“I'm in a band.” That's what Arty told me; the first time that I ever met him.

Being from the Peninsula, a small relatively suburban area of Virginia, in the 1980's. That didn't mean much to me.

I knew plenty of people who claimed to be "in a band". It was a boast, made by numerous peers.

"I'm in a band", typically, meant that you and a few of your friends (if you were lucky) liked to sit around and talk about being “in a band”. Maybe your parents would let you and your little friends, practice in their garage (again, if you were lucky). Maybe you'd even figured out how to play an AC-DC riff, or two. But, to me; that didn't mean that you were “in a band”.

Before meeting Baby Farm, I'd never met an actual band.

Arty, Gary, Paco, and Turo. THEY were a band!

I had friends who wanted to be “in a band”. I had friends who wanted to be artists. But Baby Farm was already a band. They were already artists.

They weren't sitting around, talking about it. They were doing it.

In the 80's, there was no real “scene” where we lived. Most local bands, were bands attempting to play MTV-quality covers of top-40 radio hits.

Baby Farm was NOT doing that.

Baby Farm was doing what THEY wanted to do.

They were focusing on whatever pop-culture element caught their eye. And they were either celebrating it, or they were mocking it. Sometimes, they did both, at the same time.

But there was always substance. If you knew where to look.

These weren't just comic-book horror stories, about women with (living) spiders sewn into their mouths. These were unflinching commentaries. Mixed with the occasional Madonna cover.

Arty's wit, as a songwriter, and vocalist, ages well.

Gary's guitar barrage, is as relentless as ever.

Paco’s bass playing, made myself, and countless others, want to play bass.

And, from a purely technical standpoint. Turo as a drummer, might have been the most naturally talented member of the band.

Don't take my word for it. Go listen to it.