Pokeweed Wormfence
1991
Poke-weed, Worm-fence marks the second coming of Voice of the Rain, something like five years after we had previously recorded together.
During that time both Rob, somewhat more successfully, and I had been involved in other musical projects and I had been ‘studying’ at university in Scotland. As I remember, we bumped into each other at Horsham Arts Centre, got talking and volunteered that we both had songs which didn’t seem to fit with the other bands we were in but for which Voice of the Rain might make a good home. And so it began again and continued for the next seven years.
I have very strong memories of hearing many of the songs for the first time (previously we had written and recorded together contemporaneously), of endlessly hitting rewind and play on my cassette player (particularly for Why me?) and of recording many of the individual vocal and guitar parts, especially those where members of Rob’s family were driven to enter his room and complain about the noise (I’ve been here before)!
I suppose if someone were to ask me which VOTR release is my favourite, the answer would change depending on my mood on the specific day I was asked but this one would always be in my top two or three and is still the only one we ever played live (check here for evidence).
Richard Knowles October 2014
Religion is a constant theme in Richard’s song writing and his conception of it follows an interesting and rapid evolution.
The Healing Of The Lunatic Boy on this album states, ‘I believe in God as Father, Spirit and Son’ but twelve months later in 100 Years there are signs of doubt, ‘Will I find proof of my god ’cause what little I’ve got leaves me unsure’. The Great God Dumps of 1993 shifts away from external agents, ‘could be it’s inside you and me, still to find?’ and 1994’s Immortality concludes,
‘I believe that what you give you get back
And though I know it’s nothing new, it’s as simple as that.
And if we live after we die it’s in the thoughts and in the minds of the ones we’ve left behind us.’
My music was of course Humanist throughout.
Robert Boole October 2014
Reissue Track Listing
Won’t People Be Happy
It Never Happened Part 1
Mad For Mad
The Drug
Catherine Wheel
Time Bomb
Healing Of A Lunatic Boy
Bridge Of Sighs
The Road Less Travelled
Where No Eyes Shine
Rara Avis
It Never Happened Part 2
The Last Words Of Love
I’ve Been Here Before
One For The Road
Why Me?
All the songs were written and
performed by Richard & Rob
The cover photograph, ‘Vieille Cour, 22 rue Quincampoix’ by Eugène Atget is courtesy of the Getty Trust Open Content Program.