Here is a lightly-edited conversation I had with my audiophile friend, Bill.

Bill: I don't know 2/3 of the artists or music you write about.
Lummy: That's exactly why I do what I do.
Bill: No, I know that. I've been listening to the radio and reading audio mags for years. Decades. And they never told me about the music. I'm [miffed] that I don't learn about it until I ask you.
Lummy: It's not just I. The other Inmates on Rocky Road make it AA's best forum.
Bill: But they just provide a link, and don't say a [expletive deleted] thing about it.
Lummy: But did you ask them to give you more info? As you know, everyday, I've got half a dozen people asking me questions, making requests, looking for suggestions.
Bill: ...I had no idea Vicious Rumors existed. How can such a solid band escape, without anyone knowing about them?
Lummy: Well, like I said, they toiled in the Bay Area underground in the 80s. By the time they signed to a major label in 1990, the market for heavy metal dried up. VR were too late to the party. Worse, by the time they came out with Welcome To The Ball in late 1991, the grunge revolution had already begun, further burying them in obscurity.
Bill: Tell me more about its songs!

25 years ago, in February 1992, a friend and I saw Vicious Rumors at The Stone, in San Francisco. I was right in the front, and during one song, the lead singer, Carl Alpert, handed me a can of Budweiser. Since I didn't drink, I immediately passed it to whoever was standing behind me. I never turned to see who it was. All I know was, he was so overjoyed, he let out a boisterous scream.

Like all the other Vicious Rumors concerts we had attended, this one was...professional. My friend and I kept waiting for our other friend, Melissa, to show up. However, she had some S.F. State acting group, and by the time she made it across the City, and to The Stone on Broadway, Vicious Rumors were into their encore. Anyway, I believe it was this February 1992 show, at which I bought a Vicious Rumors baseball cap.

At that time, I was a college junior, and I had to think about the upcoming summer, which would be my last. Instead of going to Hawaii to take a class, I applied to the San Francisco Unified School District, to be a teacher's aide. Sometime in the Spring, I got a letter, stating that I had been accepted. I ended up being assigned to Golden Gate Elementary, which was just a 15-minute walk from home. It was a wonderful class, who would enter 5th grade in the Fall.

During that summer of 1992, I worked half a day at Golden Gate Elementary, went home, ate lunch, and often fell asleep. In the afternoon, my friends would start to come over. Vicious Rumors' "Children" seemed to point out that my friends, who were 18-21 years old, were in that transitory position between childhood and adulthood.

When we went out to San Francisco playgrounds, we frequently brought Welcome To The Ball and "Children" was a favorite of ours - and even passers-by.

Lummy: Don't worry, Bill; "Children" was never broadcast to begin with. You had to have been a VR fan, who had seen them live, or possessed their album.
Bill: Hey, [Welcome To The Ball] is 25 years old. But back then, if you guys were not adults, that must mean you guys weren't 25 yet.
Lummy: You are correct.