. I didn't set the lyrics to the movie's story line. But it was the foundation.
"Confrontation" was the instrumental with wide open energy. It was originally based on something I thought up for a battle between a knight and a dragon. Live, I wanted to ultimately have an enormous dragon's head enveloping the drum set, and when the solo came, the mouth would close and smoke come out the nostrils, lights flaring up inside. Oh well. Never got to that stage. But the piece had a lot of influences well beyond heavy metal.
"R.A.R.Z." stands for 'rock and roll zole.' "Zole" is a British slang word for a--hole. Not sure how Kevin knew that. Maybe from his brother. Anyway, it was our parody of rock and roll, southern/country rock, our relative distaste of its icons, in general, and especially, as the lyrics state, how we saw the whole music industry. Kevin wrote the music and words for that one. And to be true to ourselves as musicians, we played the song with everything we had, and put in as much imagination as possible into it. Don't get me wrong. I listened to the Allman Brothers, and a few other southern bands and we all listened to whatever rock in our collections, but overall, it just had an attitude or something we really didn't like. I remember Buddy giving me this big thumbs up when I did a tom run at some point in the song. I think that song was his favorite. Kevin, though it might seem not so, really liked to do that song. Actually, it was a fun song to play because of how far removed it was from what we generally did, so we just blasted away, but with some flare to it, I guess.
"Against the gods" speaks for itself lyrically. Frazetta's paintings had this 'man in impossible scenarios'-type theme to them. The song grew out of one of his paintings. And in my heart, although an atheist at the time, I had a pretty strong sense of right and wrong, and doing the right thing, standing up for something in life in some foundational way. From my folks, I reckon. The song re-creates that mind set.
"Iron Horse." That was one take, I think. Just tried to keep it simple on the solo, within three minutes or so, and had some solo ideas in my head going into the studio that I practiced before hand, and the guys said were fine. I came up with the melody and Kevin came up with his song structuring, and with the incredible chords for the train whistle, it came off well. Very good piece. Fred's work is really cool on that piece. Hard to solo on those soft feeling drums in the studio, but I managed, I guess. I remember the look on Kevin's face when I did that last round-house flurry around the set. He was into it.
"From the Fjords." Closer on the album, closer in concert. People would come to the basement and watch us rehearse. Their eyes would open wide when he hit our stride in that piece. It was the 'goose bump' piece. It was an epic thanks to Kevin and Fred, really. Lyrics mine, basic melody for verses mine, and I might contribute my "humming" to enter some ideas, but the piece, arranged for so much instrumental work, went to Kevin. I think the coolest part is when the Vikings are sneaking up on the next village to conquer, and how it just explodes from there. Kevin and I worked on that part. John Judge, too, as I recall, when we first put it together. I can't say I was ever totally comfortable with that last scream on the track. The last time I heard it, many years ago, it sounded pretty hokey. Actually, and my memory is fuzzy here, the keyboard player in an interim band we had after John Judge left, called Cathedral, sang the song and did a scream, and his voice was such that it sounded rather awesome and chilling, like one might picture a viking making. Kevin's version, because the guy was such a comic and clown all the time, had a different feel to it. Of course, no one knew that when they heard it. It's just something I hear. Not sure what Fred thinks of it now. I need to ask him about that. I've been asked what sound I played on the song during verses and it was a 'pang' cymbal; a china with a flat edge. I played chinas a few times like that on the record, and a lot live. That was an influence from fusion players, not generally found in rock or metal at the time.
The artwork was done by a young guy, Ioannis. Greek for John. Man, I forget his last name. Sorry, John, if you see this. I gave him the concept for the cover, front and back. We also asked another artist to work on it. Ioannis got the job, and after some tweaking, sent off his final artwork. The album cover is not a good representation of the original. The crisp detail was not captured, which really burned us, big time, but, too late for that. We went black and white to have the money to print more copies of the disk. Fred remembers 500. I thought it was 2000, but could be wrong. Ioannis did a color version, it was great, and he wanted that one to go, but ... more money to print album jackets. We went B&W, and figured we would end up doing another recording when we signed with someone, and would have full color for the jacket then.
Now for the real 'interesting' part. The studio's two owners were drifting apart. We sensed we were going to lose our investment if the studio went belly up. We appealed to both men exactly what the deal was, and they assured us, cutting each other down all the time, that things were okay. Not. So, when things were all recorded, Kevin and I asked the engineer for the tapes. We wanted out. He refused. So, Kevin and I cooked up this 'good cop, bad cop' gig and we went into the studio one day and scared the stuffing out of the engineer, who ultimately gave us the tapes. I forget who was the 'good cop' and who the 'bad cop,' but it worked. [memory foot note - I was the bad cop, which makes sense, 'cause I had the quick temper and was bigger than Kevin].
Anyway, now we had the tapes and began to try and find a place to mix them down. As I recall we ended up in a little studio in western CT devoted to Celtic music, and penny whistle-type bands. Seriously. But the guy said, Yes, so in we went. The look on his face as our music was playing back through the monitors was memorable, as you can imagine. Kevin did all the engineering. The tech side wasn't my thing. I just sat and listened and made suggestions. Tapes got mixed, and off it all went to the manufacturer of the disk.
You mentioned to me that you had a lot of material written that, unfortunately was never committed to a recording. Exactly how much was there, and were future albums planned?
