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| Artist: | "DISQUE 9" |
| Title: | "des incurables" |
| Label: | Slow River Records |
| Reviewed By: | Jill Williams |
| Rating: |  |
| "Disque 9" was founded by Keith Fancy out of an obsession with
erotica, sexual research, taxidermy, burlesque, histories of psychological
abnormalities, and his sampling keyboard. Keith, and his occasional collaborator
Mary Timony, recorded this CD on a home 8-track with a sampling keyboard,
pitch shifter, and a bunch of old records. Also included in the mix are
record skips, tape loop accidents and walkie talkie transmissions. The result
is something that claims to be dark erotica, but is closer to a torture
chamber where we are the poor souls on the rack. This album is probably the worst I've heard in a long time. The music is supposed to represent a story in which the setting is the old French "Hopital des Incurable" (hospital for the incurable) and the titles of the tracks explain the plot. The vocals are incomprehensible, the music is repetitive, annoying, and downright creepy. The liner notes, which I first thought contained the lyrics, are actually descriptions of the images we're supposed to see when listening to the songs. "The Vision Prepares It's Revenge" is one of the more bizzare examples. "Taxidermist's need: glovers', and curved mattress needles; forceps; elecrician's nippers; 10-12 "double-cut" mill or flat file..." It goes on with the list, but I think you get the idea. I've never heard anything like this before. It is indeed original, but original doesn't always mean good. The majority of the songs defy definition. It's simply noise put together in the strangest possible package. The only bright spot on this CD is "The Gift Lost: The Death and the Ascension." It stands out as the sole track resembling a song. You still can't make out the lyrics, but it's relaxing and very new age. A high pitched woman's voice sings presumably about death, but makes it sound rather appealing. Okay, so maybe that's not a good thing, but it's easy on the ears. This song, and the fact that this CD is totally different from anything else you're likely to hear, are the only reasons to listen to the album, and those really aren't good enough reasons. "The Last Person Exiting the Turns" sounded promising at first, but it's really just the same short set of sounds over and over. It's quite pretty to listen to for about 30 seconds, but the song goes on that way for over 2 minutes, and after listening to it for that long, you easily forget why you might have liked it to begin with. There are many songs on the album that use these tape loops. Even if you enjoy them at first, you either grow tired of them, or lose your mind. Fancy says, "There are songs on this record, but if you want to hear them you might want to start at the end of the disc and work your way backwards." He's right. If you move backwards, it's slightly more tolerable, but why bother? Stay away from this album. Don't waste your money. If you want to hear something different, bang your head on the wall and moan into a bullhorn while listening to circus music. It's cheaper, and it will probably sound about the same or better. |
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| Artist: | "MUZZLE" |
| Title: | "BETTY PICKUP" |
| Label: | Reprise Records |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Colette Engel |
| Rating: |  |
| "We're not punk rock. We're not terribly weird. We're not really
soft pop like Super Deluxe. I don't really know where we fit in." Where
does Muzzle fit then? The press release states---Muzzle - American rock,
American roll. I think it suits them. This band manages to pound out an
album full of rocking good music. "Muzzle" are Wesley Nelson and Ryan Maxwell, both on guitars, Burke Thomas on drums, and Greg Collinsworth on bass. Collinsworth was added to the band after several months of a "revolving door of bass inadequacy." The music is loud and driving. Maxwell says of the music, "We're all suckers for a good pop hook, but then again, who isn't? So, what we like to do is get our guitars drunk before we play, and that way the songs kinda take on a life of their own." A statement like this makes me want to see them live to find out what kind of sound they achieve with this method. The band's new album, "Betty Pickup" is full of great music and interesting lyrics. The first song may be familiar to you if you had watched the now defunct television show, R.E.L.A.T.I.V.I.T.Y. "Not A Sing-a-long" was played on an episode last October. The song has an infectious beat to it that had me dancing and singing along despite the title, a misnomer if ever I've heard one. "What a Bore" is a fun song. "I heard it all before/What a bore you are/Not that I'm all that." "It's about some sort of relationship," Maxwell says. This is as close as we get to an explanation. The lyrics are great and the music tight. "I'll wait for you...at least until I'm sick of it. I'll wait for you....at least until i'm bored." You almost have to cheer at this sentiment if you've ever been in this position. "Free Trampoline" is my favorite song on this CD. The music is incredible. When you listen to the song with headphones it sounds like the guitars are flying out around you. That's the only way I can describe it. I found myself humming it when I was in the car. I sang it under my breath as I waited in line at the grocery store. I blasted it at home on the stereo and sang along at the top of my lungs. "Half the time I bounce myself around - and use you like a trampoline." There I go again. I just can't stop singing it. Somehow the combination of music and lyrics managed to grab hold of me and not let go. "Bleed On" is a strange song but another of my favorites. It starts with just a guitar and vocals. Then the other guitar, bass, and drums join in and the tempo increases just a bit. "Bleed on me....only if it matters....My little star....I give you all I have.....I give you all I have." There is something about this song that stayed with me and kept me thinking about it. "Come On Down" is a happy-sounding kind of song with lyrics like "If you come on down/I can show you around/We can go to a show/I can show you the town." The song made me think of visiting friends far away. This is another of my favorites on the album. I like it more each time I hear it. "Betty Pickup" is an album worth picking up if you have the cash. The band has a distinctive sound that can only get better with experience. It's a strong first album and hopefully they can continue to deliver with subsequent records building on what they have here. |
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| Artist: | "ROBERT CRAY BAND" |
| Title: | "SWEET POTATO PIE" |
| Label: | Mercury |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Donn Jehs |
| Rating: |  |
Back in the April issue of AMZ, the Linkster talked about some well
known "Fender Benders," but here is one that got left off the
list. Robert Cray shows throughout this latest album how to make the Stratocaster
wail. There are ten tasty slices of Cray's "Sweet Potato Pie"
to pass around the CD player.
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