Green, Rediscovered

O.K. I've mentioned the band Green a couple times before.  Once, posting a song of theirs as part of a Chicago-themed Music for the Weekend post.  Another time, after I discovered a new interview with Green founder Jeff Lescher, at which time I wrote: "I keep waiting for the band Green to be rediscovered the way that Big Star was, years after disappearing into apparent obscurity.   Justice demands that there be a happy ending to Jeff Lescher's story."

Could that moment be upon us?  Spin magazine has a list of the 100 Greatest Bands You've (Probably) Never Heard.  Online, you get a look at 15 from the list for which they've posted videos and, yes, Green is on the list (see page 2).   Very much deserved.  They made the most dizzyingly great Kinks/Clash/Prince-inspired pop-rock you can imagine in the mid/late-80s, before turning in a darker direction in the 90s.  The first of those darker records -- White Soul -- is one of my all-time favorites.  The record after that was spottier, but still had great highlights. 

But in classic Green fashion -- snatching defeat out of the arms of victory -- the video that Spin has posted is of one of their least memorable, least distinct songs.  No offense to Ken Kurson (who visited YR to comment on the first linked post above, and who did indeed -- despite his denial -- once threaten to beat me up... long story...) but they should have picked one of Jeff's tunes.  Green never made a good video to my knowledge, but the song in the one below is awesome.  (And gets better on repeat listens.. despite this being a YouTube of a VHS with tracking problems...)

The other thing that's sad is that I fear Green is in no position to capitalize on any resurgent interest generated by the Spin article.  Good luck finding their old records (outside of a rare eBay)!  They were tough to find when they were released, and impossible now.   I checked last week and discovered on their MySpace page that -- after having "New Album Coming in 2007" posted for two years -- they do now have a new record out.   

Their name also does them no favors in the Google age, and for that reason I'd have recommended to Jeff a different name than "The Planets" for the new release.  Just try Googling "Green Planets".  Good thing that at least Lescher is a distinctive surname, or they'd really be in trouble...  

Oh well, we'll take what Green we can get.  For any Green fans that stumble upon this post, you should check out the list that I set up at RateItAll a few years ago where you can discuss the bands albums. 

And this is another sweet little post about the band from the blog Little Hits, which has a couple Mp3's posted. 

p.s. I just noticed on their Facebook page that there is an address where you can buy the new cord via snail mail.  How wonderfully old school is that? 

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