Probably 5 or 6 albums worth. It flowed out of us like water. Melody lines and lyrics, sit with Kevin, piece basically constructed, Fred puts in his parts, and away we'd go to finished song. Like any piece I might have had to change words to suit Kevin's breathing and playing at the same time. Typical changes you make as you construct things. Can't say we 'planned' other albums. The group didn't last long enough, but we had more songs and more in the wings. Don't forget we did long concerts. So, lots of stuff was already written. We just chose 8 for the album. I'll tell you what, though. I had this idea of doing three groups. Kevin and Fred and I would be the core of each group. All three groups would play concerts, and record. A lush, more keyboard oriented prog band; a jazzier fusion group, and Legend. I'd use three different sets for the concerts, the guys would use different axes, and an evening would have been a good four hours long for us. When I first expressed the idea, Kevin said I was insane, and Fred rolled his yes, but as I explained it all, Kevin saw it. Fred kind of said, "Yeah, when I see it happen." But we could have pulled it off. I know we could have. The music was in us. The vision was there for me. Fred was always kind of, I'll believe it when I see it. Kevin pretty much had enthusiasm for my ideas, as out there as they could be. Fred was more cautious. [side note - Fred is now in a multiple-band situation with a core of three. Told ya, Fred ;-) ]
I find it interesting to note the lyrical themes of Legend. There's a lot of fantasy scenarios, and in particular references to Vikings and that sort of Norse mythology. I find this particularly interesting because it predates the Viking rock of the 80's and what became Viking metal in the latter part of that decade. It seems pretty ridiculous sometimes to actually label a musical genre based on lyrical content, but it is a distinct feature. Were you involved in writing any of the lyrics? What inspired Legend to use these lyrical themes?
As I mentioned, I wrote the lyrics. Crazy imagination, I guess. Stuff just continually came into my mind. It wasn't Viking rock by any means. I can't say I've ever heard any of that, to be honest. I was always into all kinds of ancient humanity and legends, etc., hence, the name. Music about myths and legends. I had a suite for the Three Musketeers in my head, with two or three songs composed. One, "Arimus, the Lover," was something Mr. Judge went off and recorded himself. It was that which moved us to ask him to leave the group. But we had music for all kinds of things. I was always into swashbuckling movies and epics - Pirates, Musketeers, King Arthur, knights, warriors, Spartacus, the 300 Spartans, the Robe, Ben Hur, Rome, Greece, The Odyssey, and all that stuff. Might be one of the reasons I am so interested in religious history now. The Viking thing was just one small part of the whole. So the idea for the group was to put things like that to music. Legend.
"Iron Horse" is quite possibly one of my favorite musical pieces because of your amazing drum work. Did you often do extended solos as part of the live show?
Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate that. Yes, probably 20 minute solos. Fred and Kevin both had their spots, too. Fred on fretless. Too cool. Kevin doing his 12 string thing. Plus we had the acoustic set. Fred wanted to get a stand-up bass into the gig. Would have, too, if we continued on. The drum solos had the usual concert stuff in them. Visual things. Things I just couldn't put into the Iron Horse solo. I remember doing this thing standing up playing a couple hi-hat tempos, one stick on a cymbal, another stick on a bell, and a stick in my mouth on a bell, all playing different rhythms. People kind of got off on that part. The gongs. I had a 40" and 48" gong, plus the smaller ones. Plus Chinese theater gongs. Carl Palmer's influence on all that. I built a big wooden rack for a lot of it, and also made some drums, like my own octobans, from PVC. Between Buddy, Baker, Palmer, and Cobham I had a foundation that made things fun and inspiring for me. Now, my Creator and Lord is my biggest Influence, and I think I play much better now, then '79. Tony Williams became the last major influence when I was around 38, after hearing him "again." Incredible musician. But God has given me the talent, and giving it back to Him makes for channels of expression to open that were never there before.
Many fans of metal that have stumbled across Legend hail it as an exemplary album, really pushing the envelope in many directions. Did you consider Legend a part of the heavy metal movement?
I didn't think metal. The songs that had the heavy structure, had it because of the lyrical content, the story, the characters. Other things flowed in different ways. We had a song about a court jester that had anything but, a heavy metal flavor to it. Of course, no one knows about those songs. We chose what we did for the album for a couple obvious reasons - length, and overall appeal to an audience. I certainly didn't consider myself a metal drummer, and I am certain Fred would say the same, and Kevin if he were still with us. I think we were far more fusion oriented as musicians. Funny how we heard a couple times from people who thought for sure there had to be a fourth musician behind a curtain somewhere, playing keyboards or something. It was a lot of sound, a lot of musical energy that did not fit metal formulas or typical rock formulas at the time. We used to get 'Rush' comparisons at times, and Uriah Heep for some reason, but for the most part people said we sounded different than what was out there. I don't recall anyone classing us as a metal band. Although the FM radio guy was into metal, and liked us a lot, so ...
At the time did you feel as though you were pushing the envelope? Was musical progression an important part of it?
Hmm. Good question. Not really, from my viewpoint. As far as pushing envelopes, not consciously. But, yes, we did consciously try to put our own musical influences into the music, knowing if we played fusion riffs, etc., it would make it sound different in ways. We just played what naturally came out of us based on all our influences and where the music took us in each piece. We certainly did not consider ourselves visionaries or pioneers or anything. I think for me, personally, if we actually did the 'three band thing' I would have enjoyed the fusion group the most. For one thing, it would have freed me up from writing songs and I could just concentrate on playing drums, alone, seeing it would have been an instrumental group. And if Legend stayed together, the metal label would not have taken shape, I don't think. Too much other music would have come out of us capturing the other influences more concisely, I believe. It's one of the reasons I believe we would have made it, even in the changing 80's. Maybe a smaller audience, with everything going so static and sterile, but we would have gone all the way. It may have taken a bit more time. And it would have captured a more varied audience than just heavy metal.
The Lord Weird Slough Feg did a cover of "Wizard's Vengeance."
What are your thoughts of impacting today's music with something you did almost 30 years ago?
Three regular guys from CT, playing in a club band, for all intents and purposes, thinking about having such an impact 30 years later? I have an extremely difficult time wrapping my head around this whole situation as I look at things on the web about it all. Matter of fact, when I look at groups we are put in stock with, I kind of cringe. I didn't see us with these attitudes and darkness then, that I see now. But, see, people do not know us personally, and skies the limit wondering about it all. The cover artwork and some of the songs could certainly class us in this kind of category, without any human focal point to key in on. Sorry folks, we weren't angry young men with bad attitudes making a statement to anyone about life as we saw it (save for RARZ, of course). And really, because of RARZ, the industry way of thinking that controls what people end up hearing, all music has taken a beating for it. There is stuff out there today, which to my ears is not music, not even rock, of any kind. It's noise. Just plain noise to shock the senses, and these groups could not have gotten out of the garage in our day. Now they make millions. Go figure. Sign of the times. But, hey, listen to tv commercials using back up tracks that are 30, 40, 50 years old. I wonder what that says about today's music? Even current bands doing their own takes of old songs, some really old; back to the 40's.
After Legend was an established band, were you satisfied with the music and your life?
I can't honestly say Legend was an 'established band.' It all went really quick, at least for my time with it all. Four concerts, studio recording, and I was into a whole new existence at the end of it. I was not satisfied with my life, at all. My life felt quite empty, despite the group and album project.
My conversion experience was just around the corner from the time we entered the studio. I was tired of life, at 24 no less. I felt extremely alone, and the whole recording gig was getting to me, being ripped off and all by the studio. Bible studies began coming to the mailbox, I read them, wrote a long letter to the return address, accepted a visit from a Bible instructor and eleven days after I met him, gave my heart and life to Christ. The guys didn't understand what was happening to me, but I was changing fast. Very fast. My tastes and inclinations and thoughts about life changed radically. I remember looking at the album cover one day thinking, "I just can't do this anymore." By the time we went to mix the final tapes my conversion experience to Christianity had taken place, and my heart wasn't into it as much. It was a difficult time; for me to continue, and for Kevin and Fred, trying to figure out what happened to me, especially Kevin, seeing we were so close. I hung out with Kevin all the time. We were like brothers. We were in the Top 40 band together. He taught me how to play Backgammon. Taught me how to make spaghetti sauce. I shared everything with him about mostly every aspect of my life. I lost a lot of weight during that time. He turned me on to Jerusalem artichoke flour pastas. He was always trying to lose weight, too. He wasn't a Leslie West or anything. But he had a few pounds to lose. I remember going out to pizza places with him and each of us pounding pies, even Sicilians, by ourselves. So, we spent a lot of time together, but I just didn't have anything concrete to hold on to, not even as far as a love life.
My parents remained an incredible influence for me about marriage. I did not have the life they had in that respect, though I am now married to a wonderful and hugely supportive woman, and we're very happy together. She's just a real peach. But back then, I was pretty miserable. Plus, I didn't smoke or drink, so the clubs, the people, the atmospheres. It was not my thing. Music was my thing, but 'sex, drugs and rock and roll,' definitely was not. Kevin, and especially Fred, would kid me about things all the time. I was the milk and cookies guy, doing cookie monster imitations from behind the kit in the top 40 band, just clowning around, and when my 21st or 22nd birthday arrived, people in the band and in the audience began sending up white Russians for me to drink .... 11 later, by the time my drum solo came, I couldn't feel my legs from the knees down.
A couple days later, Kevin came by with a Christmas/birthday gift, a backgammon set. I was quite despondent, and he saw that and asked what was wrong. I told him I was disgusted with myself for getting drunk, and just vowed, never again. It is such a waste of energy. A waste of money. A waste of time and brain cells. Kevin sat quietly. He didn't know what to say. He and Fred were into partying a lot. So, all in all, even though we were on the verge of going places with Legend, I was in a pretty sad state of mind, and God hit me with the big invitation and I accepted, was born again in a 'knocked off my horse' fashion late one night, and life took off with real deep meaning and purpose for me.
Christianity plays a very prevalent role in your life currently. Did you have any sort of belief system during this point in time?
Music was my god, the drum set my temple, and playing was my religion, for all intents and purposes. I was raised Catholic, became an agnostic, then atheist very early in life. I vividly remember a moment in the studio when someone told a joke about the Saviour and his walk toward Calvary. I fell on the floor laughing. When I was born again, that moment came back to my conscience with such force it was horrible. I just threw myself down before the Lord and asked His forgiveness. I mean, this was all happening with such rapid succession. My whole being was changing. For the better, to be sure, but not without serious emotional stuff going on. Huge changes, spirit, soul and body.
What are some of your favorite memories of the band? Do you have any particularly amusing stories?
Memories. Times in the basement. I had these sheets hung around the walls, and I did caricatures of all the musicians and friends who came over. Even had some of my folks. We had some great times down there.
Our first concert. Setting up. The sound company trying to figure out how to mic the set. Sound check. People in the club arriving early and watching us set up. Parts of the drum solo I remember. The acoustic set, being so nervous out front when I sang I felt like throwing up. The encore. The ovation at the end. When it was all over, this black guy came up to me out of the audience and said, "Man, you the baddest assed drummer I ever seen since Billy Cobham." I have to admit, that compliment meant a whole lot, considering the time put into the instrument.
Our third concert stands out as the one that retains all the color and energy in my mind. Fred had joined. We played well. The audience was real responsive. Things really clicked that evening.
Humorous stuff was just to be around Kevin. He could keep you in stitches. Funny, funny guy. But seriously, one of the best guitarists of his day, bar none. He was good. Very good. Great. Fred was and I'm sure still is a great bass player. [side note - having heard a bunch of Fred's work these days, yeah, great bassist]. They both had the schooling, so they played not only with their hearts, but with their heads, too. I was not a schooled musician, and still can't read a note. They had to keep me counting sometimes, to keep it tight. I just played by feeling, and at times, it needed more than that. And I have to admit, when I did the numbers, things did get easier.
Legend was, in my frame of thinking, as good as anything out there in the day, anywhere. It had three fine musicians which made it what it was. Some times groups have a great guitarist, or great drummer, or great keyboardist, etc., but the days of prog and fusion changed that in many ways. Groups had superb artists at every position, and we had a thing of that caliber. There was never any question in my mind we would have gone all the way, and I guess the current interest reveals that.
When did Legend officially end and what were the circumstances?
