POOLSIDE - PACIFIC STANDARD TIME

I ran across a track from Poolside in a playlist I was listening to and I really liked it.  Very mellow, laid back and relaxing.  The track was a cover of Neil Young's 'Harvest Moon'.  I liked it enough to pull up a couple of their videos on youtube and decided I wanted to hear more.

I visited their website and picked up the CD for the bargain price of $5.  That's an awesome price!  Of course they have more expensive versions of the album available for more money such as a limited edition color vinyl.

Poolside is definitely an electronic duo, but they're so much more at the same time.  Their music is all about solid beats with simple arrangements, smooth sounds and a relaxing vibe.  In essence, this group is the ideal music to listen to when you feel like relaxing...  next to a pool...  with an exotic drink in your hand.

When you take individual tracks and put them in mixes or playlists with more aggressive electronic music, they blend right in and hold their own.  I recently included 'Do You Believe' in a Green Room playlist and it fit right in.  But when you put the disc in and let it play out, you find it utterly subdued and spacey.

This is a CD you could put in just about anywhere, press play and watch people groove right along.  It fits almost any situation.  Lately, I've enjoyed playing it at work.  I drop the disc in a let it go.

There are certain stand out tracks here though.  The 'Harvest Moon' cover being one of them.  I'm also digging 'Do You Believe', 'Just Fall In Love', 'California Sunset' and 'Take Me Home'.  

If you dig mellow groovy sounds, this album is definitely for you and Poolside is a band you're gonna love.  Even if you're not into electronic music, these beats are smooth enough for Jazz lovers and even Rock enthusiasts.  An all around party in one CD.

My final words:  AN EXCELLENT DEBUT BY A TRULY MELLOW DUO!

POOLSIDE - PACIFIC STANDARD TIME
01. Tulsa
02. Next To You
03. Why You Wanna
04. Harvest Moon
05. Slow Down
06. Take Me There
07. Kiss You Forever
08. Do You Believe
09. Give It A Rest
10. Can't Get You Off My Mind
11. Just Fall In Love
12. California Sunset
13. Golden Hour
14. Between Dreams
15. Without You
16. Take Me Home

PRINCE - DELIVERANCE

So I know what some of you Prince fans are thinking...  "Deliverance" release was cancelled by a judge who was overseeing Paisley Park and the Prince family's lawsuit against Ian Boxill claiming he doesn't have the right to release the music on the disc.  According to Boxill, the discs were already pressed and ready to ship.  The disc I have was listed on eBay as an advance promotional pressing sent out prior to the judge's order to cease distribution.  Therefore, I'm counting it as a legit copy.  Quite frankly, I'm not 100% sure it is, but if it's a bootleg, it's the best bootleg I've ever seen in my life.  Of course the only images we were actually shown of the album was the cover so I have nothing to judge the remaining artwork against.  However, it seems to conform and flow together like it was planned.

This is a tricky disc to review right now.  I find my opinions of the music itself is clouded by my opinions of the legal battle going on between the engineer and the estate.  I think it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.  And I feel highly compelled to discuss my opinion on that battle rather than the musical content of the disc.  

But I won't.  My opinion on that subject doesn't belong here.  So...  Let's talk about the music!

To me, this material sounds very similar to the type of stuff he was doing in the early 90's.  He experienced a writing boost and was recording a lot of material.  I'd say this stuff was probably done around the same time the tracks for "Chaos And Disorder" were done.  All of that material was intensely spiritual but also highly sexual.  It has the sound and experimentation of "Chaos And Disorder" but...  (and this is the reason I'm second guessing myself) ...the religious themes seem more fleshed out and fully formulated.  At the time, Prince didn't have the stable influence of a full time religion to help him define his spirituality and form opinions on a great number of issues.  Still, even with the Jehovah's Witness faith dictating his beliefs, the soulful expression of the music is more in the tradition of a small local African-American church congregation choir.  

And that "freedom" can be felt in his vocal delivery, guitar playing and every small groan, scream and expressive sound he creates throughout the performance.  'Deliverance' could easily become one of my all time favorite Prince songs.  It's just magical.  He sings from his heart and you feel it all through your body.  'I Am' is a slow burning rocker allowing him to build intensity through his guitar and vocals.  I really dig this track!  It's fantastic as well.  The downside is it's actually the opening movement of a suite that is given different titles, but in reality, are they individual songs?  Or just a part of a larger suite like some of the musical movements in a track like '3 Chains O' Gold' from his "Symbol" album.  

