Bob Rafelson Productions) -- and gave us "Easy Rider", "Five Easy Pieces", "The Last Picture Show" and "Hearts and Minds", and lamenting the absence of such risk-taking companies today." "Five Easy Pieces" was written by Rafelson and Carole Eastman (under the alias Adrien Joyce) and starred Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach. Nicholson plays Bobby Dupea, a gifted classical piano player who works on an oil rig in California and spends most of his time drinking beer and bowling with his put-upon girlfriend Rayette (Black). Bobby is constantly dissatisfied and a non-conformist, stating: "I move around a lot. Not because I'm
Easy Pieces aware it's a little cry for help." Cole would later disown some of his writing on the album, stating in 1990, "There are two terrible songs on "Easy Pieces", one called "Grace" and another called "Minor Character" which is literally the worst lyric ever written. I really believed I was the Raymond Carver of song when I wrote that. It's truly appalling." Following promotion for "Rattlesnakes", the band went back into the studio with Paul Hardiman again to record the follow-up. However, the relaxed atmosphere that had surrounded the recording of the first record was not replicated – Polydor had