The Boston Herald
April 7, 1995
Robyn Hitchcock Retrospective Fills Nine CDs
by Tristram Lozaw
Over his two-decade career, rocker Robyn Hitchcock has never been a household name. His wry songwriting and offhand storytelling has, however, instilled devotion in a legion of fans worldwide -- enough to prod Rhino Records into issuing a nine-CD collection of his recordings. The releases include 22 previously unissued outtakes newly culled and preened by Hitchcock for You & Oblivion.
"In some cases I didn't even remember the songs existed. Others were songs I had planned to record with the band but never had," says Hitchcock. "But while I generally keep one-and-a-half eyes on the past, I'm more interested in what I'm doing next."
Hitchcock plays tonight and tomorrow at T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge, where he'll be accompanied by violinist Deni Bonet from public radio's Mountain Stage. Though he's regularly performed with The Soft Boys and The Egyptians, Hitchcock prefers to go it alone. "I prefer not to do things by committee. It's good for me to have to make my own decisions. I don't need to be interpreted by others anymore."
Possessed of the independent spirit, Hitchcock chose Rhino for the re-release of his library because, "The major labels would just boil it down to two discs and expect you to sell millions of copies." He also just released "I Something You" on a 7-inch single through the small K Records label.
"I recorded at the home of the man who runs the label. We did two songs in the kitchen, and one in the basement (since they had to do some cooking). And it was fantastic, recording on old 8-track equipment.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE