Representative Albums: "Sunrise on the Sufferbus," "Masters of Realtiy," "Masters of Reality"
Representative Songs: "She Got Me (When She Got Her," "The Blue Garden," "Domino"
Biography
Led by singer/guitarist Chris Goss, Masters of Reality were something of an anomaly on the late-'80s/early-'90s rock scene, playing a strongly Cream- and Zeppelin-influenced brand of hard rock with modern touches. Their original members included bassist Googe, guitarist Tim Harrington, and drummer Vinnie Ludovico. Goss broke up the band shortly after their well-received, self-titled debut album in 1989; he reformed the group as a trio a few years later with Googe and legendary ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker. This lineup recorded 1993's Sunrise on the Sufferbus, which slightly altered the group's sound but again received enthusiastic reviews. However, Masters of Reality never quite fit into prevailing hard rock trends, and they remained a well-kept secret to most of the listening public. In hindsight, their retro obsessions and warm, spacious guitar sound set a clear precedent for the '90s stoner rock movement; while the Masters' less metallic sound wouldn't have been a perfect stylistic fit, the link was reinforced by Goss' acclaimed production work on three of the four Kyuss albums. Those records helped pave the way for a new career in production for Goss, and Masters of Reality went on hiatus for several years. Goss reunited with Googe in 1997, adding guitarist Brendan McNichol and drummer Victor Indrizzo for a series of live dates that resulted in the album How High the Moon: Live at the Viper Room. An all-new studio album titled Welcome to the Western Lodge was released in Europe in 1999, but did not appear on American shores until Spitfire licensed it in early 2001. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
After its first incarnation - which consisted of Chris Goss, Tim Harrington, Vinnie Ludovico and Googe - ended following the release of the self-titled debut album in 1988 there has been a revolving door policy in which Goss remains the only constant.
In 1992, Goss and Googe resurfaced as Masters of Reality with Sunrise on the Sufferbus. Joined by drummer Ginger Baker (formerly of Cream), the album spawned a Top 10 chart hit with the single "She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On)." Baker left the band after about a year, and was replaced by Victor Indrizzo (of Circus of Power and Samiam).
Masters of Reality also recorded the song "Climb Inside My World" for a Ren & Stimpy episode entitled "Jerry the Bellybutton Elf." The song was written by Steve Mellor who also wrote the episode it appeared in.
Masters of Reality were rarely active for several years afterwards due to Goss being occupied with production duties for other bands. However, the band did appear at Johnny Depp's Viper Room night club in 1997 for a two-night stand, and a resultant live album, How High the Moon featured Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland on "Jindelee Jindalie."
The band released its fifth album, Give Us Barabbas, in 2004, which was more of a collection of lost tracks - opening with the 'Ballad of Jody Frosty'. In 2009, the band released Pine/Cross Dover.
Members
"Masters Of Reality will always be a project with alternating lineups. First of all, because I can't afford paying people to tell they're in the band." (Chris Goss in 2002 interview metal-inside.de (German))
Last live lineup [2] (also during the Azkena Rock festival on 2005-09-02):
