Are You Serious?
Idiot Optimism
Both of these instant classic rock albums were recorded between 1978 and 1979 by Memphis born singer, composer, guitarist Van Duren when he was in his mid twenties.
From the time he was a teenager in 1970 through to 1976, Van Duren kicked around Memphis playing with various members of legendary local group Big Star before seeking his fame and fortune in New York City’s Greenwich Village.
Eventually signing a record deal with small time independent New York label Big Sound Records, Van Duren released his debut album Are You Serious? in 1978.
The record was simultaneously picked up and distributed in Europe on London’s Decca label under the different title Staring at the Ceiling. Van Duren’s London Decca Records connection was most likely due to his association at the time with former Rolling Stones manager and producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who claims to be one of the influential folks who discovered him at the time.
Following the positive response to his first album, Van Duren quickly returned to Big Sound’s Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut to record the follow up, Idiot Optimism, between 1978 and 1979.
Sadly, a dispute between Van Duren and Big Sound’s owner, Thomas “Doc” Cavalier, soured their relationship.
Thomas “Doc” Cavalier, owner of Trod Nossel Studios and Big Sound Records
Consequently, Van Duren’s completed sophomore album, Idiot Optimism, was left unreleased while the label retained ownership and exclusive rights to the record.
And so it was that the immensely talented Van Duren, with not just one but two classic 70’s rock albums to his credit, would not be heard of again for almost 40 years.
To be continued…
Connecting over a social media post in 2016, two unlikely strangers, Australian music buffs Greg Carey and Wade Jackson, drunkenly committed themselves upon their first meeting to embark on a thrilling passion project together, a film documenting the ill fated Van Duren and his obscure impossible to find debut album.
The only problem was they’d never made a movie before.
How difficult can it be?
The resulting film is the 2018 feature length documentary Waiting: The Van Duren Story, without which you would not be reading this article today.
And so kids the moral of the story is…
CHASE YOUR DREAMS
Sometimes they come true, it might just take 40 years to happen, or maybe just two.
Spoiler alert:
Both Van Duren albums, Are You Serious? and Idiot Optimism, have been reissued on vinyl and compact disc and are available to stream on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon Music.
As of this writing, Waiting: The Van Duren Story, is available to stream for free on Tubi.
Van Duren’s story is truly fascinating and a bit heartbreaking. It’s incredible how someone so talented could fade into obscurity despite creating such remarkable music. The fact that his albums were recorded in the late ’70s and yet remained largely unknown for decades is both puzzling and intriguing. Greg Carey and Wade Jackson’s dedication to uncovering his story and making a film about it is inspiring, especially considering they had no prior experience in filmmaking. It makes me wonder what other hidden gems from the past are waiting to be rediscovered. Do you think Van Duren’s music would have gained more recognition if he had better management or a different label? Also, what do you think about the role of chance and timing in an artist’s success? It’s a story that really makes you reflect on the music industry and how it can make or break careers.
Thank you so very much for your thoughtful and detailed response to the article, your feedback is greatly appreciated. It is our opinion that Van Duran’s record company poorly managed the sales, marketing and promotion of both his albums. Timing was certainly a factor as well. The fact that punk rock and New Wave music was the exciting new thing at the time could very well have been an impediment to the success of a record like Van Duran’s which has a more early to mid 70s power pop feel to it. What do you think?