This is also one of the reasons the music reminds me so much of "Chaos And Disorder".  He was doing some similar song combining on that record as well.  Just listen to 'I Will' and 'Into The Light'.  'Touch Me' starts off this blurry, ill-defined suite and it moves into 'Sunrise Sunset'.  Now that transition is fairly clear and you can see where one song ends and the next starts.  But from there, the rest is a jumbled mess.  The movement that is mainly considered 'No One Else' makes an appearance toward the end of the 'Sunrise Sunset' track, but the other song reasserts itself and we're right back to it.  But once the tracklisting on the media player shows the song has officially moved into 'No One Else' you get at least two strong transitions back to 'Sunrise Sunset' and it ends with a reprise of 'Touch Me'.  A hot mess.

The final track on the EP is an extended version of 'I Am' which thankfully doesn't devolve into the suite.  It has a strong beginning and end.  This should be the official version of the song.  For me it certainly is.

Although some of these throw away records Prince released in the 90's to fulfill his contract with Warner Bros. aren't considered very good by the majority of his fans, "Chaos And Disorder" has always been one of my favorite albums.  I really enjoy it and the way it's put together.  For me, "Deliverance" is like a continuation of that record.  I feel like I'm getting more music from that time and I'm tickled to death by it.

Normally, I would shy away from such a strong religious theme, but in this case, the soulfulness of his performance makes it redeeming.  For me, it's a homerun hit right out of the ball park and these performances where Prince seems absolutely free and unfettered are the absolute best.  This is some of the finest material I've heard in years and quite frankly, outside of the unreleased bonus disc from the "Purple Rain" deluxe edition, this is the first true posthumous release of Prince music.  It would be an absolute shame not to give it to the world.  This is Prince at his finest!

My final words:  A UNIQUE AND POWERFUL PERFORMANCE FROM A MUSICAL ORIGINAL BURSTING WITH SOUL!  GET IT!  GET IT!!! GET IT!!!!!!

PRINCE - DELIVERANCE

01. Deliverance

02. I Am

03. Touch Me

04. Sunrise Sunset

05. No One Else

06. I Am (Extended)

HOSER - NOSEBLEEDER

So this EP crossed my path recently and I ended up getting a CD copy as well as purchasing a digital download from the group on Bandcamp.  This is a 3 song EP by Pennsylvania rockers, Hoser.  Initially, I thought it would be typical garage rock.  The kind you hear all over America played in a teenager's bedroom as they cut their musical teeth and start to hone their songwriting skills.  

But I was wrong!  Dead wrong!

The opening track 'NoseBleeder' starts off with a haunting riff that is both promising and somewhat deceptive.  I got excited because I was hoping they'd fall sound wise in the White Zombie spooky rock category, but that intro quickly turns into some speed metal thrashing before settling into the main song.  Hoser's singer, Will, delivers a varied and frantic vocal that fits the track perfectly.  I can still hear that hint of Rob Zombie, but I'm also hearing some complex changes similar to the sort Billy Corgan would drop inexplicably into a Smashing Pumpkins track here and there.  My only complaint is the song ends too quickly.  There's definitely room for another verse or two.

'Perico' is the next track and once again, the band delivers a tight rock experience with some excellent chord changes and a natural build in the progression throughout the track.  As good as 'Perico' is, my favorite cut on the record has to be 'Kensington And Somerset'.  There's a pop sensibility that really shines through on this track and under the right circumstances, it could easily be the type of crossover single that could open new revenue streams.  To put it in a more simple way...  If Hoser were Maynard James Keenan, 'NoseBleeder' and 'Perico' would be Tool and 'Kensington And Somerset' would be A Perfect Circle.  More commercial and more accessible.

