Album Notes

Johnny Goudie

From rock and roll front man and band leader to guitar/keyboard playing sideman (for which he won "best keyboard player" in the 2004 Austin chronicle music awards for his work with indie rock band Endochine), to studio musician playing on such albums as Eliza Gilkyson's Lost and Found and Jeff Klein's Everybody Loves a Winner, to songwriter's songwriter, writing with the likes of Jane Wiedlin & Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's and the ever-celebrated Patty Griffin to name a few, Johnny Goudie has earned and maintained the title musician's musician.

As former front man/leader of the band Goudie, he gained national attention when the band was signed to Lars Ulrich's Elektra records subsidiary, The Music Company (after the band had been together a mere 9 months). The band released one album on The Music Company label, the critically acclaimed, Peep Show (2000). The album was produced by Goudie, Mike McCarthy (spoon, ... and You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead) and Dan Maccarrol (The Grays, Aimee Mann) and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig (No Doubt, John Mayer, Remy Zero). The band spent over a year on tour of America in support of the album. Lost in the shuffle after the AOL merger and dissatisfied with his "100% creative freedom" deal, Johnny decided to take his band and leave the multinational conglomerate label and join forces with some friends in a cooperative independent label out of Austin called India Records. After a celebrated second album, Effects of Madness (2002) and another year on the road, Johnny decided to disband the group that bore his name.

After his time in Goudie, Johnny returned to his biggest passion, sitting in his home studio writing and recording songs, something he's done since he was 16 years old. During his time in the studio Johnny continued to perform as a sideman in several different bands, including God Drives a Galaxy and Lowery 66, before joining Endochine after the release of their critically acclaimed album Day Two. It was while he was on tour with Endochine, and as he was going through the break-up of his marriage, that Johnny wrote and recorded the songs for Boy in a Box. The record showcases Johnny's masterful songwriting abilities, his unique and beautiful voice and his versatility as a musician. Goudie plays all of the instruments on almost every song. It is Johnny's best and most personal album to date.

The 12 songs on Boy in a Box reflect Johnny's coming of age, from the instant rock and roll classic that opens the album, "Sex Machine," to the New York Dolls swagger and attitude of "Back of a Magazine," in which Johnny warns of the perils of rock stardom: "They've got some pictures with all your clothes off, and all the cocaine, it ate your nose off." In the ode to loss and self-deprecation, "Old Enough," Johnny confesses, "of everyone that you evaded, you're the only one you hated." Then there are "Leave it Alone," with its sad trumpets playing over a funeral drum waltz as he sings, "Baby, you just don't treat me right lately, when everything is going good for you," and the deceptively sensitive shoe gazer anthem, "Stay," where he flippantly yet sweetly explains, "I never got to fuck her, but I kissed her on the cheek." It is safe to say that listening to this album makes you feel like you're reading a fascinating novel accompanied by a warm sing-along soundtrack.

As strong as Johnny's writing and recording abilities are, those are only part of the package. He is also one of the most captivating and compelling front men around. His presence on stage is larger than life. "You can't take your eyes off of him," was how he was described in Billboard magazine. With a voice that can go from falsetto whisper to blood-curdling scream in two notes, he can go from Robin Zander-like stoicism to Who-like thrashing of his guitar in a matter of seconds. At his solo shows, his sense of humor and love for story telling shine as much as his gorgeous voice and "tell-all" lyrics, keeping the audience captivated and waiting for the next outrageous thing to come out of his mouth. Whether in song or candid conversation, Johnny Goudie is the consummate performer.

Boy in a box hit the streets on May 17th, as the first release on the new label, F+M Records. Look for Johnny on tour solo and with his band until the end of time starting in May 2005.

F+M Records
6012 Tasajillo Trail
Austin, Texas 78739
Telephone: 512.301.2105
Fax: 512.301.5401
Email: bobby@fandmrecords.com