Aztec Two-Step found their name in a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti: waltz into this place/and a couple of Papish cats/is doing an Aztec two-step. They found each other in Boston where each was individually working the local coffee-house circuit. They met one fateful hoot night, decided to join forces on the spot and were playing their first combined gig less than a week later. After two months in Boston, they headed for New York to seek fame, fortune and a record contract.
But to re-trace steps:
Aztec Two-Step consists of Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman, and each progressed in his own way before they met. Rex was born in Kansas City, Mo., but moved with his family to Maine at an early enough age to lay claim to the title of "Maine's only rock and roll star." At age 17, Rex started to play guitar and write songs and briefly appear with college friends in a now-defunct rock group called The Second Phlore. By the time he went to Boston to play his music as a career, he had been to college, dropped out, drop- ped back in and written about 80 songs. Rex calls himself an "evolutional writ- er." The songs take time to mature and grow. But when they're done, they're fine.
Neal Shulman is an absolutely indigenous New Yorker. Born and raised in Manhattan, he is the child of folk music devotees who taught him all the trad- itional songs, which became part of his arsenal in clubs. He started to play guitar and sing when he was "13, no 12 years old." Writing songs came later, at age 15. Neal, too, had a brief encounter with college, odd jobs in book and record stores and a trip to Europe. It was on his return from that trip that he went to Boston to study music, play guitar and meet Rex Fowler.
Once the move to New York had been made (in May 1971), the two spent six months playing clubs such as the Gaslights Au Go-Go and II and Folk City and concerts with Don McLean and Seals And Crofts. When they had nowhere else to play, they took themselves to Central Park to do open-air sets. And it was in the park that they met the man who brought them to Elektra where they were audi- tioned and signed. A debut album was made early in 1972 and released in June o that year. Titled, simply, Aztec Two-Step.
No amount of words or background information can adequately explain the quality of their music. Not many chance meetings are likely to produce the song and performance of the Aztec Two-Step, which are truly a joy. Their guitar playing (Neal on lead, Rex on rhythm), their singing (Rex sings lead most of the time and Neal harmony), even their personalities have that magic quality of mesl ing and complementing each other that is a sure sign of talent and professional- ism. And each contributes his share of songs---Neal, the younger of the duo, has two on the album, while Rex wrote the other nine. They all share in common the uncommon trait of being good. Pick a song, any song, and be guaranteed of fine music and lyrics that range from funny to philosophical.
Aztec Two-Step is a funny name that means beautiful music.
Original Liner Notes
Tracks
1. Baking - 2:42
2. Killing Me - 3:58
3. The Persecution & Restoration Of Dean Moriarty (On The Road) - 4:16
4. The Infidel - 4:40
5. So Easy (Neal Shulman) - 1:48
6. Prisoner - 4:32
7. Strangers - 5:13
8. Almost Apocalypse - 3:53
9. Dancers All (Neal Shulman) - 3:23
10.Cockroach Cacophony - 4:40
11 Highway Song - 6:07
All songs by Rex Fowler except where stated
Musicians
*Rex Fowler - Guitar, Vocals
*Neal Shulman - Guitars, Vocals
*Bobby Torres - Congas
*David Vaught - Bass
*Dennis Witcher - Vocals
*Doug Dillard - Banjo
*Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane - Vocals
*Jerry Yester - Autoharp, Banjo, Celeste, Piano, Producer, Strings, Vocals
*John Sebastian - Harmonica, Horn
*John Seiter - Drums, Vocals
*Peter Klimes - Banjo
*Randy Benson - Vocals