I gotta be honest here, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this band as much as I have so far.  I trolled their Bandcamp page and found out they'd also released a limited edition cassette that's already sold out.  That was slightly upsetting.  I would've purchased one.  But, that's cool.  This group, for all their musicianship and talent, haven't crossed over to mainstream commercial production yet.  In many ways, that's to their advantage.  It gives them a more raw sound that fits the type of music they're producing.  My copy of the CD featured a lot of hand drawn credits and song details.  There's a great deal of attention paid to the artwork.  I'm completely excited about that and thrilled to have discovered them so early on.  I've definitely got a collector's item on my hands.

With a proper studio, engineers and producers helping them during the recording process, I suspect Hoser will blow up quickly.  But just remember, you heard them here first!

On a side note, as I've listened to the disc and the tunes, I think the first full length album by Hoser should be called, "The Fat Kid's A Bleeder".  I used to kick that around as a possible band name, but I think it would totally fit this group.  Especially with a strong track like 'NoseBleeder' on the record.

If you're interested in hearing some new innovative rock music by an up and coming group, make sure you visit Hoser at bandcamp.com.  You can follow this link to get there:

https://hosertheband.bandcamp.com/

Pick up their EP and sign up to follow their progress.  Experience it all for yourself and I'm sure you'll enjoy what you hear!  My final words:  AN EXCITING NEW SOUND FROM AN EMERGING BLEND OF SPOOKY ROCK!

HOSER - NOSEBLEEDER
01. NoseBleeder
02. Perico
03. Kensington And Somerset

BRING YOUR OWN WEAPON - B.Y.O.W.

Bring Your Own Weapon are an Arizona Punk Rock outfit recommended to me by the guys from Broloaf.  Based in Phoenix, this group has had a bit of success on a local level.  At least that's the impression I have after reading some articles and information about the band online.  And I think that's fantastic!

As I listened to this album, my enthusiasm for the band slacked off quit a bit.  They are a straightforward Hardcore Punk outfit and although they know all the tricks when it comes to writing and performing this genre of music, there's not a lot of hope this group will cross over and have a lot of success.

Punk, Hardcore and other extreme metal genres are music built around developing a certain feeling and feeding that energy.  When I was younger, I would hang out with some of these kids and I enjoyed going to these types of shows as much I as I enjoyed seeing more mainstream groups.  I figured out these bands aren't selling you "music" as much as they're selling a feeling.  One they develop and nurture in their audience.  Almost like a cause.  And those feelings are highly charged, intense and can sometimes lead to impaired thinking.  I simply don't have that in me anymore.  There's no way I could handle the energy of this band's live performance, much less feel all the anger they seem to want you to to feel with the righteous fist of indignation pumping the air high above your head as you rock out with them.  I just can't muster the strength.

Unlike other hardcore groups, Bring Your Own Weapon do have some musical moments that make you think there's more to them than just the high energy punk metal they play, but you don't see them branch out on this record.  They do have one track, the last one...  number 14...  'Bobbing For Babies' is a fairly straight forward call to arms about bad parenting and irresponsible behavior around children.  I can absolutely get on board with that.

As the band develops, perhaps they'll find a way to embrace melody and other traditional aspects of popular metal and music culture they tend to avoid.  I think if they did this you'd see a transformation similar to Rob Zombie's.  He started out a fairly blistering punk rocker himself back in the White Zombie days.  But I'm talking way back.  You have to go back to the time before they were signed to a label and track down some of that super rare local releases the band did.  They were hard!!!!!  And now look at him...  The King of Horror Rock!  Sure there are fans who will say they've sold out and there are fans who might embrace a new sound, but one thing is certain, they'll never get famous playing music people only react to.  It just doesn't sell as well.  There are better ways to engage a fan base and develop a career than just raging.  But ultimately, the members of Bring Your Own Weapon must do what feels artistically right to them.  Their integrity as artits is on the line.  And if they choose to remain the stalwart metal prophet shouting out the evils of the world every bias they possess will want center stage.  And that could create a very jumbled unclear message.  Sometimes you have to give up the war in favor of the art.

Anywho, back to basics...  Rocking band, but much harder than I would normally buy.  I like a couple of songs, especially 'Bobbing For Babies'.  But again, this is a group that writes music to cause a feeling.  Everything is in the intensity and rigor of those power chords.  That adrenaline piston blood pounding your brain is the lead guitarist and the soul crushing boot stomps are the drummer calling you into action.  

