Terrible Twins Not So Silly…
…and You Won’t Get Fooled Again!
It was a moment a bit typical of two major talents working together, making magic without a spell or potion in sight. Sitting one rainy evening in a mastering suite at Grammy’s More Music on Asoke with the Genelecs on at ‘full boogie’ and listening to the close-to-final mixes of ex-Silly Fools frontman Toe’s new album, I was thinking what a genius Simon Henderson is as a rock producer when he turns to me with volume down briefly to tell me that Toe is ‘nothing less than a genius’ when it comes to writing killer rock tunes!
Simon and I were both in full headbang mode luffing to the glorious new band and Toe’s distinctive, powerful voice, and as we rocked in silence, there could be no denying that these new songs grab you and stop you and make you think and make you want to dance and cry and air-guitar and move your body. Especially the move your body bit!
Jeeziz H Crucifer…ROCK LIVES…it’s the second coming!
Amid the sheer pleasure of hearing rock in Thailand be reborn in front of my very ears, my head was reeling trying to take in the subtle shifts in melody and chord changes that the genius Toe has delivered yet again. His fat, moody chords are bathed and buffed in tandem with supercharged power guitars and then massaged and underpinned by mindboggling audio debauchery, the laying down of which Simon Henderson is surely the undisputed master.
When listening even to the roughest of Simon’s mixes you are on red alert scoping the waves for the delicious triggers and subtle devices he has introduced to wake the brain up while being hammered into perfect submission by glorious rock and roll. Frankly, a Henderson mix makes the best work of his personal heroes Queen sound just a little tired…jaded even.
But don’t tell him I said that, he having worked with Brian May and being well gone on anything Freddy and Brian wrote and put on vinyl together.
In fact the dilemma for me is who exactly is this story about? The two of them - Toe and Simon - are the killer rock creative team to die for, especially if you are a record company looking for winners.
And anyway, Toe has nothing much to say letting the music talk for him instead. It’s why I’m here after all.
And he is so cool about the break up of his last band, the GRAMMY blue chip, Simon-Henderson-produced, platinum-friendly Silly Fools who roundly dumped him but pretended otherwise, pissing the very focussed Toe off big time, but consolidating his determination to continue making real rock music. Alone if necessary.
His former ‘family’ soldier on as if they are still the real thing without him, and he genuinely wishes them well. But already the remains of the ‘Fools’ are struggling to keep any serious label interested and are back in the pubs with a Korean singer and are to say the least, a very pale imitation of the band that Toe once fronted and indeed ignited with his left-of-field pop masterpieces and charismatic stage presence.
Toe I am afraid was Silly Fools and now perhaps we know why they have kept the name.
The album Toe and Simon are working up now should be ready for the shops in October and is totally magnificent, unbelievable, awesome and amazing and based on what I heard the other night – ten songs - it is the BangkokJungle Album of the Year 2007…and next year too!
You may not understand the lyrics but you will certainly recognise a masterpiece when you hear it.
Who is what is Toe? myspace.com/toexsilly