MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Raw Terra

Raw Terra released his new two-sided single on December 3, 2021! Raw Terra is the alter-ego of musician Richard d’Andrea. Primarily a bassist, he is also a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was an early member of The Motels (in the historic Radio Free Hollywood lineup), The Know (with Gary Valentine and Joel Turrisi) and later forming Factor Four with Jeff Wolfe and joining The Roosters United with Jeff Jourard and Graham Daddy. He has also performed or recorded with many other musicians including Joan Jett, Michael Des Barres, The Halibuts, The Insect Surfers, The Furys, The Textones, The Roosters United, Bob Beland, Marc Platt, David Nigel Lloyd, Fur Dixon and Joao Erbetta.

After decades of playing in bands he decided to mix it up and embarked on solo recordings of his own compositions. 2018 marked the released of his first solo album “Mars 12, Earth 0” and soon after the same album's backing tracks: “Mars 12, Earth 0 - (Instrumentals)” (a nod to “Stack-o-Tracks”). The music ranges from Surf and Neo-60’s to driving Alt and Indie rock and ends with a hypnotic tone poem.

“Mystery Monkey Remix”, released August 2019, revisits and remixes two songs from that first album: “(Waitin’ for The) Mystery Train” is given a clearer, more punchier mix and “Monkey See, Monkey Do” is reworked with electric 12-string guitar and new vocals.

Original songs “Every Little Bit” and “I Don’t Need You” make up his first 2-sided single release (December 2021) and he is working on the other songs that will comprise his second, as yet unnamed, album. “Every Little Bit” has never been recorded or performed with a band while the song “I Don’t Need You” might have been heard being performed by the Factor Four band in the mid 80’s in Los Angeles. Both songs were recorded by Raw Terra this past spring and summer.

Says Richard, “My work on this CD or album has just begun and I’m releasing the songs as I finish them - on my first album I waited until all were finished (which took a long time) before releasing it. So, I thought I would try to do it incrementally this time. ‘Every Little Bit’ was written as a stream of consciousness but seems to have two main themes: one is about being fed up with certain aspects of life and the other a confession of attraction and desire for another. ‘I Don't Need You’ is a somewhat snotty break-up song - probably directed to the girl in the previous song! These are the first two songs finished and I also started on many others. Some are new while the older ones had been written with the band I was in at the time in mind. Too many songs go uncompleted... so this is proving to be a good opportunity and impetus to finally finish songs off and record them.”

In closing, Richard has this to say about the two new songs, “Stream it loud (and often)!”

Digitally released by DistroKid for streaming and download at all the usual places.

Digital downloads or purchase: Amazon, Apple Music and iTunes, Bandcamp streaming and full digital list: Amazon, Anghami, Apple Music, MediaNet, Boomplay, Deezer, Instagram/Facebook, iHeartRadio, ClaroMusica, iTunes, KKBox, NetEase, Qobuz, Pandora, Saavn, Spotify, Tencent, Tidal, TikTok/Resso, Triller (beta), Soundtrack by Twitch, and Yandex Music (beta)