I still detect a thougtful soul behind the lyrics and it would really be interesting to see what would happen if that guy put his words before the music.  The very gist of what he's trying to say would be better suited to a more expressive lyrical form of composition than the protest aggression of what you hear on this album.

Whatever they choose, I'll have to choose whether or not to give them another try.  I'm hopeful they'll consider some new musical directions, but that's my opinion and it is not better or worse if they don't.  We'll see what happens.

My final words....: THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF SMASHING WALNUTS BETWEEN YOUR BARE HANDS JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN!  STILL BETTER THAN MOST HARDCORE BANDS I'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

BRING YOUR OWN WEAPON - B.Y.O.W.
01. Three Strikes
02. Locked Inside
03. Overtime
04. Punk Rock For Sale
05. Booze Pig
06. Tampons And Beans
07. Political Bullshit
08. Drunk And Broke
09. Ritalin
10. DTS/DTO
11. Gridlock
12. Fuck The Middle East
13. Wrecking Ball
14. Bobbing For Babies

WENDY & LISA - EROICA

Eroica...  You can search the term on google, bing, whatever search engine floats your boat and you'll always find yourself coming back to Beethoven.  He used the word more than once in his compositions and its since become a word many people associate with him including authors and film makers.  

Why did Wendy & Lisa choose to name their album "Eroica"?  That's a question we may never have an answer to.  But when you consider the breadth of music these two study, consume and incorporate into their own sound, it's not hard to believe some of Beethoven's Eroica Variations might have had an impact on one or both of them.

It's almost beside the point when you get right down to it.  Whether the name is used to honor music they love or signal the listener something truly transformative is about to happen, it works.  Not only is it a departure from the Minneapolis Sound but it expands the subject matter and writing abilities of the pair in a dynamic way.

The first time I heard this record I wasn't sure what to think.  It seemed like W&L were branching out into some new musical territory.  At the time, a lot of women were taking center stage in a folk alt rock sorta way.  Bonnie Raitt, The Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco and Melissa Etheridge...  A movement in women's music was off and running.  And it seemed almost like W&L were going to be a part of it.  But as I listened to "Eroica" more and more, I felt like there was something else happening.

One of the reasons I love Wendy & Lisa so much is because I don't feel alienated by their music.  I can relate to it from so many different angles.  Sometimes, I view their stuff from a more emotional, feminine side while in others, I'm more in tune with my masculine side.  Either way, they reach out to me because they sing about things I can internalize.  Their music becomes a backdrop to my life.  On this record, there are some astounding examples of that and there are songs I continually go back to even after all these years.

When you hear the opening chords of 'Rainbow Lake' a part of you feels completely at ease.  It's just Prince-y enough to make you feel like your in a comfortable place.  The organ swells over the minimalist electronic drum patch and the lovely visuals painted by the lyrics...  If Paisley Park were a real park, Rainbow Lake would be right beside it.  It's a visionary song.  

However, nothing can prepare you for the transition into 'Strung Out'.  Once that drum kicks in, you know you're in for something new and you're not disappointed.  Although the comparison of Love to a drug may not be a new concept, being addicted to a specific person is an interesting spin.  One approached from an almost joyful headspace.  As if the high achieved through that lover's touch, kiss and smile is more powerful than any drug.  Since discovering my demisexual nature, this song takes on a new meaning for me and is even more powerful.    A lover's smile can literally set my mind and heart free.  It can wash away worry and concern.  Not to mention, the song is absolutely kickin' and Wendy really rocks out on this one.

The next song is a more complicated endeavor.  'Mother Of Pearl' is the first song on this disc that reminds me of those old 70's rock bands who wrote crazy stories in their music.  The sorta band Christopher Guest poked fun at with his mocumentary film, "This Is Spinal Tap".  The song appears to be about a fight between lovers, but there's so much more to the lyrical content taken both in and out of context.  I could spend hours commenting on individual lines and tracing the slow tearing apart of this relationship, but I won't.  You'll have to listen to the song and see for yourself.  There are a couple of lines I absolutely do have to point out because they are, by themselves, so much more than the sum of this song.

