Gnarly Guitarists: MX-80's Bruce Anderson (RIP)

Several great singers and players have left us recently. One loss that saddened me was the death of Bruce Anderson from MX-80 Sound. I never met Bruce or saw him perform, but I was a fan ever since I sent a buck to Ralph Records in 1980 for their first Buy Or Die EP, which opened with Bruce's astonishing guitar work on "Don't Blame It On Me" (aka "It's Not My Fault").

I sent a letter to the band, offering to start a fan club. MX-80 frontman Rich Stim politely discouraged the idea, but he sent me a copy of the Big Hits EP.

Trouser Press described Bruce Anderson's style by asking readers to "imagine a cross between Sonny Sharrock and a bad-mood Robert Fripp." Glenn O'Brien quipped that MX-80 was “either the most Heavy Metal Art Band or the most Arty Heavy Metal Band”. Anderson himself credited John McLaughlin, Terje Rydpal, Wilko Johnson, Clarence White and James "Blood" Ulmer as influences.

After two albums for Ralph, MX-80 went quiet while Rich attended law school.  Bruce played in Henry Kaiser's band (with John and Hilary Hanes from Chrome and Pearl Harbour & The Explosions). Bruce also played with Malcolm Mooney's Tenth Planet and Pluto. He contributed to several records by Angel Corpus Christi (with Andrea Ross and Rich Stim), and to the Residents' 1989 album The King & Eye.  

The unbroken bond between Dale (left) and Bruce (right)

The MX-80 mothership had multiple satellites. O-Type was essentially MX-80 without Rich; Bar Stool Walker was Bruce and Rich; lazyboy was Bruce and bassist Dale Sophiea; Grale was Bruce and Dale with Gregory Hagan and Dale's son Nicolas Sophiea; French Radio was Bruce, A.C. Way, and Jim Kaiser. Can't forget The Gizzards and Half-Life (both now on Bandcamp!)

In 2021, MX-80 Sound released Hougher House, a spoken word tale with musical backing about a dysfunctional and avaricious family. The band began recording a new album to be titled Better Than Life. Bruce died on January 11, 2022 -- ending almost five decades of MX-80 Sound. I bet the man played guitar every single day for 50 years.

The first MX-80 LP (Hard Attack) was reissued by Superior Viaduct, and the Ralph albums were recently reissued on vinyl by Ship To Shore Media. Other MX-80 and O-Type releases are available from the Family Vineyard label.  Feeding Tube Records released the 2016 LP So Funny. Hougher House was released on CD by Psychofon.

Here are two extensive articles about MX-80's history, written by Steve Albini and Peter Conheim of Negativland. Bandcamp links: MX-80 Sound, Bar Stool Walker, Quadruped Media, Petit Mal Music, Angel Corpus Christi. Rest in sound, Bruce.