25th Anniversary of Blue Margins by The Blackwells - Intro

The Blackwells: from left to right: Mark Sullivan, Steve Everett, Marc Nelson, and Andrew Plonsky.

I’m a child of the box-set era. The CD-reissue era, with bonus tracks, photo, essays, and linear notes. Rhino Compilations were made for people like me. 

December 8, 2020 is the 25th anniversary of the release of the Blue Margins EP, by The Blackwells. Their only official release, and to date, the only music that I’ve worked on that has gotten airplay. In the spring of 1996, WYEP played songs from Blue Margins pretty regularly. On multiple occasions I was in my car and one of our songs came on the radio. And on multiple occasions I answered the phone only to hear the receiver being held up to a speaker with one of our songs playing in the background and then someone yelling, “You’re on the freakin’ radio!” 

Those memories never get old. 

I’ve always dreamed that at some point in my life I would have enough musical material to warrant a box set. That would be better than making the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I would write a really cool essay to go with it – filled with me years of accumulated, whit, savvy, and extensive musical knowledge. The only problem is that the box set has gone the way of the magazine, the CD, and the landline, and my whit, savvy, and extensive musical knowledge never existed. 

These days, a band’s legacy is posted on Soundcloud or Reverb Nation and that is that. But what becomes of my dream? My lifetime spent reading linear notes when I should have been reading A Tale of Two Cities? Will I never get to fulfil my dream?

7 comments