The spirit of Sisyphus is alive and well in this dysfunctional band of rock and roll misfits who call themselves the Cosmic Poets. Struggling to get gigs and keep his group afloat, band leader Angus Keegan sets up a most unusual tour down the West Coast in an RV named Elvis. Hoping to get signed, or at least get home, becomes profoundly more difficult with each passing mile, and in the end, they get a lot more than a record deal which turns out to be a really good thing...
''The Poet Chronicles is a wry, hilarious description of life in a band. This book should be wrapped in dishonored contracts, put in a guitar case and entombed in the cornerstone of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.''
— Sam Andrew, BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY
''In crisp prose and with a quick wit, McHugh renders the oddly painful and often absurd twisty turns of the up and down life of the American musician on the edge of making it into a laugh-out-loud page turner. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and talked to yourself about making it as an artist in America, then The Poet Chronicles just might be one of those rare books that you feel is written just for you.''
— Adam Ward, THE BELLINGHAM WEEKLY
''What a road trip! Tim McHugh's Cosmic Poets take us on a whirlwind tour of demented managers, drunken groupies, cancelled gigs, dwindling cash, and crazy dreams. Hilarious, gritty, and surreal by turns, the story finally returns to the redemptive heart of simply making music together.''
— Sara Stamey, ISLANDS
''Wry, funny and absorbing from the first page!''
— Tim Johnson, Executive Editor, THE CASCADIA WEEKLY
The whole reason this album came into existence is because I wanted to feel what it was like to chuck an acoustic guitar into the Pacific Ocean. (I bet Pete Townshend never did that!) Seriously, the concept came from reading a lot of Tolstoy and feeling the creative and spiritual tension between wanting to get my music out to the world, and the need to renounce everything. (I did retrieve the guitar after the photo shoot and in a karmic twist, the thing slammed into my shins which didn't feel so good! I think the guitar gods were sending me a strong message. Upon its release, Edge of Forever received significant airplay in the Northwest, and still hold up as the Lost Poets' signature album. The mood is brooding, the sound is groovy, and at times, it rocks.
Regarding Edge of Forever: ''In their time, both the Alarm and the Waterboys made use of a thundering good chorus, to drive a hook home. So does Tim McHugh. One day, he could be talking to A&R people from a few major labels.'' — THE ROCKET
SONGS: Are You Real?, Edge Of Forever , My House Is Burning Down, Where Are You Now?, Brink Of Emotion, Something’s Burning, The Man Said Nothing, Redemption, Eternal Star Take Me There
This album was the debut of the Lost Poets emergence on the Northwest scene. We did an amazing tour in Alaska sponsored by the Gwich'in tribe, who have been fighting to keep the oil companies out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The song, Justice Will Be Done is a tribute to them and all Native American culture and has been a hit amongst Native peoples throughout the US and Canada. The song also won us an invitation to play at the 500 Year Quincentennial concert in San Francisco with Bonnie Raitt, John Trudell and others. This album is a celebration of life and full of passion for change and hope for a better world. Smoking Gun is a tribute to Native American political prisoner Leonard Peltier and draws light on the profound injustice surrounding his case.
You're Not Alone carries an effortless strength, clarity, and full-hearted fetch rare in music these days. The lyrics suggest a return to the folk-rock greats of a generation and more passed . . . the instrumental work is tight and fluent . . . highly recommended.'' — THE FISHWRAPPER
SONGS: You’re Not Alone, Smoking Gun, Justice Will Be Done, We’ve Got To Live Another Way, One More Sunset, Only You Can Change The World, Only You Can Change The World (Reprise), Take Back The Flag, Arctic Eyes, I’ll Be Loving You Again
This was a release I put together on the tail end of the Lost Poets' magical musical run back in 1999. While a couple of the songs are complete band numbers, most of them are just me and my guitar with sparse overdubbing...many songs that I never really played live, but had a special place in my heart nonetheless. I hope you like it.
''Make no mistake, Fools Like Me is McHugh’s best recording to date and if all it takes are a few more ‘fools’ to help change the world, then you can count me in.''
— Joseph Ponder, The Bellingham Weekly
''Tim McHugh has the audacity to believe that his music can change the world . . . he may be right.'' — Bob Terrill, Program Director, KCSU Radio, Ft. Collins CO
SONGS: What If?, Find The Narrow Road, Like A Rainbow, Before The Light Pt. I, Before The Light Pt. II, When The Morning Came, Get Ready For The Rain, Don’t Turn Out The Light, Jed’s Gone, Coming Clean, I Still Remain, You Are The Love I Need, Take It In Today, Find The Narrow Road (Reprise)
With wry wit, deep insight, and vivid anecdotes, Tim McHugh gives voice to the family pet and delves into the place where the canine and human hearts become one. Ivan, a mixed-breed dog-philosopher with an extreme underbite and various other deformities, chronicles his life story with keen observations about his adopted family and the people he loves, covering the life events that touch us all. Throughout his life Ivan keeps plugging forward with optimism and faith, always striving to learn from his mistakes, believing that even as he is ultimately facing old age, disease, and death, life is all the more wonderful. To Ivan, love and relationships with people are what matters most, and that if a deformed pound dog like him can find love and acceptance, anyone can. His is a lively, humorous story of hope and perseverance. click here to order on amazon.com now.
This 1989 release is still considered by many to be my finest...(does that mean I've peaked and it's been downhill ever since?) I was trying to get over a devastating broken heart and these songs were a catharsis for this most difficult time in my life. I think that translated to something pretty special, though once it was completed, I had a hard time revisiting most of these songs live. This album did get national exposure thanks to a great review in Option Magazine, and that translated into sales from all corners of the country and the great feedback from my supporters was instrumental in keeping me moving along the creative path. Much thanks to John Weeks, Randy Omel and Bob Conger for their key roles in the production of this.
'' . . . a clear and expressive voice and a gift for unusual, understated melodies . . . lyrically McHugh covers a lot territory yet everything eventually boils down to love and the pain it can bring . . . his playing is so good that it seems effortless.'' — OPTION MAGAZINE
SONGS: Shadows On The Land, Chief Seattle, Where The Time Goes Slow, Is It Over? Monday Morning Part 1, Monday Morning Part 2, One More Sunset, Hard Goodbye, The Streets Of Yesterday
