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Phelps, who had been responsible for Silkworm's
most introverted songs, debuted solo with
Warm Springs Night (El Recordo, 1996), a collection that displayed his
skills at both the
power-ballad (Counsel) and the chamber lied
(The Graze And The Graves),
while indulging in the classy
hard-rock of God Bless The Three Little Pigs.
After his successful solo album, Joel Phelps formed a trio called
The Downer Trio and released the EP
The Downer Trio (Pacifico, 1997), that features unusually baroque
arrangements on songs such as At El Paso
(saxophone and slide guitar) and Good Advice For Dogs
(piano).
The album The Downer Trio:3 (Pacifico, 1998) returned to his
noir songwriting with solemn stories such as
Aleta Alita and The Graze And The Graves.
Phelps third album,
Blackbird (Pacifico, 1999), steers away from those manic psychological
analyses and revels in harsh rock and roll and even occasional bursts of
punk-rock (Then Slowly Turn, I Got A Live One).
In this alternating sorrowful acoustic or semi-acoustic ballads
(Unless You're Tired Of Living, Blessed Salt Lake)
with fiery rocking songs,
Phelp's career mimicks Neil Young's.
Inland Empires contains one original and six covers.
Joe Phelps and the Downer Trio returned with Customs (Moneyshot, 2004),
another exercise in suspense-filled storytelling.
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Phelps, che era responsabile delle canzoni piu` introverse, ha registrato
Warm Springs Night (El Recordo, 1996), album che eccelle
soprattutto nella power-ballad (Counsel) e nel lied da camera
(The Graze And The Graves),
ma si concede anche un divertimento di classe nel
campo dell'hard-rock (God Bless The Three Little Pigs).
Dopo l'album solista, Joel Phelps forma un trio chiamato
The Downer Trio e pubblica l'EP
The Downer Trio (Pacifico, 1997), che si distingue per arrangiamenti
insolitamente barocchi come in At El Paso
(sax e slide guitar) e Good Advice For Dogs (piano).
L'album The Downer Trio:3 (Pacifico, 1998) ritorna invece alle narrazioni
noir con storie solenni come
Aleta Alita e The Graze And The Graves.
Blackbird (Pacifico, 1999) rifugge quelle maniacali analisis psicologiche
a favore di un rock and roll viscerale e persino esplosioni
punk-rock (Then Slowly Turn, I Got A Live One).
Nell'alternare ballate dolenti acustiche a feroci canzoni rock
(Unless You're Tired Of Living, Blessed Salt Lake),
la carriera di Phelp imita quella di Neil Young.
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