A Raw Look at Sir Lord Baltimore
Is it possible to want your money back when you got an album for free? This is the question I was asking myself after picking up ’70s proto-metallers Sir Lord Baltimore‘s semi-reunion semi-album III: Raw at the Second Saturday Record Show in Wayne, NJ, over the weekend. The disc, with an inkjet cover, was in a bin of $3 albums, and when I took it up to make my purchase, I was told to just take it. In retrospect, the dude who gave it to me must have listened to it.
And in retrospect, he should have given me $3 to take it off his hands.
III: Raw has six tracks on it originally written in the ’70s for a Sir Lord Baltimore album that never materialized. Vocalist John Garner — who produced the album and seems to be in charge of preserving the band’s legacy — and guitarist Louis Dambra got back together in 2006 to record and self-release the tunes, and while I’m loath to rip on bands who put out their own stuff, as a matter of principle, I have to say, wow, this is really bad.
Garner can sing. Dambra can play. No doubt about either of those, but the songs on III: Raw sound, rather than raw, like they were reaching out for some kind of production value and falling short. Honestly, if the two players and bassist Tony Franklin recorded these songs to an analog 4-track live in Garner‘s garage on Staten Island, they might at least live up to the name of the record. “(Gonna) Fill the World with Fire” and “Wild White Horses” feel overly put together, but like they were put together with Elmer’s because no cement was available.
And Garner, who also plays drums, is also really, really into Jesus. Gosh he likes Jesus. The lyrics to “Love Slave” reminded me of that episode of South Park where Cartman tries to go platinum and ends up myrrh with his sexualized god rock. I understand Sir Lord Baltimore has developed a cult following over the years because they were there when metal was just forming, but they probably would have been fine leaving their legacy alone with the Kingdom Come and Sir Lord Baltimore albums. They certainly didn’t do themselves any favors here.
Tags: New York, Sir Lord Baltimore
thank you for this review. i wonder how you felt about the 2 songs i played bass on on this recording! you mentioned the ones tony franklin played on but i played on two as well. i dont remember the names of them but if you have the cd (you probably threw it out!) you could probably identify them. john was a friend of mine and asked me to play bass (even though i am more from the jazz realm) on two new tunes he was recording. i remember it being a fun experience but i dont remember the songs much at all.
John Garner died in 2015, and Louis Dambra in 2019 – both had become followers of Jesus of Nazareth – Christ. This last album was their musical statement that who they once were was changed when they became Christians. The album stands as a testimony to that Faith. They went from lost to found, and into Eternal Life. John 3:16-17