Forever Lowman

Everything

2010-11-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

I'm no longer going to post any new albums but thought it'd be a good idea to just make a post with all active links on 1 page for easy access.

Vertical Slit - Slit & Pre-Slit
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2xfss9

Vertical Slit - ...And Beyond
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ymjpap

Vertical Slit - Basement 2215
http://www.sendspace.com/file/47w5n0

V-3 - Live WNUR Chicago
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ya8oo8

V-3 - Photograph Burns
http://www.sendspace.com/file/nxfe4i

V-3 - Psychic Dance Hall
http://www.sendspace.com/file/pg0i0z

Jim Shepard - Motorcycle Movie
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2melp9

Jim Shepard - Amsterdam
http://www.sendspace.com/file/xa8if6

Jim Shepard - Folk City Aztec Drama vol. 1
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7j5s7s

Jim Shepard - Folk City Aztec Drama vol. 2
http://www.sendspace.com/file/tin0li

Thanks for downloading and most of all thanks for enjoying! Hopefully this music will last as long as it deserves to - forever.

- FLM

POST #11 - V-3 - PSYCHIC DANCE HALL

2010-05-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

V-3 - Psychic Dance Hall

This is a collection of some early singles (Earth Muffin EP and Another Exterminator EP) and other recordings while Roxanne Newman was still playing in V3. I've never been a big fan of her vocals and obviously prefer Shepard's work to hers, however it is what it is and some of her songs are actually really good. The jammers on this include 2 of my favorites in the V3 catalog Inside Outpost and Another Exterminator (Eaten By Bugs). Much of this CD is a lot more experimental V3 than what came out after this but it's still an excellent release and gives you a better understanding of pre-Negotiate Nothing and Photograph Burns. Enjoy.

This CD was released on the Ropeburn label in 1991

On this recording V-3 is:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals
Roxanne Newman - Guitar/Vocals
Nudge Squidfish - Bass
Rudy K - Drums

Tracklisting:
1) Prime Minister Keys - 5.04
2) Tick Tock - 1.45
3) It's Not Easy (Over-Drive) - 2.01
4) Gotta Get Free - 4.48
5) Another Exterminator (Eaten By Bugs) - 6.02
6) Dead Man - 3.56
7) Photograph Burns (Live) - 4.52
8) Do Not Bend - 2.27
9) Psychic Dance Hall - 4.13
10) Inside Outpost - 5.08
11) Master Of Ceremonies - 2.33
12) Fast Blue U.F.O. - 2.26
13) Twisted Words - 4.58
14) Party-Cop-Judge - 1.38
15) Big Steel Tool-Box - 3.33
16) Birds and Garbage - 2.57
17) Unbroken Silence - 4.37
18) The Enemy Within - 2.49
19) Don't Blame Me - 4.04

Link in comment box

POST #10 - JIM SHEPARD - FOLK CITY AZTEC DRAMA vol. 1

2010-04-20T11:48:00.001-07:00

Jim Shepard - Folk City Aztec Drama vol. 1

I posted FCADv2 earlier in the blog, but if you missed it HERE ya go. This cassette is the first installment of Jim Shepard's Cohen-worship releases. All acoustic songs in the vein of Dylan, Cohen, Fahey, Prine, etc etc. In my earlier post I explained how vol.2 was my favorite of the releases but listening to vol. 1 as I type this makes me re consider, a lot of great songs on this one. "One Percent Of Nothing", "The Bride Wore Crimson", "Caught Up In the Race" and "The Stranger". This is a really good tape, especially for those more interested in Shepard's [amazing] songwriting which is really up front on these recordings. Enjoy.

This cassette was released by Shepard's Iron Press label in 1991.

On This Recording:
Jim Shepard - Acoustic guitar and vocals

Tracklisting:
1) Deliverance - 1.43
2) One Percent Of Nothing - 3.31
3) The Bride Wore Crimson - 3.59
4) Stories Of The Street - 4.44
5) Green Eggs - 0.48
6) Paris In The Spring! - 1.46
7) Caught Up In The Race - 3.25
8) No Words - 1.30
9) The Stranger - 7.12
10) (Untitled) - 0.53
11) Where's My Friend Trow Onyx? - 0.45

(link in comment box)

POST #9 - VERTICAL SLIT - ....And Beyond or HOW I LEARNED TO STOP CARING AND LOVE THE BLOG

2010-04-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Vertical Slit - ...And Beyond

First of I'd like to just say welcome back to Forever Lowman! I really appreciate the support I still was getting during my brief hiatus and the still very frequent downloads.

Here I offer you the CD release of Vertical Slit ...And Beyond, a compilation of some material you would later see V-3 play [and perfect, in my opinion], along with some other Vertical Slit regulars (maybe the same single versions even) of songs like "Smudge" and "New Thrill/New Pill" as well as a great cover of Joy Division's "I Remember Nothing. I was once told that this was actually the first independently released CD which was even limited to 500 copies, all hand numbered. I'm not sure if that is actually true or not but I've heard it regardless. These recordings date fomr 1976 all the way to some in 1990, the liner notes posted above give greater detail of the different recording line ups and dates recorded.

This CD was released by the Ropeburn label in 1990

On this recordings:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals
and company

Track Listing:
1) It's Not Easy - 1.56
2) Living In Fear - 3.39
3) New Thrill/New Pill - 2.12
4) Scrap Metal Burial Ground - 2.49
5) The Object - 1.17
6) The Dangling Thread - 1.46
7) Hex That Girl - 2.51
8) Smudge - 7.27
9) Peruvian Landslide - 1.13
10) Starlight Investor - 3.23
11) Party/Cop/Judge - 1.40
12) Why I Shot The President - 3.14
13) Public Service Announcement - 3.56
14) Bass Bow Piece - 4.55
15) 6x4f#5 - 2.09
16) Please Take Hold
17) My Hands Don't Sleep - 2.59
18) Trenchcoat - 2.59
19) The Dangling Thread Wraps Around My Neck - 0.52
20) End Of An Era - 3.40
21) I Remember Nothing - 5.11
22) Populatia De Frequentia - 3.32
23) Loop That Lower Loop Henry - 1.08
24) End Of "Exchange" - 1.19

(link in comment box)

POST #8 - VERTICAL SLIT - BASEMENT 2215

2010-02-18T09:31:00.001-08:00

VERTICAL SLIT - BASEMENT 2215

Here is Vertical Slit's Basement 2215 a lot of takes from Slit and Pre-Slit which I posted earlier, the Smudge single tracks, and some other songs not heard anywhere else. Pretty rare tape here and a good one as well. Classic Slit sounds all around. I don't know, at a real loss of words today. Enjoy

This cassette was released on Jim Shepard's Iron Press label in 1986

On This Recording:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals/Effects
Dan Juranko - Bass/Effects
David Mikula - Drums

Track Listing:
1) Roadblock Intro - 1.03
2) Living In Fear - 3.27
3) 1..2..3..Hello... - 0.22
4) Getting Positoned - 1.22
5) 6 x 4 F#4 - 0.15
6) Please Take Hold - 3.47
7) 6 x 4 F#3 - 0.57
8) Bag Of Whistle - 0.44
9) Cans and Chains - 1.42
10) Doctor Q - 2.24
11) New Thrill/New Pill - 2.27
12) Ascencion (exc.) - 0.23
13) 2215 - 0.37
14) Ruidel's Object - 2.21
15) A Day At The Factory - 1.44
16) 2215 (cont...) - 4.42
17) Slowly The Music Plays - 3.45
18) Vertical Slit Goes Bowling - 3.52
19) Smudge - 6.51
20) The Origin Of Decay - 1.33
21) Jericho Overture - 1.05
22) Mrs. Bag - 0.19
23) August 1976 - 1.26

(link in comment box)

This is going to be my last entry for quite some time. I will leave all my entries and links up and active because the music should be heard, that's why it was released and recorded.

POST # 7 - V-3 - PHOTOGRAPH BURNS

2010-02-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

V-3 - PHOTOGRAPH BURNS

It's been brought to my attention that not everyone here is familiar with the most available and standard of Jim Shepard's catalog and that I have been posting stuff on the more obscure side, so I thought I'd post an album that has been widely available for download on other blogs and is actually their major label debut of sorts. Story has it that Johan Kugelberg leaves Matador to start a sub division of American Records that he calls Onion, for his first releases he chooses Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Strapping Fieldhands, and of course V-3. Photograph Burns is as important as a record as any in the V-3 library, it was the record that was gonna make Shep and company famous, but we've all heard this tale before. Record sales were poor and American stopped funding Kugelberg and that was that. I have heard speculation that the poor sales and lack of commercial success drove Shepard into a serious depression, but that is neither here nor there what is for certain is that this amazing album was available outside the bubble that is Columbus, OH and is above and beyond one V-3's best efforts.

This LP/CD was released on American/Onion in 1996

On This Recording:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals
Leland Cain - Bass
Sam Brown - Drums

Track Listing:
1) American Face - 2.50
2) Bristol Girl - 2.45
3) Harry 2.10
4) Horse Kick - 3.47
5) Photograph Burns - 4.18
6) Caucasian White - 3.48
7) Adam Twelve - 2.09
8) Torch - 2.55
9) End Of The Bar - 2.38
10) Star Artist - 1.54
11) Split Dog - 2.24
12) Hating Me, Hating You - 2.33
13) Superhuman - 4.43

(link in comment box)

Next week LIVE '97 and FOLK CITY AZTEC DRAMA vol. 2 come down, so get em while you can.

POST #6 - JIM SHEPARD - AMSTERDAM

2010-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

JIM SHEPARD - AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam was always a myth to me, I would hear about this mysterious "Amsterdam" cassette that only a few people I knew had ever even heard. After numerous failed attempts to have someone send me a cassette dub or mp3 rip of it, the fine people at Columbus Discount released a 1 sided 7" of the highlight of this tape which of course is the track "The Voices Of Men". Shortly after that sat on my turntable for months I finally was able to get my hands on the Amsterdam cassette itself. This tape was well worth my wait and anticipation, lot of great stuff on here; Va-Va-Voom, 2 Leonard Cohen covers; Seems So Long Ago, Nancy (Pink Reason may have heard this song before recording Cleaning The Mirror), and You Know Who I am, the poem The Whiskey Priest and Charlie Parker, A few live songs including a cover of the Velvet Underground's Run Run Run, an amusing take on a Jet Magazine Interview, Jim's son singing Great Balls Of Fire, and oh so much more.

This tape was released on Jim Shepard's Iron Press Label in 1991

On This Recording:
Jim Shepard -All guitars, vocals, effects
Rudy K - Select drum tracks
Nudge Squidfish - Select bass, drum tracks
Eric Svensson - Select guitar and bass tracks

Track Listing:
1) In The Hall Of Molds - 3.33
2) Caution! - 3.03
3) I'd Thought I'd Seen Everything - 0.27
4) Va-Va-Voom - 2.56
5) Seems So Long Ago, Nancy (L. Cohen) - 5.34
6) Brown Leaves - 2.51
7) The Whiskey Priest and Charlie Parker - 3.41
8) 2 Mexican Consorto's For Nylon String Guitar - 1.21
9) The Voices Of Men - 2.53
10) Run, Run Run (L. Reed) - 4.48
11) Tools of the Skin Trade - 2.39
12) The Jet Magazine Interview - 2.39
13) The Mirror - 0.51
14) G.B.O.F - 0.40
15) Amsterdam - 5.15
16) You Know Who I Am (L. Cohen) - 3.46

(link in comment box)

POST #5 - JIM SHEPARD - MOTORCYCLE MOVIE

2010-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

JIM SHEPARD - MOTORCYCLE MOVIE

Motorcycle Movie is the last released Jim Shepard recording before his death in 1998. This CD-R is an amazing example of the late period Shepard stuff that is just so, so good. A perfect mix of Picking Through The Wreckage.... and a better half of Vertical Slit's catalog. A lot of great songs on this one, but like Jim says on the song Burn Forward "...listen to the whole damn thing. Don't be like those critics who mention 2 title songs from the first half of the album, making you wonder how far they even got through it...". One of the more depressing Shepard releases, I feel it really puts you in a better understanding of his emotional state at this moment in his life. By the time Cruel Universe hits you, the record is over abruptly and is best listened to from the beginning again and again and again. This record is my absolute favorite Jim Shepard solo release and if you haven't heard it, download it now. NOW!

