ELECTRIC SIX - MIMICRY AND MEMORIES

Usually when I get a new CD I spend some time with it before I write a review.  I let the music kinda permeate and soak in before I attempt to share an opinion of it.  But I'm not gonna be able to do that with this album.  I've been waiting for it for almost a year and when I picked it out of my mailbox this afternoon, I just about lost it.  I dumped it straight into my truck and hit the road.  Had to drive to experience this amazing double disc release...  And let me tell you, it really is AMAZING!!!!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Electric Six, do a search of my blog and you can read reviews of other albums the band has released.  As for this beauty...  It was the result of a Kickstarter campaign and you could only get the disc if you participated.  For those of you who didn't, you're kinda outta luck.  The band won't print anymore copies and they won't sell them online, in stores or at shows.  This was your one and only chance.  I guess copies might show up on eBay or other sites, but I'm guessing they'll run you a pretty penny by the time they show up.

Anyway, for those of you who didn't get it, here's what you're missing...  There are two discs:  Mimicry (comprised of covers the band recorded); and Memories (a selection of demos, outtakes, unused tracks, single tracks and anything the band wanted to put out there).

The first track on the Mimicry disc is 'I Got The Six'.  Written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, this track is from ZZ Top's 1983 "Eliminator" album.  This is a great song to start the album off with.  E6 doesn't pull any punches on this one, but they also don't do anything strange or unusual.  This is a very straightforward rockin' version of the original track.  The biggest difference is the inclusion of keyboards on E6's version.  I also think E6's version is more substantial.  There's a bigger feel to it and it's more satisfying.  Although ZZ Top really rock this number, all recordings of the song I've heard sound thin and old.  The fuller production and larger sound make this a track ZZ Top should reconsider updating.  It still packs an enormous punch.

The second track is 'Easy Lover'.  This chart topping hit is a duet between Philip Bailey and Phil Collins.  The two share writing credits along with Nathan East.  It's taken from Bailey's 1984 album, "Chinese Wall" and I very much doubt there's a single person who lived in the 80's that wasn't aware of this song.  I was never a huge fan of it back then and I was a bit suspicious when it turned up here.  But Dick Valentine and crew deftly turn it out in E6 style and make it a song that could easily be a standard for them.  Although it's better not to be known for covers.  It's followed by a song I've never heard before.  A little research shows the track was written by Donnie Iris and Mark Avsec.  It was originally released on Donnie Iris And The Cruisers' 1992 album "Out Of The Blue".  I listened to the original and it sounds familiar.  It reminds me of something I might have heard back in the early 80's.  Maybe even some early Cars.  But it's a bit strange and goofy.   E6 take the camp out and deliver an anthem rock version.  Once again, it stays true to the original, but Valentine is more convincing singing this song than Donnie Iris.  Giorgio Moroder and David Bowie teamed up on the next number, 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire)'.  This creepy track is taken from the soundtrack to a 1982 film I never saw.  And haven't even heard about.  I checked out the original version and I have to say...  Yikes.  It was around this time Bowie was transitioning to 80's pop icon with his hit record, "Let's Dance".  But this precursor is a bit on the "ummmmmm, what???" side.  This is the first track E6 offer us a drastically different version than the original.  And it rocks!  It is vastly superior and a great example of how a song can be great with a different arrangement.

'Do You Love Me?' is from Kiss' 1976 album, "Destroyer".  Written by Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley and Bob Ezrin; this was a dynamic song that sounds a  bit dated.  Much like ZZ Top's 'I Got The Six'.  E6 restore it to stadium rock status with this exuberant cover.  So far, I think all of the covers have been just as good as or better than the originals.  Michael Melchiondo Jr, and Aaron Freeman are credited with writing 'Buckingham Green' from Ween's 1997 album, "The Mollusk".  I always thought this song was a bit thin, but grandiose.  In this case, I'm not sure which version is superior, but Valentine delivers a creepy vocal performance worthy of the creepiness of the song and the production value on E6's version is far superior to Ween's.  

