Blacktop

by Alex ZornBlacktop was the first post-Gories project for Mick Collins. While similar to the legendary garage punk three-piece, Blacktop is a clear progression, in terms of musicianship and songwriting skill, for Collins and is also the beginning of his movement towards noisier material. The bands sound was fuller and more sophisticated, due in no small part to the addition of a bass line and the songwriting input of Darin Lin Wood (Fireworks, 68 Comeback) and Alex Cuervo. While still drawing from a wealth of blues, soul, and mod influences, Blacktop crossed into seemingly new territory, even going so far as to cover Captain Beefhearts Here I Am, I Always Am. Ive Got a Baaad Feeling, their first album, was recorded on an eight track at a friends house in Dallas and was released in 1995. Half of the albums tracks, and several other unreleased ones, were assembled and released in Australia as Up All Night. As with all of Collins other projects, Blacktop released several 7 singles throughout its brief career. The band never made it back into the studio, although Collins and Cuervo went on to form King Sound Quartet with Tim Kerr.