They could play really well and had a "post-punk consciousness" by 1977. Paul Cutler, Mikey Borens and likely -- considering what he did afterwards -- David Wiley were already into groups like Henry Cow, Anthony Moore and the rest of the advanced stuff on Island/Virgin. The playing on the LP is outstanding and ahead of its time, but it almost belies what their interests were. The way Cutler told it to me was that Phoenix was such a dead zone that all they did was practice and scan the music press. The majority of the band grew up Mormon and had rejected it. I asked about Joey Dears, their friend who produced it, and they said he died cuz he never left Phoenix. Not to condemn Phoenix, but they all had negative views on their hometown.
Like a lot of people from their generation with ambition, they were also capable of soldering and making their own amps and electronics.
