User:Freddyfanthom

'''Freddy Fanthom and the Doppelgangers' Progressive Rock group formed at the turn of the millineum. Perhaps most notable is the unfortunate series of cancelled shows, due in no fault to the band which spurred the nick name 'The Phantoms'. The lead singer of the band, Phil McCracken, who has a masters degree in [Parapsychology], added the term[ Doppelgangers] to the band when the Fantom name stuck with fans. Although compared with Queen, America and The Eagles, the band has never been on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, as each of these groups has, nor have they achieved nearly the same degree of fame. Similarly, their songs have stayed well away from the Billboard 100 charts for as long as the band has been together.

Shortly before his untimely death, Michael Jackson, when asked what he thought of their music, replied, " I don't know who you're talking about." The ubiquitous lack of fame for this band has made their name prophetic, despite a resurgence of a small, but loyal cult following. One reason may be that the band's sound ranges from hauntingly intimate ballads, such as Through it all, (A song for bass player Les Offen's dog) and A million Years  written by McCracken, to up-tempo rockers like Fargo-go. When the band's first drummer quit, McCracken asked his best friend, Greg to join the band. Mr. and Mrs. Arias, Greg's parents and members of a strict sectarian religion, forbid their son from participating in loud and boisterous music. Although they remaining best friends, Arias was replaced by a series of drummers over the years, and currently the band employs no less than 3 people as part time drummers.

Most recently, Freddy Fanthom and the Doppelgangers have put together a' best of' album entitled With my by myself apparently in homage to Kristen Wig's character, Judy, from SNL. There has always been some speculation that the cancelled shows over the years may in fact be due to the Steve Winwood effect; that is, there are fewer band members than listed. For a number of years there was suspicion that there may be only one band member, but that was redressed when a version of the bands song California was heard at the Hollywood Bowl. Additionally, the title may be a reference to the term doppelgangers, a look-a-like phenomenon that may or may not involve apparitions. In any event, the music is a comfortable blend of classic rock influences and, as most fans already know, touches listeners where emotional vulnerability is sweetest. Freddy Fanthom may never be a household name, but sometimes that's what keeps the music so intimate.