Next up is a track E6 played last year on tour.  It was an encore number and supporting act, Yip Deceiver would join on vocals.  Taken from 1987's "Tango In The Night", 'Everywhere' is Christine McVie's contribution to Fleetwood Mac's record and although I've excitedly waited for this song more than any other, I'm not as thrilled with it as I wanted to be.  And here's why...  Musically, it stays true to the Fleetwood Mac version and that's great!  It's an amazing song you probably shouldn't mess with.  Tait's keyboards are spot on.  But, this studio recording was done with Yip Deceiver and the shared vocals don't really cut it here.  I love both bands and I hate saying this.  But I'd much rather hear Valentine on all verses.  His deeper tone somehow suits the song far better than Yip Deceiver's higher sound.  Still, the music is flawless.  Written by Per Gessle, 'The Look' is taken from Roxette's breakthrough 1988 record, "Look Sharp!"  I didn't mind this Swedish duo, but I didn't like them either.  Most of my friends picked up this record but I skipped it.  I really thought they were a copy cat band.  Of all the tracks on this first disc, this is the one I think is completely out of place.  It just doesn't fit in here.  It's hard to judge covers of songs that were released as singles and were successful for their original artists.  It's more exciting to find an obscure song from a group and breathe new life into it.  E6 tackle some big hits here and this one is probably the only one I feel like they fail on.  There's no way you can convert this piece of pop fluff into a song you'd want to hear Dick Valentine sing.  I'm disappointed to say it, but waste of a track.  I would've picked something more funk or R&B oriented for this number.  Valentine has proven he's got the chops for some heavy funk.  Much better direction.

'Girls Want To Be With The Girls' kicks in and I think to myself, "That's a right jaunty jig!"  This David Byrne composition appears on Talking Heads 1978 album, "More Songs About Buildings And Food".  The Talking Heads are one of the bands who defined New Wave sound in the 80's.  The art-centric lyrics and descriptions David Byrne litters his songs with was copied by many acts following behind and the genius of his work is given new life in this fun and full version.  I love what E6 has done here and I can't praise this number enough.  Pure brilliance.  In 1988, Weird Al Yankovic released his record, "Even Worse" and the second track was an original tune he wrote called, 'Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White'.  To his credit, Yankovic treats this campy number as seriously as he can.  He tries to deliver a serious vocal, but it gets washed away in the 70's piano stylings and bland music production.  E6 keep the slamming keys, but they filter them through a wall of screaming guitar!  After years of singing songs dealing with suspect subject matter, Valentine gives us the energetic rock vocal Yankovic always intended for this song.  It doesn't feel stuck in a foregone decade...  It reaches out, grabs you by the balls and drags you screaming into the closet right next to Dick and Vanna.  Whew!  You could blow a gasket here.

Tomas Ford's 2014 album, "An audience with Tomas Form" is an interesting piece of music.  I haven't heard the whole thing, but I sampled it on Amazon.  E6's cover of 'Rockets' starts out sounding like a theme from a 1950's suspense film.  It gradually moves into a more sinister rendition.  Compared to the original minimalist version, E6 once again fill a rather empty room with strong and sparkling sound.  Easily the better version, I quite love this song and I'd be interested in hearing a collaboration between E6 and Ford in the future.  The last track on this first disc is the Mike Reno, Paul Dean penned track, 'Turn Me Loose' from Loverboy's 1980 self-titled album.  I remember the song and I remember Loverboy.  For whatever reason, I remember thinking Loverboy wanted to take over where Queen left off.  The lead singer hits some powerful, high notes.  I always like the fact Loverboy included keyboards in their band make up and so prominently in their arranging; but they were too much of a hair band for my taste.  E6 takes this wimpy 80's scrapped gel rock number and provides it with a deep and urgent feel Loverboy would kill to achieve!