"Guilt is the one thing
We could do without
Judgment the anvil
That's weighing us down"

I can't tell you how important those lines were to me when I realized I couldn't live a life trying to make my family happy.  The more I lied about who I was and adopted their religious views, the more unhappy I felt inside.  I knew in time I would suffocate under the pressure of that false life.  And all because I felt guilty.  That I was letting them down.  And fearful of the judgment.  I remember sitting alone one night listening to this song and playing that part over and over.  I realized I didn't have to hold on to the guilt I felt.  I wasn't doing anything wrong and the anvil of judgment on my shoulders wasn't a burden I had to carry.  Just like that, I made up my mind to start living for my own happiness and I stopped trying to live up to the expectations of others.

'Don't Try To Tell Me' is the first song sung by Lisa and it's another one that's taken me a long time to fully understand.  There's a resignation in her voice.  A sadness but also a tone of acceptance.  She's not going to make you stay if you don't want.  But at the same time, she's not going to change who she is.  I remember my ex telling me I was too co-dependent.  I was horrified.  Yet, as I thought about it, I couldn't see what was wrong with depending on your partner, or having them depend on you.  Of all the people in the world, isn't that who you should be able to depend on?  So if co-dependent means living a shared life and relying on each other, sign me up.  But don't ever try to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing when it comes to love.  I've earned the knowledge I have of my self and I know who I am.  I'm not compromising that.  Even if it means losing a love.  That's the message I take from this song.

'Crack In The Pavement' to me is a song about perspective.  Seeing something in someone not commonly seen or overlooked.  And at the same time, seeing the side they don't usually show the world.  The chorus seems almost resentful of it, but I think it's more of a comment on honesty.  Why do people need to pretend to be something or someone they're not?  Why tell the world you're made of stone and then come cry on my shoulder when everything is too hard.  Amazing.

'Porch Swing'...  I actually think this song is about Prince.  Although I don't for one second think that Prince takes things real slow, the other metaphors they use to describe "The Guy (she) knows" are perfect.  It's a tender number and one that offers insight into a magical time in their lives.  'Why Wait For Heaven' is the sleeper rock opera I can't believe someone finally wrote.  The idea of making heaven here on Earth isn't new, but it's still incredible to hear Wendy sing about it like a call to arms.

'Turn Me Inside Out' is a tune about trying to understand  lover and be understood at the same time.  It's all about that process we go through as we get to know new people.  'Skeleton Key' is the promise of opening the door to new beginnings and a new life.  Maybe it's about introducing someone to their sexuality and helping them discover who they are.

'Valley Vista' is a track we can all relate to unless we've lived in the same place our entire lives.  I've driven past old homes my family lived in and homes I lived in with families I've made on my own.  There are so many memories that flood back to us when we see and experience these places later in life.  Such a unique song and one of the reasons I find them so compelling.  They can capture a specific feeling and moment in a song.

'Staring At The Sun' is the hopeful conclusion to the album and leaves you wondering, "What now?"  You wonder both for Wendy & Lisa and yourself.  This is another track I can personalize easily.  I can't imagine someone not being able to take this perspective and look out into their future and wonder what to do.  

The fact is, I could write about each one of these songs all day and discuss them at great length, but that's not what I'm trying to do here.  I'm trying to review the disc and give people the chance who haven't heard it to discover it.  Or those who are familiar with it, an opinion that might make them go back and listen again.

"Eroica" is one of my Desert Island Discs.  Whether the list be top 10, or top 20, this record will always find its way there.  It's simply that good and too much a part of my life.  I love it from start to finish.  How can I convince you to give this album a try?  If you haven't listened to Wendy & Lisa before, this would be the album to start with.

I feel like I'm just blithering now so I'll wrap it up.  But first, I should say...  My copy of this most excellent album includes a bonus disc of piano improvisations by Lisa.  I bought my copy on CD in Europe.  They're also amazing pieces of music.  I wonder if 'Eric's Ghost' is about Eric Leeds.  It would be nice to ask Lisa about that sometime.  And now for my final words:  A MUSICAL MASTERPIECE TRANSCENDING TRADITIONAL ROCK AND EMBRACING THE SPIRITUAL.  EVERYONE SHOULD OWN THIS RECORD.  IT'S THAT GOOD!