This CD-R was released on Jim Shepard's Iron Press label in 1998

On This Recording:
Jim Shepard - everything

Track Listing:
1) Birthplace of Aviation - 2.40
2) Pleasure - 3.04
3) Burn Forward - 1.32
4) Bigger Than Sony - 1.19
5) Interstate/End - 2.13
6) Some Drink To Remember - 4.12
7) P.K.D. Emtombed - 3.53
8) Imagine This... - 2.16
9) For: Sharon Tate...(wherever you are) - 2.00
10) Telegraph Hill - 2.14
11) What A Piece Of Work... - 0.41
12) Heavy Action - 2.08
13) Cruel Universe - 4.54

(link in comment box)

Editors Note: I just wanted to say thank you to all of those who have been sending me e-mails concerning this blog and supporting me in my efforts to expose more people to this music. The support helps a lot, and I really enjoy exchanging e-mails and phone calls with those who were close to Jim and hearing them be so thankful that some of his "lost" recordings (lost in the aspect of them being limited run cassettes/CDs) are finally being available to download. Thank you for reading and more so for listening!

POST #4 - V-3 - RADIO SHOW WNUR CHICAGO '95

2010-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

V-3 - RADIO SHOW.WNUR.CHICAGO.'95

V-3 live on Chicago's WNUR Radio show in 1995. This is along the lines of LIVE '97 with more songs off of Photograph Burns and without the Ego Summit cuts. This live set however features an amazing live version of Horse Kick which is one of my favorites off of the Photograph Burns. This also features a great performance of Forever Lowman (which this blog is obviously named after). Other than that there is just different live versions of songs you've heard on Live '97 or may have seen in person. Seems like a typical Live V-3 set. I thought it'd be a good idea to get all the live stuff out of the way before I started posting their albums. So enjoy this.

This tape was released in 1995 on Shepard's Iron Press label.

On this recording V-3 is:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals
Leland Cain - Bass
Sam Brown - Drums

Track Listing:
1) Intro - 2.37
2) Photograph Burns - 4.24
3) Harry - 2.19
4) Forever Lowman - 4.01
5) Negotiate Nothing - 1.55
6) Party at 15th & Summit - 4.14
7) Adam Twelve - 2.41
8) Horse Kick - 5.27
9) End Of The Bar - 3.52
10) Star Artist - 2.55
11) Girl In A Room - 3.55

(link in comment box)

POST #3 - VERTICAL SLIT - SLIT AND PRE-SLIT

2010-02-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

VERTICAL SLIT - SLIT AND PRE-SLIT

Jim Shepard's first foray into the record release world. This LP pre-dates Iron Press and was released under no label. Only 100 copies of Slit & Pre-Slit were pressed, original sleeves featured hand-stamps and hand numbered editions. Shepard also affixed all of the LP inner-labels himself. Shepard is said to have given copies of the Slit & Pre-Slit LP to: Lester Bangs, Brian Eno, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren, amongst some of Jim's other musical heroes - all in person.

This is a rare record, no doubt; but more importantly it is perhaps the best Vertical Slit release in their catalog. Tom Lax said in a Terminal-Boredom article about his label, Siltbreeze that he was given the master tapes of Slit and Pre-Slit sometime before Shepard's death with the hopes to one day re-release the LP in a more available quantity. I hope that is still the case someday.

This record was released by Jim Shepard on an unnamed label in 1977 limited to a mere 100 copies.

On this recording Vertical Slit is:
Jim Shepard - Guitar/Vocals
Dan Juranko - Bass
Dave Mikula - Drums

Track Listing:
1) 1-2-3 Hello - 0.35
2) In-No-Sense 1X2 - 2.19
3) Ascencion (sic) - 2.56
4) Dedication Loop - 1.05
5) Fair Exchange - 4.43
6) 66 2/6 - 1.02
7) 7:00 AM Jam - 7.13
8) 6 x 4 - 1.45
9) Siren Intro - 1.08
10) 6 x 4 F#1 - 1.38
11) A Day At The Factory - 3.56
12) Greensleeves - 1.28
13) 3 Piece - 4.37
14) 6 x 4 F#2 - 1.16
15) The Bed (L. Reed) - 5.04
16) In-No-Sense Outro - 0.57

