![]() As with their first album, Moonsongs was praised in "progressive" circles and Thinking Plague enhanced their stature as an avant-rock band. Initially Moonsongs was released in 1986 on cassette by Endemic, but the following year the band signed with Dead Man's Curve Records in London and Moonsongs was released on LP. The title track was a fifteen-and-a-half minute "tribal-pagan-environmental-anti-materialistic avant-rock ritual" composed by Johnson. Disregarding, or ignorant of the proper "industry" way of doing things, Thinking Plague recorded their second album, Moonsongs. Having disbanded the "Packing House" group after their first album, Johnson and Drake recruited a new band: singer-songwriter Susanne Lewis, drummer Mark Fuller and keyboardist Eric Moon. The Packing House Studios had closed but they had access to a few "low budget" recording facilities in Denver. In 1985 Johnson and Drake began to record material for a new Thinking Plague album. In spite of the small scale, low-tech quality of the release, a number of distributors, including Recommended Records and Wayside Music (Cuneiform Records) agreed to sell the album and it was well received by some critics. Only 500 LPs were pressed with each cover hand painted by Drake with spray-paint and a stencil. A Thinking Plague in 1984 on their own Endemic label. Having limited funds they did all the tracking and mixing themselves, and released the album. With Bradford, Fleishman and Mark Fuller on drums the band worked on and off for almost a year recording their songs at a crude 8-track recording facility in the basement of an old slaughterhouse called the Packing House Studios. They played at a few venues around Denver in 1983 but their complicated music was not well received and Johnson and Drake decided to make an album of their material instead. This ensemble became the first incarnation of Thinking Plague. For these shows they enlisted the services of classically trained vocalist Sharon Bradford, luthier Harry Fleishman on keyboards, and Rick Arsenault on drums. They began experimenting with basement recordings in 1980 and by 1982 they had enough song material to attempt a few live performances. Mike Johnson and Bob Drake first met in 1978 and played in several cover bands. ![]() In spite of Johnson's dislike of the term, the band has often been categorized as a "RIO" band. While never directly related to Rock in Opposition (RIO), Thinking Plague was strongly influenced by this late-1970s movement, particularly Henry Cow and Art Bears. remarked that ".Thinking Plague stand out as a shining example of avant-garde music blended with just enough rock for it to be called progressive rock." Their music is a mix of rock, folk, jazz and 20th-century classical music. They have made seven studio albums between 19, and released one live album recorded at NEARfest in 2000. Based in Denver, Colorado, the band has been active off and on since 1982, taking on a number of musicians over the years. Thinking Plague is an American avant-garde progressive rock group founded in 1982 by guitarist/composer Mike Johnson and bass guitarist/drummer Bob Drake. Thinking Plague in 1998 left to right: Dave Kerman, Dave Willey, Deborah Perry, Mark Harris, Shane Hotle, Mike Johnson
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