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Celebrate good times
By Mary Brase
The Telegraph
October 29, 1997
CAPTION: Vocalist and songwriter Les Reader, left, of The Mind Gangsters, is shown with fellow band members Don Mitchell and Gary Will.
ROXANA -- Musicians accustomed to hiring out for someone else's good times are throwing a party of their own.
The Mind Gangsters, led by vocalist and songwriter Les Reader, will celebrate a compact disc release Nov. 7 by playing all the group's alternative rock songs. The party is free, beginning at 8 p.m. at Wood River Eagles, 74 E. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River.
They're billing the new release as "The Greatest Hits of the 21st Century," including several original compositions. Don Mitchell adds bass, steel guitar, banjo and anything with strings. Gary Will plays guitar; Larry Vandiver, the newest member of the group adds drums.
"We're all looking forward to the celebration," Reader said. "This is the first time we've played any originals. That will be the fun of it."
Reader predicts the groups first hit in Europe will be "Holy Tom," the second selection on the new CD.
"I wrote it after I finished reading a book of the Crusades. That's the good thing about music. You can interpret it," he said.
Reader began writing music as a child and produced what he called the first alternative rock sound in the '70s in Wood River. After four years of demonstration tapes, the first Mind Gangsters went their separate ways, only to begin again in 1984 with a turn toward Nashville and a recording of "Baptism of Fire." By 1997, they were back together again playing the original sounds for a new audience that had come along.
"This CD has literally taken decades to record -- 12 songs that were so far ahead of their time, there was no place for them in the '70s," Reader said. Reader said he and the band feel good about the newest CD.
"The country stuff was good, but this is our music coming back. It has to be fun to be good, and now it's fun again," he said.
The CD will be sold at the party and is available at Tunes Ltd., Hopper's Music, Halpin Music, Swing City, Blue Moon Music, Vintage Vinyl, Roundhere Records, Piasa Photo and Debbie's Market.
"It's been a long time coming," Reader said.
"That's why we've decided to throw a party on us."
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