Peter Laughner

• Track Listing

This legend of the Cleveland rock underground was revered for his work with Rocket from the Tombs and Pere Ubu, but his tragic death in his mid-’20s robbed the world of an utterly distinctive singer-songwriter/guitarist and kept Peter firmly rooted in cult fame. This new labor of love not only sprung from vaults of recordings, but also every attic and basement Peter’s friends, family and collaborators offered up, resulting in 56 tracks including many that have never seen the light of day. You’ll hear him put his own spin on Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower" and "Love Minus Zero (No Limit)," Lowell George’s "Willin’," Jackson Browne/Nico’s "These Days," John Sebastian/Lovin’ Spoonful’s "Good Time Music," Lou Reed/VU’s "I’m Waiting for the Man" and "Rock & Roll," Television’s "See No Evil" and "Prove It," Jonathan Richman’s "Pablo Picasso," Van Morrison’s "Slim Slow Slider," Jesse Winchester’s "Isn’t That So" and "Do It," Richard Hell’s "Blank Generation," Eddie Cochran’s "Summertime Blues," Robert Johnson’s "32-20 Blues," Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup’s "Mean Ol’ Frisco," Jimmie Rodgers’ "T for Texas" and more more. There are a wealth of his own songs, too: "Cinderella Backstreet," "Down at the Bar," "Baudelaire," "Rain on the City," "I Must Have Been Out of My Mind," "Rock It Down," "First Taste of Heartache," "Sylvia Plath," "It’s Saturday Night (Dance the Night Away)," "Amphetamine," "Lullaby" and more. Those tracks derive from home recordings, broadcast concerts and club dates (including Rocket from the Tombs performances) and arrive here with a 100-page hardbound book full of photos and writings. The CD set and vinyl set feature the same track list and box, and the vinyl edition is four black LPs and one white one and includes a download card. This compilation was beautifully put together, and will have you fully realizing why this long-gone hero of Cleveland music is still so adored to this day. Smog Veil.