Well, technically, I was not there at the very end. You'd have to ask Fred about that. But, here's what happened from my time. I was converted. Life was changing for me, quickly, as I mentioned. One of the guys, or someone knew a guy who worked for Atlantic records, and invited him to hear the tapes. When the tapes were finished, we set up a night in my folk's living room. Removed all the furniture and set up a system Kevin's brother Al brought in from the hi-fi store he worked at. Big Ohm towers. We all sat there and listened to the tapes. I was having a terrible bitter-sweet experience. When the recording ended, there was an outburst of acclamation. The young guy from NY just said, "Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Never heard anything like it. Amazing." He asked some questions and then said, "Look, you guys do what you want to. Do your own thing and all for now, but when you decide to come to New York doors will be open. No question. Come whenever you want to." Things to that respect. Needless to say, there was a great deal of excitement in that room. The horizon broadened exponentially. But my folks knew what was coming, and knowing everything that went into the project and my life in drumming to that point, they were shocked, to say the least. I had shared something with them before everyone came over.
I went down to the basement with Kevin later on that night. We sat down in front of the drums, and I told him, as best I could, how things felt for me, my new faith and all, and that I made the decision to leave the band. He reached for a cigarette instantaneously, knowing I didn't allow any smoking down there. But, he was dumbfounded. He was more than shocked, even though he saw how things were changing for me. You can imagine things he said to change my mind. He was heartbroken. Confused. I guess he told Fred later on. My path was settled, though, and I had to go forward on it. I made the right decision.
The album came out, but I was basically moving on and had no major role in its distribution, though I remember having copies and giving a couple to cousins. It received airplay on a station or two. I don't know how they marketed it, or if it made them any money. I remember a friend from church being at the house and hearing it played on the radio. The whole album, but the last cut, I guess because of time restrictions. She freaked out. And you know, you hear your work out there in the public arena and you do get moved by it. "Wow, I did that?"
The guys brought over a younger guy one day, I forget his name, that they asked to take my place. He was a lefty, and he played well, especially to see him play a set unknown to him and all. But, to be honest, it didn't have the same vibe, and it couldn't. I'm not sure when Kevin and Fred packed it in, as far as Legend. 1980 sometime? I don't know. I saw Kevin a few times. Just in passing. It was so different. They started another band together.
Things got strained between Kevin and me. I ended up having to sell my drums to pay off the album loan, and got a job washing dishes to deal with it, as well. I don't know what happened to my copy of the record. A friend from church had one before his conversion, and gave it to me. That got lost in a recent move down south. I had no idea what they are worth, so it wasn't as protected as it would have been had I known otherwise. My oldest daughter was given one by a former boyfriend who's deceased father had it in his collection. So she has one, and has been checking out the web finding info out about it. Fred seeks one for his youngest daughter. Hasn't been successful yet. The whole thing is really mind blowing. Truly. [side note - Fred found a second copy for his daughter].
Then one day I got the news, from the same friend who gave me his album, that Kevin passed away in his sleep. I was just stunned, literally stunned. And he had mentioned to me a couple times that Kevin wanted to speak with me, and I hadn't followed up on it for one reason or another. Have mercy, my heart hit the floor. I hadn't seen Fred since the split, as I remember. I'll never forget his face when he saw me at the cemetery. He was very close to Kevin. They knew each other for many years. He was really torn up by Kevin's passing.
So, no Legend reunions. And as I understand it from Fred, who I hooked up with just last fall after almost 30 years, there will not be a release of the tapes for a CD. I believe Kevin's brother Al has the tapes. Even though I paid for the project and all, that's how it worked out, and that's alright. They'd just be sitting around or gone if I had them. If a CD were released, I'd like a share. There's certainly things of an honorable nature I would do with any funds from it. But I understand Fred and Al's position not to release a CD, in honor of Kevin's life involved in it and all. [Side note - No master tapes. Gone forever. No re-issue, though various record companies have requested permission. Without the tapes, with all the web sites you can download from, and all the bootlegs out there, we see no real reason to do it if it can't be re-mastered from the originals.]
I certainly never thought Legend would become a legend. Some feel things should be kept mysterious about it. Why? Truth never hurts in the long run. The music was what it was. It is what it is. We were and are, what we were and are.
Fred has a web site. He's into a lot of stuff these days. It's been so interesting to get in touch after all these years, especially given the current environment surrounding the group and the album.
I stopped playing for around 12 years. Got back into playing, making my own drums. Did a couple clinics a few years back. Would love to do more of that. I had a Christian group for around ten years, called Asaph. Made some home grown videos called Concepts for SOLO Drum Set that I shared with guys all over the world that I met on the web. I would love to be out there again, doing it professionally for a living, but ... hasn't happened. And at 52 it may not happen again. But hey, we "made it," right Fred? We did indeed. And eternity will offer me far more opportunities than anything this earthly sojourn has to offer. So, I can abide satisfied until then. Hope is a good thing.
I want to thank Ray again for this unique, enlightening, and unprecedented interview. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!"
Fred Melillo Interview
This is an interview Fred did with Perry Grayson, back in 2006:
09-06-2006, 07:09 PM by Perry Grayson
August 3rd, 2006
In the late nineties I managed to grab a bootleg “reissue” LP of Legend’s From the Fjords. Before the boot I practically wore out a cassette dub of the album from the same source. (Yes, thanks are in order yet again to Rob Preston of Doomed Planet Records!) I didn’t know anything about the band other than that they rocked in an heavy epic style that reminded me of Sabbath and Rush at the same time. The few facts I’d managed to divine from a photocopy of the lyric insert were that the band hailed from the east coast state of Connecticut and that the cover had been created by Ioannis Vassilopoulos, the Greek artist responsible for Fates Warning’s The Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian and Blue Oyster Cult’s Curse of the Hidden Mirror and Long Day’s Night amongst others. I’d hear rumors that From the Fjords had been done merely to test out a studio owned by the band members and that they didn’t play gigs. But those were just rumors, as I later discovered.
