Dream to Record a Rock Opera
At the time of his death, Kevin was working on “a life-long dream – to record a rock opera” PA “in the style of Tommy by The Who, an album gave him so much enjoyment in his childhood.” KF Even though such animals were “resolutely out…Gilbert clearly didn’t care. He was intent on venting his rage and self-loathing in a carefully circumscribed series of closely connected first-person vignettes.” SF
“You know the story; it’s been on VH1’s Behind the Music a million times. A star (insert name here) comes out of nowhere and becomes the biggest thing since sliced bread. Everyone lies to him from managers, to agents, to promoters. The people can’t get enough, and the record company continues to push the artist to the limit. Finally, the artist has had enough and takes a break, but with that, the fans move on to the next pre-made star and the industry chews you up and spits you out.” EP
That’s the premise for Gilbert’s “concept/semi-autobiographical project” PA which details “the rise and collapse” IO of Johnny Virgil, “a boy from the sticks who goes to the big city to become a rock star.” MA Jon Rubin, who managed Gilbert’s estate after his death, said Virgil “is hell bent on success in the music business. The story follows him as he is chewed up and spit out by the very thing he coveted.” BM
“In Johnny Virgil, Kevin Gilbert created the perfect vehicle to voice his own frustrations, naiveté, hopes, and lessons learned.” UB He “travels through the music industry sausage grinder” AM and “battles the demons of stardom” PA because “he desperately wants fame” EP and “the quick buck.” IO He “compromises his artistic vision to produce what the record companies and fans want.” EP He “is stripped of his integrity, his passion, his art, and his soul, and so naturally rises to unparalleled heights on the charts” UB before his “rock-star dreams crash on the shoals of A&R men, hangers-on, drugs and the whole Hollywood scene.” SF He “finally comes to peace with his life at the end.” PA
Gilbert’s Untimely Death
Unfortunately, Gilbert died tragically at age 29 in 1996. He left behind great promise as a musician who’d already built an impressive resume which included touring as a keyboardist with Eddie Money, doing session work for the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson, and co-writing the bulk of the material which comprised Sheryl Crow’s debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club.
At his death, The Shaming of the True was unfinished. He left a “brief handwritten note describing the current running order of the songs at the time” NO and a “massive collection of tapes with songs in progress, some dating back to the 80’s,” NO “scattered in studio drawers and bins with quality ranging from full 24 track masters to cassette tapes.” IO “The story of how this fresh sounding album was, in some cases, literally rescued from the trash can would…make a book in itself.” IO
Nick D’Virgilio Steps In
KG had “worked closely with Nick D’Virgilio on the project.” MO-KG Nick was a “long-time friend” NO and the drummer with prog-rock act Spock’s Beard. “At the beginning of their carreer, [Gilbert] was almost considered the sixth member of the band. [He was] a great friend, influence, and producer of their first two albums. The track ‘The Great Nothing’ on their…album V is said to have been inspired by Kevin’s story.” IO
Nick and others catalogued everything for Gilbert’s estate. Blair Lamb and John Cuniberti came in soon after to start work on the opera. D’Virgilio said that then “It was me and John C. going full bore…We re-recorded and mixed at the same time. It just depended on the song and how much it needed.’” NO Jon Rubin, KG’s “friend, ex-manager and executor of his estate” SF was also instrumental.
Completed and Released
The “magnum opus” SF was completed in late 1999 and released in 2000 by KG’s estate and through www.kevingilbert.com. PA To no one’s surprise, it followed in the steps of its predecessor and paired great reviews with poor sales. However, it “won a Grammy for its elaborate packaging (the first issue of 1400 was in a beautiful 40 page hard-bound book).” PA
The Music
As for the music, it “isn’t progressive rock per se,” CW but “several tracks feature plenty of meaty instrumental interplay, much that could be called progressive.” CW “There are guitar riffs and solos here that most guitarists can only dream of coming up with.” CW “The album goes a lot of places…pulsing grooves on some tracks bring Pink Floyd to mind, while multi-part harmonies on other tracks would make Freddy Mercury grin.” CW This is “anti-pop [with] grandly produced tracks and polished vocals that recall the prog-rock pop magnificence of…Genesis or Yes.” SF “Loaded with both pathos and humor as well as some rock-solid performances,” AM “this tortured masterpiece takes its place alongside other depictions of the cruelty of Hollywood such as Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust or Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard.”SF
“When you consider the brilliance of Shaming as a whole, it makes you appreciate the insight that D’Virgilio and Cuniberti had into the mind of Gilbert. But first and foremost, it shows Kevin’s potential in no uncertain terms” NO – it is “a flawless work of musical art.” CW “This is one of those rare albums that grabs you the first time you hear it, and then keeps getting better with each listen.” NO “Stellar musicianship. Passionate vocals. First class compositions. Top-notch production. This album has absolutely everything.” CW Former bandmate Chris Beveridge says, “Kevin went through some intense personal and professional struggles after he moved to LA, and it sounds like he was able to capture the essence of his experiences and lessons in music and lyric.” CB-KG “While he may be describing his personal nightmare, Gilbert never falters in his assurance, his belief in his own talent, and The Shaming of the True is his testament,” SF his “reigning masterpiece.” NO It is “a bittersweet farewell from one of the brightest lights to emerge in the last 15 years.” AM
Songs Which Missed the Cut
There are two other songs that may have been part of the rock opera but were pulled at the last minute by Kevin. They are The Best of Everything and Miss Broadway.” JC-KG The former wouldn’t officially surface until 2009, when the Nuts and Bolts collections were released. The latter showed up on the 1999 Live at the Troubadour release, recorded in 1995.
The Songs
Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.
|
