Coil- Horse rotorvator

Coil- Horse Rotorvator

Good for heavy drugs

Hosting "Horse Rotorvator Parties" at midnight about once or twice a year. Obviously, the station was not known at the time for spinning New Kids on the Block or Poison or Paula Abdul or whatever.

Anyhow, this CD became a much sought-after collectible in the local record stores and I remember paying upwards to $30 back then for my copy. From the opening track to the bitter end, this CD had me enthralled---rather "spellbound" if you don't mind the cliche.

I certainly wouldn't call this music "GOTH" by the standards as they were at the time, but it definitely has a dark and menacing quality to it. In fact, I really don't think Bauhaus, the Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, or Joy Division ever came this close to the pleasing cacaphony found here. Those who relish electronics will certainly find nirvana here, but its not electronics in the fashion of Depeche Mode or New Order. The electronics herein are used to create a complete soundscape, as opposed to providing an upfront rhythm. This is not to suggest that "Horse Rotorvator" is completely driven by synths, however. In fact, some rather unique flamenco-style guitar is featured on this album, which is comprised mostly of originals and a fantastic cover of Leonard Cohen's "Who by Fire." While this disc contains no recognizable singles, "The Anal Staircase" was released as a 12-inch back in the day.

Few of Coil's releases measure up to this one, and the ones that come close usually aren't as dark as this one. While I do possess a rather large Coil collection, I easily consider this to be their swan song. If you buy it and like it, be sure to also check out Click Click's "Bent Massive" and Tangerine Dream's "The Sorcerer."

Anodyne- Uncle Tupelo

This is a good album to listen to when drunk and mellow

Uncle Tupelo was one of the most influential alternative rock bands of all time. Sucessfully merging rock and roll with Gram Parsons-esque country, folk, and bluegrass, their influence can be heard today in the ragged sounds of the Drive-By Truckers, Lucero, and Slobberbone. This, 1993's Anodyne, is the last album the band made, and they went out with a bang.

The styles of this album range between Jay's melancholy downbeat cries, and Jeff's funny upbeat poppy songs. Both songwriters have fully emerged at this point, and despite the fact that they couldn't get along at this point, they both made some of the best music of their career on this release. "Slate" and the title track are both beautifully heartbreaking songs, while Jeff gets his rocker pose out on "The Long Cut" and "We've Been Had," an attack on the music industry.

Later, hippie rock star Doug Sahn comes on board for a energetic version of "Give Back The Key To My Heart," which might be my favorite on the album. "Chickamauga" has a breakneck pace with a furious guitar solo.

The album loses steam a little bit near the end. High Water kinda drags along, and No Sense In Lovin' is decent. Had they got rid of those 2 songs, I would've gave this a 5. However, the sad refrain of Steal The Crumbs makes up for it.

This is a fantastic album, a little bit off the path, but accesiable enough for the modestly interested. Buy it now. It's a different kind of road trip.

Bat Chain Puller - Captain Beefhaert

Bat Chain Puller

Captain Beefheart

The song "Bat Chain Puller" was based upon the rhythm of the windshield wipers on Vliet's Volvo car.

The dear old Captain returns to idiosyncratic form here. Odd stylings, off-kilter tempos & surreal subject matter all coalesce again after DVV's dreadful "commercial period" of Unconditionally Guaranteed and Blue Jeans & Moonbeams. But this album teeters a bit as the Captain regains his sea-legs. The first three tracks, "Tropical Hotdog Night", "Ice Rose" and "Harry Irene" all sound a bit schmaltzy, DVV's sentiment still gets in the way of artfully rockin' out like he was still obviously most able. By the time "Bat Chain Puller" ominously roars out of your speakers, the OLD CAPTAIN NOW SAILS GLORIOUSLY and somewhat chaotically over the bounding riffs. Beefheart is best taken all gruff and oddly time signatured. While the Captain himself exhorts his artistry of word-smithing about the oddness of the everyday. "Candles Mambo" sputters a bit again but "Love Lies", "Suction Prints" and "Apes Ma" are all rock & roll channeled thru Beefheartian insensibilities and churned out as PURE WEIRD ROCK. Fans of Beefheart will not be disappointed by this or the dastardly awesome albums to follow: DOC AT THE RADAR STATION and ICE CREAM FOR CROW. Albums upon which Beefheart raised the seas with mighty art rock and sailed like a mythic hero out of the music biz and into the stuff of rock legends. (***UPDATE 022415*** YES, "schmaltzy" you persnickety wonderers. As Merriam-Webster defines it: "sentimental or florid music or art." And it's all OK, fanboys. How is "Harry Irene" or "Candle Mambo" not schmaltzy...yeah? DVV aka CB exercised a penchant for sensitivity & overly emotive (if oblique) stylizations throughout his oeuvre. That is not to say those expressions were BAD. In fact, schmaltz is a much beloved ingredient in jewish/yiddish and MY cooking! Forgive this reviewer who prefers Don's brusquely defiant brushstrokes of sound on TMR, DATRS, SP (ooh, yeah!), ICFC (oh, hell yeah!) or especially his masterpiece LMDO,B (yes, not TMR, read my review on this one!) because the Ol' Captain certainly explored richer musics in those slabs than the few mis-steps off this album, an album I mostly praise. So, cheers, you bored trolls & buy all the Beefheart you can!)

Between Interval- Secret Observatory

Between Interval- Secret Observatory

Four long-form mixes of timeless dimensionless atmospheres, traverse the abyss of space, seeking - and finding - glimpses of other, distant worlds. Through a powerful imaginary "telescope" comprised of delicate harmonics, sublime electronic tonalities, and deep space atmospherics, trance-electronic composer Between Interval searches the skies, discovering beauty and darkness throughout, and revealing with real purpose the co-existence of the past, present, and the future.