1979, the year From the Fjords was released, was a both a magical and dark time for bands like Legend who dabbled in fantasy imagery and a love for what some considered archaic shag-edelic heavy rock. Sure, that’s when Cirith Ungol was gearing up to finally record an album (Frost and Fire came in 1981) and Manilla Road had just gotten together and would soon commit themselves to vinyl (Invasion and Metal are fine examples of this era). But disco and New Wave—and other dance driven types of pop—were making it nearly impossible for these bands to enjoy the kind of success their forefathers like Purple, Rush, Sabbath, Wishbone Ash, Mountain, Blue Oyster Cult and their ilk nearly a decade before. Unfortunately, Legend never attained the status of Manilla Road or Cirith Ungol, despite the brand of ball-clanging, minotaur-slaying heavy rock they purveyed. Obviously I’m not alone in thinking this. Slough Feg showed their love for what the ignorant claim to be “dinosaur rock” by covering the Legend track “The Wizard’s Vengeance” on their second LP Twilight of the Idols (Doomed Planet Records, 1998).
Fast forward to 2005, and out of the blue I received an email from one Fred Melillo, who I realized from the Legend LP liner notes was the ripping bassist. Fred had seen a list of my personal fave albums from the seventies and noticed I was a Legend fan. He initially got in touch to inquire if I knew where he might be able to buy an original copy of the LP. I figured, “Hey, since Legend is absolutely mind-blowing, and it’s a shame hardly anyone has ever heard them, why not ask Fred to do an interview?” Fred was kind enough to answer all of my questions, stuff that had baffled this humble heavy metal hunter for at least a decade.
Hellride Music: Legend is perhaps the most shadowed of all cult bands. Aside from the brief credits on From the Fjords, little if anything is known about that band. I kinda get the impression the three of you had been playing music for a while, but hadn't gotten any label attention. Could you tell a little about how you three got together and a bit of bio material on yourself, guitarist/singer Kevin (no relation to Ted?!) Nugent and drummer Ray Frigon?
Fred: Kevin (no relation to Ted) and I met at the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) in New Haven CT. I was living in East Haven and Kevin in New Haven. We were both sophomores in high school and were fortunate enough to be chosen from our towns to attend ECA. ECA, which is still in operation, offered talented students of art, dance, music and theater the opportunity to study their craft daily. We would go to our high schools for just a few classes a day, then hop on a bus and spend the rest of the day doing nothing but music. It was fantastic! Just like the FAME movie but not as corny [laughs]. Kevin and I hit it off immediately. We became great friends and played in each others bands until we graduated. Right out of school, we played together in a band named EDGE. EDGE was a popular rock and roll cover band that played all over the North East. We had a great time with Edge, but all good things seem to come to an end. Disco was peaking and a couple of the guys in the band decided to pursue that avenue as there was a lot of money to be made playing disco, and the r’n’r clubs were diminishing. At that time we went our separate ways for a short time. Kevin then met Ray Frigon and bass player John Judge. That was actually the beginning of Legend. They were playing pretty heavy stuff, anti-disco if you will. Lucky for me that their bass player was not working out for whatever reason, and Kevin called me and asked me to join.
Hellride Music: Stylistically Legend seems to fit more into the early '70s. What kind of reception did you get in '79 when the album was recorded and released?
Fred: We had our diehard core group of fans. The album was played on a lot of college stations but that was it. We could never get any airplay on the big stations.
Hellride Music: Did you play any gigs, or was it purely a studio band?
Fred: We did play some gigs but not many. We were not asked back by a lot of the clubs. I think it was too much for them. And in one instance, our pyro tech used just a little too much powder and blew out a window in a club, and also burned holes in the shirt I was wearing, (the same shirt I wore on the back cover of the album LOL) We never saw that club again.
Hellride Music: There's an epic fantasy vibe going in most of the songs on From the Fjords. Who's to "blame" for that and why?
Fred: Ray wrote most of the lyrics. I really don’t know the answer as to why. I can only guess that comics were pretty popular at that time, such as Conan etc.
Hellride Music: I guess I’ll have to track Ray down someday to find out what his inspiration was on the fantasy side of things. Seems like a combination of epic/heroic fantasy like Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, etc.
Do you know how many copies were originally pressed of From the Fjords? The original is really rare and has a huge value on the vinyl collectors' market.
Fred: I’m not 100 percent sure but I think only 500 were pressed. I was astounded to find out how much the originals are going for, and also disturbed that there are more counterfeits out there than originals. I started looking for an album about 10 years ago and cannot believe the price. I only have one album myself, and looking for another so that I can leave one to each of my kids.
Hellride Music: Ioannis became a pretty well known artist, doing metal LP covers for Fates Warning, Warlord, Blue Oyster Cult, Styx, Saga and others. What's the story behind the cover for the Legend LP?
Fred: Ioannis is a great artist and I’m very happy that he is doing well. I think it was easy for him to create the cover due to the song titles and lyrics. There was so much of the fantasy thing going on in the songs that the cover just came out of him.
Hellride Music: You mentioned that guitarist Kevin passed away years ago. Not to dwell on depressing things, but what happened to him?
Fred: Kevin was not well and it was awful to get that news. His brother Alan called to tell me. I was devastated.
Hellride Music: The song “R.A.R.Z.” stands for "rock 'n' roll zole", right? The overall sound and those lyrics lead me to think that maybe you guys had a tough time with the business side playing the kind of fantasy-inspired heavy rock you did. What's the story behind the song, seeing as it's pretty much the only non-fantasy inspired tune on the record?
Fred: Yes, RARZ does stand for Rock and Roll Zole. Back then, a Zole was short for an a--hole. I’m not sure who came up with that term of endearment. It may have been Kevin, Kevin’s brother Alan or one of Alan’s friends possibly. Anyway, the term stuck. And yes, you are correct that we had a rough time with the business side. We just could not compete with the crap that was selling on the radio at that time.
Hellride Music: That's a crazy looking double neck (6 & 12 string) axe Kevin's playing on the back cover of the album. Looks like a custom... Do you remember what it was exactly?