So I'm very positive and happy with everything I heard on the first disc barring 'The Look', now let's talk about the Memories disc.  This one has more songs, but they're shorter.  This disc is the follow-up to "Sexy Trash".  Another album of demos, outtakes, rarities and more.  I'll go through this one more quickly.  The opening track is the 'Exterminate Tour Intro'.  I didn't see that tour, but this intro makes me wish I had.  It's an interesting blend of various tracks.  I'm assuming the band actually came in right as the track ends with a whomp!  Next up, is 'Dance Epidemic (XFM Session)'.  XFM is a radio station in the UK and bands often go on and play live songs.  This is a track the band played on that show.  No. #3 is 'Typical Sagittarius'.  This is a song that didn't make the final cut for "Zodiac".  I love it!  At one point, the band made the song free to download.  You could've picked it up then, but it's wonderful to have it on a CD.  'The Sheik Don't Lie' is a frenzied number.  There's no information on where this song actually comes from, but it's an interesting number and cool to hear.  'Taxi 2 Nowhere (Demo)' is an alternate version of the one that was released.  It's basically a different vocal take.  The released version of that song always sounded like a demo anyway.  'Shortlove' is up next and this is another song with no information.  I love this song!  The guitar is fantastic and the drum machine is pretty cool here too.  The subject matter reminds me of a song that's similar but sounds nothing like it...  George Michael's 'Fastlove'.

The next track is 'Night Vision (Demo)'.  It's an acoustic demo and it's stripped down to the bare essentials.  Valentine's voice is still stunning and compelling on this track.  There's a frenzy to the strumming that was later filled in with the drum track.  I love this demo!  I actually like this version of the song almost as much as I like the released track.  Taken from the 1968 album, "Aerial Ballet", Harry Nilsson's 'One' is next.  This track was originally intended for the Mimicry disc.  Why it shows up here isn't explained.  But let me say...  The original of this song is very sad and soft.  Three Dog Night had a hit covering it, but they didn't do anything quite like what E6 achieve here.  They take a sad and depressing song and turn it into a rockin' jam!  So much better!  Absolute excellence!

'I Don't Speak French (Demo)' is kinda exciting to see here as the released version of the track is actually from Dick Valentine's solo effort "Destroy The Children".  Very cool to hear a demo of this song.  Love, love, love it.  'I Can Translate' was a bonus download track for "Zodiac".  I think the group also put this one up for a free download but I could be wrong.  I downloaded this song somewhere and I really like it.  Initially I felt uneasy listening to it because the guitar is quite piercing when you play the song loud, but there's so many great elements to the song it's easy to see past it.  The main keyboard line is borrowed from another song, but I'm not quite putting my finger on which one.  'My Struggle With Heroin' is another song we don't know much about.  It's got a demo quality to it, but it's still a fun track.  This song reminds me of Prince's "Dirty Mind" era.  It's got that raw sound and feel.  'Free Samples (Demo)' is a more acoustic rock version of the released track.  Still, this was one of the songs I really loved on "Heartbeats And Brainwaves" so there's nothing bad about hearing this alternate version.  I still love it!  

'Badass' is another song without any information.  It's quite rockin'.  It does feature a drum machine pattern playing under the guitar.  Percussion World's playing would certainly fill this song out and make it richer.  It's still got some potential and I'd love to hear a finished version.  'Gay Bar (Live At Manumission Ibiza 2004)' was actually released on one of the UK singles for 'Radio Ga Ga'.  It's still nice to have it here for those who weren't able to get copies of the single.  Holly Knight and Nick Gilder wrote 'The Warrior' from Scandal Featuring Patti Smyth's 1984 album, "Warrior".  This would be another cover I expected to be on the first disc, but here it is.  This was a big hit for the band and although I really love E6, I have to give props to the original on this one.  Their cover is passable, but it doesn't equal the intensity the original inspires.

'Dancing Like An Idiot' is a Dick Valentine demo.  It's from the Wildbunch days but this demo makes me think he re-purposed it for another project.  Possibly for one of his solo records.  The recording sounds newer with much better production.  'Technical Difficulties' is basically Valentine playing with a song idea while tuning or sound checking his guitar.  It's quite humorous and interesting to hear him in an unguarded moment like this.  A rare treat.  'Slices Of You (Demo)' is an interesting demo.  Once again, you get a fun drum machine track playing underneath a scorching guitar.  Another song I adore and it's terrific fun to hear this demo version.  The funk guitar part in the middle is absolutely worth the listen.

