The Vertebrats - "Left in the Dark"
I first heard this song on the Replacements' infamous The Shit Hits the Fans, which was recorded at a show where the band is clearly uninterested in playing their songs, instead opting to drunkenly plow their way through some hilarious/awful attempted covers of Black Sabbath, Robyn Hitchcock, Led Zeppelin, X, and of course this Vertebrats track—which, interestingly, isn't too bad.Â
I think "Left in the Dark" is perhaps better known as a song that other artists have thrown in their repertoire, but the Vertebrats' song is an undeniable garage rock classic. The Vertebrats were from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and initially existed from about 1979 to 1982. Their record/compilation A Thousand Day Dream consists of an exhaustive 20+ tracks of solidly scruffy Midwestern rock & roll, with garage rock and power pop leanings, recorded during that time period. You can hear the influence that they, and bands of their ilk, had on the "alternative rock" scene that cropped up in various U.S. cities in the '80s. The band, who had attained a bit of a cult following, have since played several reunion shows, mostly to their local crowd. Most recently, the compilation Screaming Like a Mad Choir consists of remastered recordings and can be listened to here.
Other tracks: "Jackie's Gone" ; "Don't Think About It" (live) ; "How Come" ; "Diamonds in the Rough"
-k.