WENDY & LISA - EROICA
01. Rainbow Lake
02. Strung Out
03. Mother Of Pearl
04. Don't Try To Tell Me
05. Crack In The Pavement
06. Porch Swing
07. Why Wait For Heaven
08. Turn Me Inside Out
09. Skeleton Key
10. Valley Vista
11. Staring At The Sun
LISA COLEMAN - PIANO IMPROVISATIONS
01. Minneapolis #1
02. Minneapolis #2
03. Eric's Ghost
04. C-Ya

DEBORAH ALLEN - TELEPATHY

So first off, let me say...  I'm not entirely sure this album is a legitimate release or a bootleg, but if it's a boot, it's the best boot I've ever seen.  Down to the barcode number.

This album came out in 1987 and I'll be completely honest with you, I picked it up because Prince wrote the title track.  That's right, folks, you heard me...  Country Western singer Deborah Allen enlisted a song from Prince for her latest album.  Absolutely shocking.

I guess from a certain standpoint it makes sense.  Allen was experiencing some cross over success at the time and had seen some airplay on the Adult Contemporary charts.  But that hardly justifies what happens on this record.  Under the right circumstances, Prince could'be contributed a strong R&B ballad for her and she might've had a hit with it.  Instead, he sends along this funk jam that seems out of place on her record.  If she'd had more funky sounds on this record, she could've pulled it off no problem, but the rest of the album fits solidly in the same Country Western/Adult Contemporary she'd gained recognition for on previous releases.

I remember rocking this album out on cassette and feeling sorta stupid because I loved the second track on the record, 'You Can't Say No'.  Of course at the time, I didn't like anything that wasn't part of the musical world I'd built around myself.  Oldies were a joke and hair bands were ridiculous.  I didn't gain an appreciation for any of these groups until much later.

It would stand to reason, based on who Deborah Allen was, that I wouldn't listen to the rest of her record, but I did.  And let me tell ya, Allen wasn't a joke.

When I got this disc in the mail, I put it in the truck and went for a long drive.  I wanted to remember the entire disc and I wasn't disappointed.  Surprisingly, the tracks on this album might sound a little dated today, but they're lyrically strong and have interesting musical ideas that keep the listener engaged.  'You're The Kind Of Trouble', 'One Step Closer' and 'What's Right Tonight' are all excellent examples of the country rock Allen delivers.  They're infectious, fun to sing along with and catchy as all get out.

The one song I could probably write anything negative about would be 'You Can Tell Me Anything'.  And I would only say that because I feel like the sentiment expressed here is slightly overused and unimaginative.  Musically, it's the least exciting of the bunch and doesn't really move the record along.  Otherwise, the album is strong and tight.

'Telepathy' is Prince at his finest and this song deserves to be on a Prince record surrounded by tracks that compliment it.  Here, it sticks out like a sore thumb.  To her credit, Allen didn't change anything from the master recording Prince sent her with the exception of her vocals.  His signature sound is absolutely bursting with purple power, but it still feels out of place.  Even Allen's vocal delivery, which she does her best to deliver, falls flat against the onslaught of his funk.

I think the record sounds better if you listen to it starting with track 2.  'You Can't Say No' is truly a sleeper hit.  I think if she'd released it as a single, it would've done well.

This is a musical mismatch, but at the same time, you have to give both Prince and Allen credit for making the attempt to bridge such musical divides.  Oddly enough, I think Prince could've easily written a song in the style Allen was performing, but he didn't.  And we'll never know why.

This album was originally released on Cassette and Vinyl.  It didn't get a CD release so I'm extremely happy to find it now.  The track, 'Telepathy' was released on CD by Allen many years later in the form of an edit on her Greatest Hits compilation.  As grateful as I was then to have a copy of the song on CD, I'm even more happy to have it here in its full glory.  This is definitely an excellent addition to any Prince collection and to any Deborah Allen collection.  Get it while you can.

My final words:  AN OUT OF PLACE SPICY TRACK ON A TRULY DECENT COUNTRY RECORD!

