The small, remote town I lived in during my last two years of high school had a single locally-produced radio station which played what would probably now be called Adult Contemporary. One of its two deejays called himself Rockin’ Ross. The music did not especially rock, nor did Ross, who I knew a little, and was a nice guy, but left his radio career after not-so-many years and went on to sell Amway and become a postal carrier. Ross just never struck me as a rockin’ name. Ruby, however, could reasonably be assumed to be a rocker. Take note: Pick your child’s names based in part on if you wish them to rock or not.
I found this album by unknown-to-me band Ross on a cold, wet day in one of the bargain crates – CLEARANCE – at the wonderful Rockin’ Ruby’s Records in Poulsbo. (There’s a Bainbridge location, too). Originally, this was priced at $12 (well over our self-imposed $10 bargain limit) but it was marked 50% off, which brought it below the threshold for this column. The band’s name (or at first it could’ve been the album title, as “Ross” was the only word on the album title) did not call out to me for a lasting relationship, harkening back maybe to the aforementioned Ross, or a bad-weird kid of the same name I knew in elementary school.
But the cover, good lord what a cover! Worth the money right there, even if it might prove to be less rockin’ than unreasonably hoped for. And, there kinda was less…