(link in comment box)

BLOG UPDATE:
After this post, I will be posting twice a week (Monday and Thursday) and I will also keep everything I post up for a month at a time. Here is LIVE '97 if you missed it. Stay tuned for some guest entries as well. (with people who know something about anything)

For more Jim Shepard reading check out Bela of Anyway Records recent blog entry about him. HERE (click)

POST #2 - JIM SHEPARD - FOLK CITY AZTEC DRAMA vol. 2

2010-01-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

JIM SHEPARD - FOLK CITY AZTEC DRAMA vol. 2

Alright, I don't know much about this release at all so bear with me while I try my best to explain it. What I can tell you is that this is one of my favorite Shepard solo releases because it strongly reflects his song "We Got It All" on the Ego Summit LP, a lot of these tracks are solo guitar work with very culture minded lyrics like Shepard did better than em all. Tape starts off with a great Dylan cover; "Most Of The Time" off of his 1989 album Oh Mercy. Other highlights on this include "The Longest Distance Between Two Points" which is an amazing song in the vein of "We Got It All" as mentioned earlier. "Jagged Flash" is a song more along the lines of the "Picking Through The Wreckage...". I believe the "Interview Excerpt" track features Nudge Squidfish. Sorry for my lack of information on this one, I would expect this to be a recurring theme until someone who knows what the fuck they're talking about starts helping me write for this.

This tape was released on Jim Shepard's Iron Press label in 1991.

(If you have a copy of this tape and are willing to sell/trade please email me at vincentpmartini@gmail.com)

On this recording:
Jim Shepard - Acoustic/Electric Guitar and Vocals

Track Listing:
1) Most Of The Time (B. Dylan) - 5.51
2) Scars - 2.50
3) The Longest Distance Between Two Points - 3.23
4) Night Time (From Above You Came) - 3.11
5) [Untitled] - 0.29
6) White Plains Bayou Blues 471 - 8.13
7) Interiors - 4.12
8) Jagged Flash (Demo) - 2.25
9) Interview Excerpt - 1.22

This link will be available until Monday February 1st at 10pm PST

(photo credit to Ollie Clampet)

(link in comment box)

POST #1 - V-3 Live 97

2010-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

V-3 - Live '97

This is a very suitable first entry because it is in fact the first V-3 and Jim Shepard related project I ever heard. This record was recorded appropriately enough in 1997, it is recorded live at Bernie's in Columbus, Ohio. This record features songs off of V-3 classics Negotiate Nothing, Photograph Burns, and even 2 songs from the amazing "Ego Summit" LP. This is a perfect example of the stellar live performance of the Ohio mega house V-3.

This CD-R was released on Mike Rep's Old Age/No Age label in 2004.

On this recording V-3 is;
Jim Shepard - Vocals/Guitar
Leland Cain - Bass
Sam Brown - Drums

Track Listing:
1) Harry - 2.17
2) Queen Of The Underground - 2.58
3) Negotiate Nothing - 1.49
4) Party at 15th & Summit - 4.08
5) Your Uncle - 2.58
6) End Of The Bar - 3.06
7) Illogical - 2.52
8) Son Of Sam Donaldson - 4.09
9) Girl In A Room - 3.02

Enjoy.

This link will be available until Monday January 25, 2010 at 10pm PST

(link in comment box)

Welcome to FOREVER LOWMAN

2010-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

Hello, and welcome to the Forever Lowman blog. My goal in this blog is to share the music of Jim Shepard. Once a week I will put a Jim Shepard Sendspace link up and will try to write a short summary of the recording I posted. The entry will only be available for download for 7 days before it is deleted and another is uploaded.

In this blog I will feature the works of; Jim Shepard (solo), V-3, Vertical Slit, and at some point will post the Jim Shepard Tribute 2xLP and the Ego Summit LP which Shep was involved in. Excuse me if I don't have all the information, I am but a fan of all of JS's works, and simply want to help get this amazing music to the masses. If you have any help you can offer to this blog please send an email to foreverlowman@gmail.com

As for now, enjoy and keep downloading!

FLM