ALL THE MARBLES

“DON’T SLANDER ME.” Roky Erickson. Pink Dust.

Some longtime Erickson observers have suggested that time has claimed most of Roky’s marbles, but on the evidence of this LP, the semi-legendary former leader of the 13th Floor Elevators is still pushing all the buttons. There’s a menacing edginess underlying some of the tunes--for all the bouncy garage-rock spunk of the title track, you wouldn’t want to ignore its repeated warning. And Roky’s occasional Yosemite Sam bark can be a little off-putting. But much of the craziness is confined to the titles (“Crazy Crazy Mama,” “You Drive Me Crazy”), and most of this stuff isn’t quite as out there as old faves like “I Walked With a Zombie” or “Two-Headed Dog.” But it’s also a long way from “Rock Me Amadeus.” And that’s no slander.