Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with Rusty Reid

Rusty Reid - Piece of the Action

Second single from his new album "The Unreasonables." This one is titled "Piece of the Action:" - pure rock and roll as it is meant to be: raw, primal, lustful!  Just the way rock should be, don’t you think? The story behind this album is interesting. Check it out on Rusty Reid & The Unreasonables album. Once upon a time in Houston there was a rock and roll band.

What if a rock and roll band recorded a double-album of melodic, hook-laden songs, including maybe a few potential hits. And then just walked away without ever releasing it? It happened. Forty-something years later, The Unreasonables emerge from the dark.

“The Unreasonables” is his fourth album, and quite different from my his usual fare of singer songwriter indie-folk-country-rock with lyrics often veering into philosophical, political and/or spiritual (not religious) themes. None of that "heady" stuff on this album, just the ups and downs, starts and stops, bumps and bruises of romantic love… performed by a crack group of Houston musicians. The lead guitar playing of Rick Poss on this one is worth the ticket.

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Interview with Rusty Reid

What was the inspiration behind “Piece of the Action” and its raw, primal rock-and-roll vibe? (º)>

Hi there, Pedro. Yea, "Piece of the Action" was meant to be a rollicking rocker. Very sexy lyrics without being explicit. Well, the title is a bit sassy and suggestive, and it just flows from there. I had the rhythm guitar bit which I knew would go great with drums, and the rest of the band picked it up and put it together.

How does this single fit into the overall story and theme of your album The Unreasonables? (º)>

I've been known, then and now, for sensitive singer-songwriter tunes, some of them pretty sappy, but with this band, I wanted to cut through all the sentimentality and over-thinking things, and just sing words that went with the beat and would push the feel.

Which artists or eras influenced the sound and attitude of this track? (º)>

At the time I was really into Tom Petty, the Eagles, the Cars, Elvis Costello. You might be able to hear a few flashes here and there. For "Piece of the Action," i don't really know... maybe AC/DC? Maybe not. It's a mystery, but it worked. I'm always interested in who/what listeners say my material reminds them of, and the answers are very surprising to me sometimes. Ocassionally people I've never heard of. I take all the different answers as evidence that we had something pretty original overall.

What was the recording process like for this single , did you aim for a live, unpolished energy? (º)>

We didn't have to aim for unpolished, that was our natural state. It kind of bugged me at the time. I wanted us to sound more "professional." But in retrospect, I think this rawness works better. I always lamented not having a keyboard player in the band, but I think the forced reliance on guitars spared us from sounding as dated as many 1980s acts sound these days.

How do you balance the rock-and-roll grit with your indie-folk-pop-country roots? (º)>

I don't think I thought about that very much. At the very same time I was playing and recording with the Unreasonables, I was also still writing and recording other material. I just wrote what came to mind. If it rocked, it might be Unreasonables material, otherwise, I would just save it for later.

What reactions or feedback from listeners have stood out to you so far for this song? (º)>

It's been overwhelmingly positive. The very first comment I got on the first single, "Attitude Change," was "Tosh." I didn't know what that meant. I assumed something like "touche" or "great" or "nice job." Turns out it's British slang for "rubbish." When I figured that out, I thought, well, this is not going to go well. Damn Brits, right? No, I'm kidding; they are my peeps... I have Irish and German roots, as well. But since then, it's all been very positive. Many of the reviews mention this song being "refreshing" in contrast with all the ultra-polished, plastic songs out there these days. I'm delighted that people, all these years later, are digging the songs.

If you had to describe “Piece of the Action” in three words, what would they be? (º)>

Well, it's primal. It's got an awesomly danceable beat, fantastic guitars (that's the incredible Rick Poss on first lead guitar there... worth the ticket by himself), a hook-laden melody and my ultra-sexy singing (ha ha). What more could you want?

How do you see this single complementing your previous release, “Attitude Change”? (º)>

In fact, I think the entire double-album, "The Unreasonables," works together as a batch. Every song is different. And, of course, the Unreasonables were an interchangeable unit. Players came and went because there was NO money in being an Unreasonable. The album is in chronological order of being recorded. So there is an evolution clearly happening. Still, the instrumentation, my voice and the thematic thrust glues everything together.

What’s your favorite part of the track , a riff, lyric, or moment that captures its essence? (º)>

The second verse has a killer double guitar riff going that I think is just great. We didn't even practice that, just came up with it as we were recording, and it works like magic. I also like the sultry vocal on the third verse. It's a timbre I've rarely used elsewhere in my catalogue. Otherwise Rick's playing is world-class throughout.

For first-time listeners, what should they pay attention to in the story and energy of the song?(º)>

Oh, I'd say just groove along with it. The lyrics aren't deep but they are provocative. Let the pulse of the drums carry you away on this one, and the guitars just massage you as you flow along.

(•)> That's all Folks! Check out Rusty Reid on the Pigeon Spins Playlist