There’s no glamorous way to put this: Bicycle Thieves is just Brian after his band left him. While you’re wiping away the tears we should clarify that Brian didn’t start using the name Bicycle Thieves until he saw Vittorio De Sica’s Ladri di Biciclette in graduate school, sometime during 1991 or 1992. Through a complex series of legal maneuvers, Brian was able, retroactively, to gather the entirety of his post-Next Window work under the Bicycle Thieves umbrella. It is still unclear whether the enormous expense of this action was justified, especially in light of the fact that at any given time there appear to be no less than 5 different bands named after Vittorio De Sica’s Ladri di Biciclette.
Here, then, is the entire Bicycle Thieves saga, presented to you in vivid Reverse Chronological Order® !
Bicycle Thieves: 2001 – The “a” CD
This is the final set of recordings from Bicycle Thieves. A collaboration with David Keith, this was also the first Bicycle Thieves collection recorded on a PC. 50 lucky people got this CD packaged with cover art by Ken Weathersby (above). These songs were recorded on Music Street and are © 2001 Music Street Music.
Fall In The Sea 1MB mp3
Jewel 8MB mp3
Cavalier 9.5MB mp3
Winter Coat 4.5MB mp3
Kansas 3.5MB mp3
Cavalier (Alternate Mix) 8.5MB mp3
Jetsam:
Private Detective 3.5MB mp3 (David’s original recording of the song that eventually became Winter Coat)
Kansas (early version) 2MB mp3 (an early rough sketch of Kansas)
Listen 600KB mp3 (Brian’s Great Grandmother, Mary Jane Musick, talks about some people who went to Kansas in a wagon and had guts)
Bicycle Thieves: The ’90s – 4-track demos
New decade, new gear. The Fostex 280 sounds a lot better than the Yamaha 4-track, and the Alesis SR-16 actually sounds something like real drums. On top of that we start dabbling with MIDI on an Alesis MMT8 sequencer and a very silly Casio keyboard. So the 90s were destined to be a prolific decade for the Thieves, right?
No.
These songs were recorded on Peniston Street and are © 2001 Music Street Music.
The Fault 5.5MB mp3
Zoo Song 8.5MB mp3
Well To Wonder 6MB mp3
Jetsam:
Song 3 9MB mp3 (Instrumental mix of an unfinished song)
Processed Flute Thing 4.5MB mp3 (Instrumental mix of an unfinished song)
Maybe Song 6MB mp3 (Instrumental mix of an unfinished song)
Song 4 7MB mp3 (Instrumental mix of an unfinished song)
Bicycle Thieves: June, 1996 – Acoustic recordings
This was an attempt to rescue these songs from the 4-track demos in which they’d been imprisoned. A couple of the songs themselves (not just the production) are substantially different from the original recordings. Recorded live to 2 tracks on Bordeaux Street and © 2001 Music Street Music.
I Am The Satellite 5.5MB mp3
Zoo Song 5.5MB mp3
The Fault 5MB mp3
Well To Wonder 5MB mp3
See Ruby Falls 4.5MB mp3
Bicycle Thieves: 1987 – 4-track demos
The 1987 recordings represent a couple of notable lasts. These were the last songs recorded on Beatline Road. They were also the last songs recorded on the now cranky and battered Yamaha 4-track. Love was in the air, Yosemite was in the Sierras, and Bicycle Thieves were in the studio that Brian and his dad built, for the last time. These songs were recorded on Beatline Road (except See Ruby Falls which was recorded on Nicholson Avenue) and are © 2001 Music Street Music.
Someone Might Sell You One 5MB mp3
No Spaceships 2.5MB mp3
Longer Than a Line 4MB mp3
Different Movies 4.5MB mp3
Love and Gravity 4MB mp3
Homing Drive Chain Me 8MB mp3
See Ruby Falls 6MB mp3
Bicycle Thieves: 1984-1985 – 4-track demos
In which Brian realizes that he can’t play drums. Yamaha RX15 to the rescue! These songs were recorded on Beatline Road and are © 2001 Music Street Music.
I Am the Satellite 8MB mp3
Beg 5MB mp3
Hide 5MB mp3
Ode to the Monochord Drone 6MB mp3
Still Too High A Lie 8.5MB mp3
Experience Church 6.5MB mp3
In Case Of Magic 7.5MB mp3
Optimism Never Fails 6.5MB mp3
Pictures Of Time Well Spent 5.5MB mp3
Jetsam:
I Am The Satellite (early mix) 7MB mp3 (early, mostly instrumental mix of I Am the Satellite)
Excuse me, have you seen my band? 1984 – 4-track demos
Ronnie’s been gone for a while. And Jimmy leaves in such a hurry that he forgets his drums. Hmm, so we don’t have a drummer but we do have drums. Well, how hard can it be? These songs were recorded on Beatline Road and are © 2001 Music Street Music.
Difficult Decision 5.5MB mp3
Follow Forever 6MB mp3
This brings back a lot of memories, which is not always the best thing to see. I was happy to hear “Homing Drive Chain Me” again as I think it’s an amazing piece of music. As well as the other stuff here. I remember nights hanging out on Beatline Road listening to these being made.
I LOVE the Bicycle Thieves!I love the material, the sounds, everything! It’s GREAT to hear them again.
I absolutely love the song Jewel.
Thanks Arthur, Elliott, Mark!