Fred: I do remember. It was an Ibanez, 6 and 12. We used to do one tune where I would stand on a crate behind Kevin, and I would play the top twelve while Kevin played the six.
Hellride Music: By the way, Kevin's hair in that photo was nearly as big as the afros a few of the guys in the '70s band Bull Angus were wearing circa 1971! You kind of have a bit of that hippie flair going on in that one too. Do you think you guys missed the boat a bit on the early '70s scene? Why do you think the listening public shifted away from that whole thing towards the mid to late '70s?
Fred: Kevin’s Afro, LOL, it was envied by all!!! We missed the boat, or the corporations would not let us on. The whole music scene was just changing, for the worse. I feel that the general listening public is not open to new and different styles. Most guys and girls were going out to meet and dance, not listen. The whole purpose of the clubs became pickup joints. Legend was not a dance band nor background music. It’s not any better today as far as I’m concerned. There are tons of great players and bands that are starving, due to lousy music that the listening public buys.
Hellride Music: Since you were a Connecticut-based band, do you think it was harder to get noticed compared to a band living in say Los Angeles or New York? Was there any kind of rock scene there (and if so, would you care to talk about it a bit)?
Fred: Connecticut did not have much of a scene. The Connecticut rock scene then consisted of cover bands and a few original bands. Michael Bolton (he was Bolotin then) was a New Haven rocker before he changed to pop, and he was playing the same clubs we were. I believe that if he did not change styles he would still be unknown.
Would things have been different in NY or LA? Maybe, but due to the change in music during that time and what people were listening to and buying, I would say probably not.
Hellride Music: What have you been doing these twenty-some-odd years since the demise of Legend? Do you still keep in touch with Ray Frigon? Any idea what he's up to?
Fred: I have been a very busy guy. Playing Bass is still my number one music love, but I also tune pianos, give lessons, and run a project studio doing Demos for local musicians. I currently play with Ron Neuhauser, a KILLER guitarist, in many of his different bands, and we just released a new CD. Check out www.nocheez.com to see what we are doing. My goal is to be the best player/musician I can be. I continue to learn and practice as much as possible, and feel that I have never played better than I do now. My playing styles are more jazz/funk these days, but I still love that old metal ala Black Sabbath.
Ray Frigon... I often wonder what he is up to and hope he is still playing. We have not seen each other since the end of Legend. I think he is living up North, Maine possibly. I should try and track him down.
09-06-2006, 07:09 PM by Perry Grayson
August 3rd, 2006
In the late nineties I managed to grab a bootleg “reissue” LP of Legend’s From the Fjords. Before the boot I practically wore out a cassette dub of the album from the same source. (Yes, thanks are in order yet again to Rob Preston of Doomed Planet Records!) I didn’t know anything about the band other than that they rocked in an heavy epic style that reminded me of Sabbath and Rush at the same time. The few facts I’d managed to divine from a photocopy of the lyric insert were that the band hailed from the east coast state of Connecticut and that the cover had been created by Ioannis Vassilopoulos, the Greek artist responsible for Fates Warning’s The Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian and Blue Oyster Cult’s Curse of the Hidden Mirror and Long Day’s Night amongst others. I’d hear rumors that From the Fjords had been done merely to test out a studio owned by the band members and that they didn’t play gigs. But those were just rumors, as I later discovered.
1979, the year From the Fjords was released, was a both a magical and dark time for bands like Legend who dabbled in fantasy imagery and a love for what some considered archaic shag-edelic heavy rock. Sure, that’s when Cirith Ungol was gearing up to finally record an album (Frost and Fire came in 1981) and Manilla Road had just gotten together and would soon commit themselves to vinyl (Invasion and Metal are fine examples of this era). But disco and New Wave—and other dance driven types of pop—were making it nearly impossible for these bands to enjoy the kind of success their forefathers like Purple, Rush, Sabbath, Wishbone Ash, Mountain, Blue Oyster Cult and their ilk nearly a decade before. Unfortunately, Legend never attained the status of Manilla Road or Cirith Ungol, despite the brand of ball-clanging, minotaur-slaying heavy rock they purveyed. Obviously I’m not alone in thinking this. Slough Feg showed their love for what the ignorant claim to be “dinosaur rock” by covering the Legend track “The Wizard’s Vengeance” on their second LP Twilight of the Idols (Doomed Planet Records, 1998).
Fast forward to 2005, and out of the blue I received an email from one Fred Melillo, who I realized from the Legend LP liner notes was the ripping bassist. Fred had seen a list of my personal fave albums from the seventies and noticed I was a Legend fan. He initially got in touch to inquire if I knew where he might be able to buy an original copy of the LP. I figured, “Hey, since Legend is absolutely mind-blowing, and it’s a shame hardly anyone has ever heard them, why not ask Fred to do an interview?” Fred was kind enough to answer all of my questions, stuff that had baffled this humble heavy metal hunter for at least a decade.
Hellride Music: Legend is perhaps the most shadowed of all cult bands. Aside from the brief credits on From the Fjords, little if anything is known about that band. I kinda get the impression the three of you had been playing music for a while, but hadn't gotten any label attention. Could you tell a little about how you three got together and a bit of bio material on yourself, guitarist/singer Kevin (no relation to Ted?!) Nugent and drummer Ray Frigon?
Fred: Kevin (no relation to Ted) and I met at the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) in New Haven CT. I was living in East Haven and Kevin in New Haven. We were both sophomores in high school and were fortunate enough to be chosen from our towns to attend ECA. ECA, which is still in operation, offered talented students of art, dance, music and theater the opportunity to study their craft daily. We would go to our high schools for just a few classes a day, then hop on a bus and spend the rest of the day doing nothing but music. It was fantastic! Just like the FAME movie but not as corny [laughs]. Kevin and I hit it off immediately. We became great friends and played in each others bands until we graduated. Right out of school, we played together in a band named EDGE. EDGE was a popular rock and roll cover band that played all over the North East. We had a great time with Edge, but all good things seem to come to an end. Disco was peaking and a couple of the guys in the band decided to pursue that avenue as there was a lot of money to be made playing disco, and the r’n’r clubs were diminishing. At that time we went our separate ways for a short time. Kevin then met Ray Frigon and bass player John Judge. That was actually the beginning of Legend. They were playing pretty heavy stuff, anti-disco if you will. Lucky for me that their bass player was not working out for whatever reason, and Kevin called me and asked me to join.
