On Gethsemane, the album that
hooked Stephen King, there’s
a storytelling song called “The
Idler, The Prophet, and a Girl
Called Rain” which is an abso-
lutely breathtaking nine-minute
tune that features characters who
would have fit in well with those
on Bruce Springsteen’s first two
albums. It’s easy to see how King
made the comparison between
the artists. Years later, lyrics from
McDermott found their way into
King’s book Insomnia and a char-
acter in Rose Madder wears a shirt
that reads, “I’m in love with a girl
called Rain.”
Looking back, McDermott thinks
his career and his life would likely
have turned out differently if he did
not have signs of success with his
debut album. Music writers called
him a generational talent and com-
pared him to artists like Dylan and
Springsteen. You can actually trace
the path of his life through the
titles of stories in his hometown
paper, the Chicago Tribune. Fol-
lowing early profiles of a star in the
making, there were later pieces
Listen to “The Idler, The Prophet, and a Girl Called Rain”
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 70
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