'Turn It Up (Demo)' is an early version of 'I Wish This Song Was Louder'.  There's another demo on "Sexy Trash" with the same title, but I haven't listened to them back to back to see if their are similarities.  'Strike While The Iron Is Hot (Demo)' is another song that appears on "Sexy Trash".  This version is a little different.  Another one I'll have to listen to back to back and see what the differences are.  According to their Kickstarter update page, 'Ziggy' was a song they wrote especially for the "Absolute Treasure/Pleasure" project.  But it was never released.  It's exciting to see it here.  This song would've fit in nicely on "Zodiac".  And I can tell it wasn't completely finished.  Live, I bet this number would've rocked the joint!  It's a strange track and I suspect it's based on David Bowie's character Ziggy Stardust.  I need to listen to it a few more times before I'm sure.

The next three tracks were all songs written for but not included on the last album, "Human Zoo".  'Fucking In Another Man's Clothes' is totally brilliant and I can honestly say, leaving this one off the album was a huge mistake!  It's incredible and would've fit in nicely with the flavor of "HZ".  'Suitcases' starts off sounding like a strange dusty lounge act playing in a dirty bar in Mexico.  But the odd groove and lyrics are oddly intoxicating.  There's a vivid story happening here.  Another song I need to listen to a few times.  'Wikileaks' is the final "Human Zoo" leftover.  This song combines the acoustic and the electric quite seamlessly and it's another track I would've enjoyed greatly on the album.  I find it incredibly sad so many good songs get set aside when a band is recording an album.  These outtakes are strong and well written.  I'm not sure why they decided not to use them.

The last two tracks I'm including in this review are two you actually get as a bonus download.  'White Eyes (October 2008 Demo)' was announced as part of the Memories disc but then left off.  It's basically just an instrumental of the album track.  Same for 'Bleed For The Artist (December 2009 Demo)'.  I think the band decided they didn't add much to the Memories disc so they left them off.  But because they'd initially announced they would be included, they threw them to you as a bonus.

After a long wait, I finally got my new music and I can honestly tell you, I'm very happy with what I've received.  E6 is one group who believes in putting value in their releases.  This really was an effort to give something back to their fans and I must say, they succeeded!  My final words for this already long, long review:  GOLD STARS ON EACH BAND MEMBERS' FOREHEAD!!!!  IT MAY NOT BE #1 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS, BUT IT'S #1 IN MY PLAYER FOR A LONG TIME TO COME!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MISSED THIS ONE...

ELECTRIC SIX - MIMICRY AND MEMORIES
MIMICRY DISC 1
01. I Got The Six
02. Easy Lover
03. Ah! Leah!
04. Cat People
05. Do You Love Me?
06. Buckingham Green
07. Everywhere
08. The Look
09. Girls Want To Be With The Girls
10. Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White
11. Rockets
12. Turn Me Loose
MEMORIES DISC 2
01. Exterminate Tour Intro
02. Dance Epidemic (XFM Session)
03. Typical Sagittarius
04. The Sheik Don't Lie
05. Taxi 2 Nowhere (Demo)
06. Shortlove
07. Night Vision (Demo)
08. One
09. I Don't Speak French (Demo)
10. I Can Translate
11. My Struggle With Heroin
12. Free Samples (Demo)
13. Badass
14. Gay Bar (Live At Manumission Ibiza 2004)
15. The Warrior
16. Dancing Like An Idiot
17. Technical Difficulties
18. Slices Of You (Demo)
19. Turn It Up (Demo)
20. Strike While The Iron Is Hot (Demo)
21. Ziggy
22. Fucking In Another Man's Clothes
23. Suitcases
24. Wikileaks
25. White Eyes (October 2008 Demo) (Digital Download)
26. Bleed For The Artist (December 2009 Demo) (Digital Download)