Hellride Music: Stylistically Legend seems to fit more into the early '70s. What kind of reception did you get in '79 when the album was recorded and released?
Fred: We had our diehard core group of fans. The album was played on a lot of college stations but that was it. We could never get any airplay on the big stations.
Hellride Music: Did you play any gigs, or was it purely a studio band?
Fred: We did play some gigs but not many. We were not asked back by a lot of the clubs. I think it was too much for them. And in one instance, our pyro tech used just a little too much powder and blew out a window in a club, and also burned holes in the shirt I was wearing, (the same shirt I wore on the back cover of the album LOL) We never saw that club again.
Hellride Music: There's an epic fantasy vibe going in most of the songs on From the Fjords. Who's to "blame" for that and why?
Fred: Ray wrote most of the lyrics. I really don’t know the answer as to why. I can only guess that comics were pretty popular at that time, such as Conan etc.
Hellride Music: I guess I’ll have to track Ray down someday to find out what his inspiration was on the fantasy side of things. Seems like a combination of epic/heroic fantasy like Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, etc.
Do you know how many copies were originally pressed of From the Fjords? The original is really rare and has a huge value on the vinyl collectors' market.
Fred: I’m not 100 percent sure but I think only 500 were pressed. I was astounded to find out how much the originals are going for, and also disturbed that there are more counterfeits out there than originals. I started looking for an album about 10 years ago and cannot believe the price. I only have one album myself, and looking for another so that I can leave one to each of my kids.
Hellride Music: Ioannis became a pretty well known artist, doing metal LP covers for Fates Warning, Warlord, Blue Oyster Cult, Styx, Saga and others. What's the story behind the cover for the Legend LP?
Fred: Ioannis is a great artist and I’m very happy that he is doing well. I think it was easy for him to create the cover due to the song titles and lyrics. There was so much of the fantasy thing going on in the songs that the cover just came out of him.
Hellride Music: You mentioned that guitarist Kevin passed away years ago. Not to dwell on depressing things, but what happened to him?
Fred: Kevin was not well and it was awful to get that news. His brother Alan called to tell me. I was devastated.
Hellride Music: The song “R.A.R.Z.” stands for "rock 'n' roll zole", right? The overall sound and those lyrics lead me to think that maybe you guys had a tough time with the business side playing the kind of fantasy-inspired heavy rock you did. What's the story behind the song, seeing as it's pretty much the only non-fantasy inspired tune on the record?
Fred: Yes, RARZ does stand for Rock and Roll Zole. Back then, a Zole was short for an a--hole. I’m not sure who came up with that term of endearment. It may have been Kevin, Kevin’s brother Alan or one of Alan’s friends possibly. Anyway, the term stuck. And yes, you are correct that we had a rough time with the business side. We just could not compete with the crap that was selling on the radio at that time.
Hellride Music: That's a crazy looking double neck (6 & 12 string) axe Kevin's playing on the back cover of the album. Looks like a custom... Do you remember what it was exactly?
Fred: I do remember. It was an Ibanez, 6 and 12. We used to do one tune where I would stand on a crate behind Kevin, and I would play the top twelve while Kevin played the six.
Hellride Music: By the way, Kevin's hair in that photo was nearly as big as the afros a few of the guys in the '70s band Bull Angus were wearing circa 1971! You kind of have a bit of that hippie flair going on in that one too. Do you think you guys missed the boat a bit on the early '70s scene? Why do you think the listening public shifted away from that whole thing towards the mid to late '70s?
Fred: Kevin’s Afro, LOL, it was envied by all!!! We missed the boat, or the corporations would not let us on. The whole music scene was just changing, for the worse. I feel that the general listening public is not open to new and different styles. Most guys and girls were going out to meet and dance, not listen. The whole purpose of the clubs became pickup joints. Legend was not a dance band nor background music. It’s not any better today as far as I’m concerned. There are tons of great players and bands that are starving, due to lousy music that the listening public buys.
Hellride Music: Since you were a Connecticut-based band, do you think it was harder to get noticed compared to a band living in say Los Angeles or New York? Was there any kind of rock scene there (and if so, would you care to talk about it a bit)?
Fred: Connecticut did not have much of a scene. The Connecticut rock scene then consisted of cover bands and a few original bands. Michael Bolton (he was Bolotin then) was a New Haven rocker before he changed to pop, and he was playing the same clubs we were. I believe that if he did not change styles he would still be unknown.
Would things have been different in NY or LA? Maybe, but due to the change in music during that time and what people were listening to and buying, I would say probably not.
Hellride Music: What have you been doing these twenty-some-odd years since the demise of Legend? Do you still keep in touch with Ray Frigon? Any idea what he's up to?
Fred: I have been a very busy guy. Playing Bass is still my number one music love, but I also tune pianos, give lessons, and run a project studio doing Demos for local musicians. I currently play with Ron Neuhauser, a KILLER guitarist, in many of his different bands, and we just released a new CD. Check out www.nocheez.com to see what we are doing. My goal is to be the best player/musician I can be. I continue to learn and practice as much as possible, and feel that I have never played better than I do now. My playing styles are more jazz/funk these days, but I still love that old metal ala Black Sabbath.
Ray Frigon... I often wonder what he is up to and hope he is still playing. We have not seen each other since the end of Legend. I think he is living up North, Maine possibly. I should try and track him down.
************
Album Reissue - Why?