DEBORAH ALLEN - TELEPATHY
01. Telepathy
02. You Can't Say No
03. You're The Kind Of Trouble
04. One Step Closer
05. Don't You Think I Don't Love You
06. What's Right Tonight
07. Take A Picture
08. You Can Tell Me Anything
09. Somebody For Everybody

THE WILDBUNCH - DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ROBOT LIVE AT THE GOLD DOLLAR

Let me tell you something...  Finding and owning a copy of this CD is truly a dream come true.  For those of you not in the know, The Wildbunch was the original band name of Electric Six!  And if you know me, you know I'm into this group like they were a religion.

I ran across this disc on eBay and bought it straight away.  I won't tell you how much I paid because it's quite a bit for one used CD.  Especially this one.  Don't get me wrong, I love this album, but it's not up to the standard you're normally accustom to with E6.  

This is a live concert set performed by The Wildbunch back on November 26, 1997 at The Gold Dollar in Detroit according to the insert.  What makes this release so interesting is the fact I get to hear one of my favorite bands of all time when they were first starting out.  I get to hear the live progression of their sound.  I also get to hear a bunch of early songs they didn't use when they changed their name and started releasing as Electric Six.  Some of these songs survived but many of them didn't.

Dick Valentine delivers another inspired performance and you can hear him commit to the material just as strongly then as he does today.  This is a vocalist who does more than just sing.  He adopts a persona and performs not just as a singer, but as a character.  His ability to completely transform himself is one of the most amazing qualities an artist can have.  He leaves the pretentiousness and pomp of Dick Valentine on the stage when he's not performing and becomes one of the most genuine human beings you'll ever meet.  It's inspiring.

There are a few covers included in this set.  The first is 'The Model' by Kraftwerk.  A most unusual song to find on this record, but one I think is also pretty cool.  It's followed a couple tracks later by Alice Cooper's 'Clones (We're All)'.  Another great number performed here.  The Verve Pipe's 'The Freshman' is performed acoustically by Dick sort of as a joke.  Earlier in the set, he tells the crowd if they don't get $100 in merch sales, he's going to perform the song and because they fail to make the target, he does the tune.  First off, it's a great cover, Dick does an excellent job, I don't know why it would be so horrible to hear him perform it and seriously, I drop $100 bucks just by myself at the merch table when I see them perform.  It should also be mentioned, it's not listed on the tracklist even though it has a dedicated track on the disc.  Meaning, the tracklist on the album cover lists 22 songs but there are 23 on the disc.  I'm guessing it's because they didn't have the rights for the song.  But that's just a wild guess.

Discogs.com lists 'I'm A Demon' as a cover and I had to look it up because it seems like such a perfect E6 title to me.  However, it seems it is Roky Erickson's track, 'I'm A Demon' is from his 1986 album, "Gremlins Have Pictures".  I listened to his version on Youtube and it's definitely a cover.  Darn it.  Great tune.

There's a lot of Greatest Hits material here from Electric Six's first record, "Fire" including the international smash hit, 'Gay Bar'.  So much to consume and consider.  A lot of this material ended up on "Fire" or subsequent albums.  Some of the tracks ended up as single b-sides.  A few of them show up in demo form on "Sexy Trash" and some of them just sorta disappear into the ether.

This isn't a highly polished live outing.  It's a rough and hard explosion of a band cutting its teeth and paying its dues.  The songs are super short and there are a couple obvious cuts letting you know without a doubt, you aren't getting the full show.  I'm not sure how many songs they actually played that night, but this is amazing for a young band.  This is an epic moment in the development and history of one of America's greatest Independent bands.  And a true treasure!  My final words:  ONE OF MY PRIZED MUSICAL POSSESSIONS!  EXCELLENT GLIMPSE INTO EARLY ELECTRIC SIX!

THE WILDBUNCH - DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ROBOT LIVE AT THE GOLD DOLLAR
01. Nuclear War (On The Dance Floor)
02. Speak English
03. Naked Pictures
04. The Model
05. Computer
06. The Ballade Of MC Sucka DJ
07. Clones
08. Immolate Me
09. Taxi To Nowhere
10. Don't Be Afraid Of The Robot
11. Breaking Up
12. I'm On Acid
13. R U Afraid Of The Devil?
14. Meat The Band
15. I Am The Knife
16. I Am Detroit
17. I Lost Control (Solo)
18. The Freshman
19. I'm A Demon
20. Tiny Little Men
21. Take Off Your Clothes
22. Gay Bar
23. I Know Karate