Destiny’s Children

Destiny's Children was Sky Saxon’s first full-fledged attempt at a comeback in the 1980s. Released in 1986 as a vinyl LP and cassette, Destiny's Children sought to remind the emerging paisley underground and neo-psych movements of the 1980s, which drew their inspiration from 1960s psych-pop, that the godfather of it all was still here and still a force to be respected.

This time Sky called his new band Fire Wall and continued to call himself by his new-ish moniker Sky Sunlight Saxon. Destiny's Children was issued in the US on the PVC label. (The album was released on vinyl in France as ...A Groovy Thing.)

Destiny's Children is goofy and fun garage rock, absolutely succeeding in its musical intent. Sky’s first new music in years had been Side 1 of the Masters Of Psychedelia LP in 1984, an abortive heavy metal affair that, if nothing else, served notice that Sky was still around and still capable of passionate music.

Producer Frank Beeson with our hero, from the back cover of Destiny's Children.

The singer is clearly excited on Destiny's Children; the band is well rehearsed and the lyrics are even pre-written – something Sky Saxon had not always done for his post-Seeds music. (His Yodship recordings with the Source Family, as well as his Stars New Seeds-era projects, feature lyrics that were clearly improvised to a large degree.)

The Fire Wall band featured Sky’s longtime musical companion Dennis “Mars Bonfire” Edmonton on keyboards, Roy McDonald on drums, and a revolving cast of guitarists and backup singers. Sky, Bonfire and producer Frank Beeson get songwriting credits throughout, although this seems like more of a “share the profits” scheme than reality; it will perhaps never be told exactly who wrote what. Sky himself was the album’s clear focus, however; it’s his name and face shown prominently on the front cover and most if not all of the lyrics must be his.

Shaping Destiny's Children is Sky’s unapologetic hippie spirit – he’s thrilled to be “returning to the sixties” and offers up his usual concoction of sweaty energy, simplistic lyrics, and stoned outlook.

Destiny's Children was released on LP and cassette, but not on CD. However, its tracks were all issued on a French 2-on-1 Fire Wall CD in 1989 called ...In Search Of Brighter Colors + ...A Groovy Thing that’s easy to find and affordable enough. Destiny's Children was also issued on cassette.

There should have been at least one single from Destiny's Children – "Love Dog" b/w "Starving For Your Love", perhaps – but there were none. The infamous front cover art is noble for its vision and its lacking execution. But don’t hate; it’s beautiful and really shouldn’t be any other way.

About the songs

1. "Starving For Your Love"
   Destiny's Children starts with a fun and rousing garage-rocker. Surprisingly, it features a middle-eight section, rarely heard in any Sky Saxon or Seeds-related music. The jangly guitar and 1960s keyboard give it a mid-1980s, “twenty years ago today” kind of feel. "Starving For Your Love" is a great introduction to the record.
2. "House Of Mine"
   Another frequent aspect of the album is introduced here: a wall of murky fuzz-grunge guitar. The punchy two-chord groove of this song is peppy; the bright organ is lovely too.
3. "Spirit Of The Sixties (Return To The Sixties)"
   Unabashedly retro as its title suggests: over a circusy organ and gritty, echoey guitar, Sky fondly and convincingly recalls flower power, beads, and trips. He rattles off names of people who can help us return to the spirit of the 1960s, including The Moody Blues, The Beatles, The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Cream… and, in a moment of self-referential pride, “Sky Sunlight Saxon and the original Seeds”.
4. "Love Dog"
   Things get simplified – no middle-eight, no deviation from the main three-chord structure – on "Love Dog", in which Sky memorably suggests, “Let me be your love dog / Feel my paws, come check me out”. The vocals are growled without letup on this hard garage-rock tune. It’s one of Sky’s catchier 1980s tunes, thanks in no small part to Mars Bonfire’s all-smiles keyboard riff.
5. "Burning Down The Walls Of The City"
   A more urgent rocker, this one finds Fire Wall aping the sound of The Seeds and Sky allowing himself some bad vibes as he screams about burning it all down once and for all.
6. "Sha La La La It's A Groovy Thing"
   Makes its bed in a nest of subtly grungy guitar and lushly psych organ. A merry chorus echoes Sky’s lyrics during some parts of the song, another innovation for him and one that gives the track a communal, party atmosphere. The melody is catchy and simple. This song gave its name to the French version of the LP.
7. "Medley: Over-Reaction/Hollywood Blvd."
   Two very similar songs joined together with a Mars Bonfire keyboard solo, this medley closes the album on a lengthy and suitably weird note. Sky free forms lyrics while the band gets more and more psychedelic on the long outro. And the listener is exhausted.

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