In the last five years or more a number of requests have come from various parties to reissue the album as vinyl or CD; an "official" re-release of From the Fjords. Record companies, both foreign and domestic have made the request. About six years ago there was some serious discussion about doing a reissue in CD format. At that time it was assumed the master tapes existed somewhere and people were trying to track them down. Bootlegs abound, and I recently found out they can sell for $100 or more. That is ridiculous. People, you can download the music for free at a number of web sites. Don't waste your money and give it to crooks. Fred and I are not happy about bootlegs but, reality check: that's the world we live in.
The fact is there will be No "official" reissue of the album for a simple reason - the master tapes no longer exist. Nothing could truly be done to enhance anything of the recording. It's out there for free. Every known picture of the band is in my possession, and what is on this web site represents the best of that and info surrounding the band. No masters, no new info to offer ... what is the point of doing a reissue? Money?
Well, honestly, here is my bottom line. I'm not into all this satanic stuff out there, which Legend had zero to do with then, and should not be associated with now, all things considered, and I will not associate Legend with it. A company promoting such philosophy and ideology in its catalog is not going to get permission or cooperation from me to reissue. Sorry. Won't do it. They have their convictions, I have mine.
For a company or party not into all the satanic stuff, here's the deal: all profits go into a charity in Kevin's name. If your concern is "getting the music out there for people to hear," do it in Kevin's name. That's an honorable consideration. Well, obviously there are manufacturing issues to consider. And I am a capitalist. I'm not against people making money from products they manufacture and sell.
Until that basic combination comes along though, just download the music from any of the sites out there offering it and save yourself some money from bootleggers and frauds.
The fact is there will be No "official" reissue of the album for a simple reason - the master tapes no longer exist. Nothing could truly be done to enhance anything of the recording. It's out there for free. Every known picture of the band is in my possession, and what is on this web site represents the best of that and info surrounding the band. No masters, no new info to offer ... what is the point of doing a reissue? Money?
Well, honestly, here is my bottom line. I'm not into all this satanic stuff out there, which Legend had zero to do with then, and should not be associated with now, all things considered, and I will not associate Legend with it. A company promoting such philosophy and ideology in its catalog is not going to get permission or cooperation from me to reissue. Sorry. Won't do it. They have their convictions, I have mine.
For a company or party not into all the satanic stuff, here's the deal: all profits go into a charity in Kevin's name. If your concern is "getting the music out there for people to hear," do it in Kevin's name. That's an honorable consideration. Well, obviously there are manufacturing issues to consider. And I am a capitalist. I'm not against people making money from products they manufacture and sell.
Until that basic combination comes along though, just download the music from any of the sites out there offering it and save yourself some money from bootleggers and frauds.
*******
Album Reissue - Well ...Yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUW8pE7K8fg
Legend ~ From the Fjords, 40th anniversary Reissue, July 2019
I wrote this a couple months ago and waited until the right time to post it.
For the sake of honesty and full disclosure I left the preceding blog info intact.
There is that saying, "Never say, Never."
Then why a reissue?
The interest in the band after all these years; a band that never really toured, never had even a regional fan base, and never existed but, for a short time, is simply surreal. I have no idea how this happened.
Like I have said, I get a few requests from record companies every year, it seems, to reissue the album. Back in January I received a second request from a company in Greece. For the sake of discussion I replied and got into some good correspondence with Manos Koufakis, of Sonic Age Records. He was different than most all the other companies that contacted me. He understood my position on what Legend was and was not, and agreed. We shared a lot of ideas together. I questioned him on things at his website I was not comfortable with. He honestly replied. I asked him what he was thinking, as far as a reissue and what would be involved and all. From a simple business perspective I asked him if he would be willing to carry my current recordings of Miledge Muzic. He and his partner, Kostas Organopoulos, listened to some, liked what they heard, and said they'd love to.
Well, by the end of our correspondence on the whole matter I agreed to go ahead and do it for the fans, certainly some better exposure of current things I'm into, and more importantly, as I began listening to the album again, as a tribute to Kevin. People need to hear what that guy could do on a guitar, as well as his marvelous arrangement talents. Yes, I wrote the lyrics and basic melodies but, Kevin's arrangements, despite any input we contributed, and his voice, was what gave the melodies and lyrics a life that has remained interesting and active for people 40 years later. It's important guitarists and others are aware of his gifts.
Manos was born in 1979, the year the album came out. At first he didn't realize it was the 40th anniversary of its release. The logical premise: a 40th anniversary reissue, with some info, pictures, and several cuts from a discovered demo the band did before the album was recorded, featuring a couple songs not on the album, and some other goodies. It is a pretty cool package for vinyl and CD release. It is humbling that they even created another record label besides Cult Metal Classics for the reissue, using it to inaugurate Cult Rock Classics.
The guys at Sonic Age have done a really nice job on the recording. No, it has not been remastered from the originals, long gone. Yes, it is taken from an original LP. I don't know the technical specifics but, the album sounds bigger and bolder and better than anything else I have heard out there by literal comparison.
So, for the fans, and especially for Kevin's memory of the marvelous human being he was, and his terrific virtuosity at the guitar, which as large an audience as possible should be aware of, Legend ~ From the Fjords, 40th Anniversary Reissue is coming to an online record store from Athens, Greece (and other outlets) a click away from you.
Athens. Kind of fitting, all things considered of stories, myths, and legends.
Well, as we knock on August's door you see the picture of the new 40th anniversary Legend release, taken by the beautiful Aegean sea. Talk about myths and legends. Ancient Greek, Roman, and other European nation stories abound. The story of King Aegeus and his son Theseus certainly among them. It is surreal, if not amazing to see the album sitting on driftwood by the Aegean sea 40 years beyond its original, humble release in Connecticut, in 1979. I can only marvel at the interest the album maintains, and I hope this reissue brings the work of Kevin Nugent before more fans than ever. The time, effort, and work of Manos Koufakis, Kostas Organopoulos, and their team at Sonic Age/Cult Rock Classics is above and beyond. Hail! to them, and to From the Fjords!