I need a man, no one psychotic or Republican...

Now that we have our Will And Grace, Brokeback Mountain, and Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, it's easily to forget the period where there were no mass marketing of gay culture that there is today. And as recently as the 90s, the biggest chunk of gay-produced gay media came in the form of books and music. I used to go down to Giovanni's Room in Philly and A Different Light in New York to pick up cassette from gay and lesbian underground musicians such as Romanosky & Phillips, Phranc, and Cris Williamson. Primo among them is the genius that is Michael Callen. Before his death from AIDS in 1993 at the age of 38 (coincidently my age now), he had provided us with two classic solo albums (Purple Heart and the 2-CD Legacy which by all means find if you can) as well as one studio and one live album with his a cappella group the Flirtations.

Live: Out On The Road was recorded in Toronto in 1991, and captured the group at their peak. Consisting of Callen, Jon Arterton, Aurelio Font, Jimmy Rutland, and Cliff Townsend, each singer gets a time to shine on the 17 songs here. There's a mix of bastardized pop songs like "Mr. Sandman" and "Johnny Angel", camp exercises like "Donda Esta Delores" and Julie Brown's "The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun", and gay-empowerment songs like "Living In Wartime" and "Everything Possible". This array makes a much more audience-friendly listen, and translates to CD perfectly. Of course the highlights are the most emotional songs here, like the inspiring "Secret Of Life", the angry but still scared "Living In Wartime", the PC-lullaby "Everything Possible", and the way underrated Labi Siffre song "Something Inside So Strong". The group even makes room for "Biko", combining songs by Peter Gabriel and lesbian vocal group Sweet Honey In The Rock to honor the fallen African anti-apartheid hero.

I've had this on tape since it came out in 1992. Recently coming across the CD by wild chance at the Princeton Record exchange, and listening to it 14 years after the fact, it brings just as much laughter and tears as when I first heard it. By all means for anybody wanting a taste of real gay music, find Live: Out On The Road. And prepare to be blown away. Honest.

Grade: A
Best Cuts: "Secret Of Life", "Something Inside So Strong", "Everything Possible"
Weakest Links: none

You can find a copy of Live: Out On The Road at places like here and here.

To listen to the Flirtations' very hilarious version of "Mr. Sandman" you can click to download here (right click to bring in new window)

and here's Michael Callen with two other Flirtations, Jon Arterton and also-passed T.J. Myers singing "Where The Boys Are" in 1990 at Symphony Space. Behold.