This is definitely one of the most un-explainable albums in my collection. Before I attempt to go any further, I do have to say that this week’s Vinyl Friday is the first entry that includes an album that belong to one of my parents – in this case this one was/is my father’s. But despite the fact that this belonged to him (hence his initials on the front of the sleeve), he claims to know nothing about them or even remember this record.

Every so often I ask my parents the same question just to see if I get the same answer, and this time I did. The conversation I had with my father over Viber this week went as so:

Me: “Can you tell me anything about the band Clicker? You have one of their records.”

Papa Dean: “Yes. I liked them and saw them perform once. I think they’re all dead now. OD’ed.”

Thanks for everything, Dad. Hilarious but totally u true. So, I’m this one was off the internet. There is very little written about this band other than a few sporadic WordPress posts. One blog in particular AM, then FM, based in Wisconsin, has loads of cool bits to read. They’ve gathered quite a nice history of the band and a few bits of recordings into listen to. This is a great blog if you’re interested in local music history. I really love the way they think about music: “…add your memories, your stories. That’s how we preserve Wisconsin’s rock ‘n’ roll heritage.”

The band was based in Madison in the early 70s. This self-titled album was from 1973. I have to admit I probably only listened to this twice since the first listen. I think when I first heard it, it was a bit too mature for my young ears. Now that I understand the sound a bit more, the album is surprisingly listenable for a band mostly managed to be popular in their home state (though from what I gather, they were quite popular at the time). Just goes to prove that there is always good music around, even in the most unlikely of places.

While it probably isn’t the best album in the collection, this is definitely one I treasure. It feels special for being a part of my parents’ lives (whether they remember or not) and any Wisconsin music should be preserved. Even far away in the lands of Britain.