Ping Pong over the Abyss explained

Ping Pong Over The Abyss
Type:	studio
Artist:	The 77s
Cover:	PingPongOverTheAbyss.jpg
Released:	1982
Studio:	Exit Studios, Sacramento, California
Genre:	Rock, new wave
Label:	Exit
Producer:	Steven Soles
Prev Title:	Rock and Religion Radio Show
Prev Year:	1980
Next Title:	All Fall Down
Next Year:	1984

Ping Pong over the Abyss is the debut album by the 77s, released in 1982 on the Exit Records label.

One song from that album, "Renaissance Man", was later recorded by the Ocean Blue. "It's So Sad" was later rerecorded, with a drastically different arrangement, by Roe's other band, the Lost Dogs, for their album MUTT.

The title comes from Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl", section 3: "I'm with you in Rockland / where you scream in a straight jacket that you're losing the game of the actual ping pong of the abyss."

Track listing

Side one

1. "A Different Kind of Light"'
2. "How Can You Love"
3. "It's So Sad"
4. "Falling Down a Hole"
5. "Someone New"

Side two

1. "Renaissance Man"
2. "Ping Pong Over the Abyss"
3. "Time Is Slipping Away"
4. "Denomination Blues (That's All)"

Bonus tracks (CD)

Bonus tracks originally found on CDs in the 123 boxset.

1. "A Different Kind of Light" (Live)
2. "How Can You Love" (4-track demo)
3. "It's So Sad" (Live)
4. "Falling Down a Hole" (Live)
5. "Ping Pong Over the Abyss" (4-track demo)
6. "Denomination Blues" (Live)

Band members

• Mike Roe - guitar, lead vocals
• Mark Tootle - keyboards, guitar, vocals
• Jan Eric - bass, background vocals
• Mark Proctor - drums, vocals