In 1984, the final lineup was established when Ken left the band and Robert Blackmon
(drums, vocals) answered one of the "No Experience Preferred" flyers that the band plastered around LA.
The boys promptly adopted Robert, and Robert promptly adopted the cocktail kit. The Balancing Act was
born.
The band released its mostly acoustic debut EP, New Campfire Songs, produced by
Peter Case, in 1986. Most of the songs were penned by Davis with the exception of "A T.V.
Guide In The Olduvai Gorge" and "The Neighborhood Phrenologist" which were Wagner's offerings.
Captain Beefheart's "Zig Zag Wanderer" was the first of many straight covers of wacky songs recorded
by the band.
In late September of 1987, the band released Three Squares and a Roof (Vic Abascal), which
contains more songwriting from the other members and consequently a more diverse sound.
Three Squares and a Roof (all we need are three square meals and a roof over our head...)
was later re-released on CD with the songs from New Campfire Songs tacked on at the end.
The last album, the appropriately titled Curtains, was released in October of 1988. Like Three
Squares, Curtains contained even more musical and lyrical contributions from all of the members.
The album was produced by Gang of Four's Andy Gill and had a tighter, more electronic feel than
the earlier recordings. This was due in part to Gill arranging the songs with a sequencer before
recording. Gill was on the band's "Producer Wish List" which included XTC's Andy Partridge,
Brian Eno and Elvis Costello. Partridge's comments about the band from The Little Express
in the spring of 1988: "I keep getting production offers, people keep sending me records and
cassettes and it amounts to 3 or 4 a week, but I've had some really interesting ones in the
last few weeks. A really excellent American band called "Balancing Act" want me to produce
them but unfortunately the timing conflicts with our own album. But I think you're going to
be hearing more from "Balancing Act", two acoustic guitars, bass and drums, cause they have
some good songs." Costello also had timing issues.
The band split up in 1989 after an exhausting tour in support of the album.
The Balancing Act's unique recordings are now out of print and very hard to find, especially on CD. EMI currently
owns the rights to the recorded material since they absorbed the IRS catalog. Until there is a
"Best Of" package, expect to pay collectibles prices for The Balancing Act recordings.
Steve Wagner fronted Squint and played bass in Walker Stories after The Balancing Act.
He finally ended up in Bedshredders with Doug Freeman. Doug got Steve interested in home
brewing and he eventually opened up the Stone Brewing Company with Greg Koch.
After Almighty Hi-Fi Willie Aron recorded and toured with Victoria Williams,
Syd Straw and Michael Penn. In addition to co-writing and performing
with many notable artists, Willie has also written music for soundtracks
and websites. In 1994 he co-founded Spanish Kitchen.
Robert Blackmon performed with Box the Walls from '90-'92. One interesting footnote
in Box the Walls history was a show that Robert coordinated that involved
all of the post TBA groups including Gary Calamar's (TBA manager often referred
to as the 5th member) band The Imaginary Friends. In 1993 Robert got out of the
music biz and embarked on a successful art career making "enlarged photograms".
His work is in galleries and collections around the US and in Europe. He also
works as a graphic designer.
|
Wild Side of Life - The Knitters
Red Umbrella - The Balancing Act
Love Is Not Gold - Kerry McBride
Where You Goin'? - Revolver
Damn, I wish I Was A Man - Cindy Lee Berry Hill
All Those Things - Divine Horsemen
Suzanne - Alisa
Ancient Art - Pop Art
Never Go Back - Sandy Bull
Al Jolson's Bedroom - Henry Rollins
He Is Here - The Beefsisters
Blank Verses - Carmaig de Forest
No Holds Barred - Linda Albertano
Time - The Minutemen
The Strange Death of Mary Hooley - Phranc
Jillionair's Blues - Drew Steele
Wonderful World Tonight
Who Got The Pearls
A T.V. Guide In The Olduvai Gorge
A Girl, Her Sister and a Train
The Neighborhood Phrenologist
Zig Zag Wanderer
All I Want for Christmas - Timbuk 3
Every Day WIll Be Like A Holiday - Reckless Sleeper
Christmas Time and You - Tirez Tirez
Home for the Holidays - The dB's
Shouldn't Have Given Him a Gun For Chrismas - Wall of Voodoo
Green Pants and Romance - The Balancing Act
Hark - Torch Song
3 Cards
This is Where It All Begins
Kicking Clouds Across the Sky
Whiskered Wife
Adventure
The Ballad of Art Snyder
Red Umbrella
The Governor of Pedro
Waiting for the Mail
Searching For This Thing
We're Not Lost
Wonderful World Tonight
Who Got The Pearls
A T.V. Guide In The Olduvai Gorge
A Girl, Her Sister and a Train
The Neighborhood Phrenologist
Zig Zag Wanderer
Generator
She Doesn't Work Here
Lost in The Mail
Red Pants And Romance
Can You Get To That
Understanding Furniture
Sleep On The Trusty Floor
Fishing In Your Eye
Between Two Oceans
Learning How To Cheat
Ranking Roger - So Excited
Reckless Sleepers - If We Never Meet Again
Hunters & Collectors - Back On The Breadline
Let's Active - Every Dog Has His Day
Two Men A Drum Machine And A Trumpet - Make It Funky
One Nation - My Commitment
Karel Fialka - Hey Matthew
Timbuk 3 - Welcome To The Human Race
The Balancing Act - Can You Get To That?
Seduce - Watchin'
Nuclear Assault - Brainwashed
Chrome Molly - Thanks For The Angst
Shok Paris - Away Too Long
Jimmy Z - I Know
Fareed Haque - Paco's Blues
Steve Coleman - First Sunrise
Spanish Motorcycle
Alcatraz
Kill A Popstar!
Hurricane Sabrina
Aphrodite
Tragic Gypsy Ballad 04
Pussycat
Long Slide Down
Non-Entity
Sun Music
Sugarbowl
Lost In The French Quarter
On This Side Of The River
Lady Macbeth
I Touch Myself
Cigarettesandrockandroll
Missing The Train
Reptile
Apple02
Poor Little Vampire
Since I Let The Spirit In
Insomniac
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