»Borders Of My Mind« is a »buddy-record«, which is pretty much the musical equivalent to the film-genre »buddy-movie«. Thankfully, it does without making the main characters fight over their usual discrepancies. Instead, the two friends responsible for this record have known and liked each other for quite some time, speak a very similar language and can laugh a lot together. After a quick »Hello«, the main topic pops up immediately. Jim Woehrle and Michael Yonkers are talking about women (while sometimes being backgrounded by a guitar, sometimes by a piano): »Sally, oh Sally,/ who are you today?«, »Elaine, she drives me insane,/ oh yeah«, »I’m talking about/ my woman Emily«. The tone is never a condescending one, instead, it’s loving, caring, embellishing women’s mannerisms with a smile. On »Lovely Lady Companion« they are saying: »Life can be hard, being that cruel/ life can be soft and sweet –«; and it would have been easy enough to add the line »without you« on top. But they don’t. Which is exactly why this record is special. Or take »Story Book Kind Of Madness«, as another example, in which one of the two explains melancholic: »One night stand will get me down/ travelling from town to town,/ but maybe for a while…«. Well, if there is no other way…?! Of course, not every track on »Borders Of My Mind« (recorded in 1974 and now re-released by Drag City) is well done – but who cares? It’s just like being among good friends: You pick up a topic, drop it again, you interrupt each other, ridicule something intended as a serious remark, someone needs to cough in the most important moments, you fall asleep, you go »whoooo-hoooo« and do all kinds of silly things. These recordings were never meant to be serious, which is exactly why they’re so damn good.
Florist
Jellywish
Double Double Whammy