About Moosejuice

+Mark Boyd is an avid indie and underground music historian trying to bring attention to unknown and forgotten bands through The Sonic Abyss and Abysmal Radio. He also sings and plays music, is an independentSEO and Internet marketing consultant and enjoys time with his children :D

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Uplift Mofo Party Plan

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1987 EMI-Manhattan/Capitol

Don’t care what anyone says…THIS is the definitive Red Hot Chili Peppers disc. Way before it was fashionable to combine rock, funk and rap the Chili Peppers unleashed this heavy, funky and groovin’ disc on an unsuspecting public.

Sure their previous record ‘Freaky Styley’ was produced by the King of Funk, George Clinton himself, but this was something different altogether. While they had always sought to combine funk, rock and a psychedelic skate-punk mentality, on ‘The Uplift Mofo Party Plan’ they created a sound so powerful that every thump of Flea’s bass sounds like it’s going to tear a hole in your speaker cones.

Run-DMC has been credited (and rightfully so) along with Aerosmith with being the first to bring the rock/rap combo to the mainstream – when you think about it, ‘Walk This Way’ really was a sort-of rap song to begin with – and around the time of their ground-breaking video the Chili Peppers were in the studio creating this gem.

From the first beat of lead track “Fight Like A Brave,” you can just tell you’re in for a party. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking “I’ve never heard anything like this before.” It really was a groundbreaking sound at the time, although they were just beginning to gain notoriety.

Their influences are all over the place. While the rock/metal influences are there in Hillel Slovak’s (RIP) perfectly distorted guitar and the punk/funk influence is there in the rhythm section of bassist Flea and drummer Jack Irons, this is where the classic rock influences so prevalent in their present-day sound first appeared with their brilliant reworking of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”

It’s really amazing how they managed to make so many different and seemingly incompatible styles work so flawlessly within their own context. “Funky Crime” couldn’t be any more funky with its slinky groove and on the other side of the coin there’s the psychedelic “Behind The Sun” and the southern-fried country/rock/funk of “Walkin’ On Down The Road.” It just doesn’t sound like it should work…but it does.

“No Chump Love Sucker” is pure skate punk/funk, a perfect soundtrack song for the X-Games, while my favorite is undoubtedly the relentlessly funky and slammin’ “Backwoods.” Man this album makes me smile every time I listen to it and it’s rumoured that it was Steven Tyler’s music of choice to listen to on Aerosmith’s ‘Permanent Vacation’ tour. I can see why. If you’re having a bad day, this is the music to get you in a better mood. You might even take all your clothes off.

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Robert Plant – Shaken N Stirred

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1985 Esperanza/Atlantic

This is the lost album of the Robert Plant catalogue…an album which didn’t garner near the amount of attention it deserved because it was so far out it left field. It was totally not what people expected, especially after Plant’s brilliant ‘The Principle of Moments’ in 1983, which spawned his crowning achievement…the timeless “Big Log.”

Plant has always had an air of mysticism about him and a sense of humor that almost seems to say “You’re all taking this WAY too seriously…but ok, I’ll play along.” On this album Plant’s playfulness takes center stage from the VERY new wave influenced sound (i.e. lots of atmospheric and almost techno keyboards) to the song titles themselves. To wit: “Hip To Hoo,” “Kallalou Kallalou,” “Doo Doo A Do Do.”

Plant’s lyrics on his solo work have always had a dreamy introspectiveness about them, yet his wordplay and sense of humor is often overlooked as he laments to this day that his former band Led Zeppelin was taken too seriously. Plant’s introspection is riveting as he exposes all the drama and the absurdity of his humanity.

There is a definite new wave techno sound to ‘Shaken N Stirred’…no doubt about it. What’s cool is that the new wave sound is perfectly melded with experimental nuances and unorthodox song structures to show the validity of otherwise gimmicky noises in the hands of creative pros. Plant brings in the lovely and angelic-voiced Toni Halliday to provide the perfect female foil to his perceived machismo, almost to romanticize it and make light of it.

The only song on here that can compare sonically to Plant’s other solo work is lead off single “Little By Little,” which is the only semi-“normal” sounding track on the whole thing. “Too Loud” is really pure techno and “Easily Lead” takes a driving rock beat and turns it into a swirling, surreal dance of seduction. Closing out the album is “Sixes And Sevens,” which in retrospect is the perfect bridge between this and its follow up disc “Now And Zen.”

Seek this one out and listen to it with the mental picture of a classic rock icon who has always worn his influences on his sleeve, finding new influences to experiment with and incorporate into his own style. Because that’s exactly what this is.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Motorhead – Another Perfect Day

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1983 Bronze/Mercury

Motorhead frontman Lemmy is just the epitome of enduring, self-effacing cool. If you’ve ever seen an interview with the guy, you’ve seen first hand how brutally honest he is about everything…including himself.

In the documentary “Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years” he’s asked the question “What do you think about all of the pretty rock and rollers?” Lemmy’s reply: “Good luck to ’em if they’re pretty…wish I was.” Later he’s asked how he feels about bands who may have copied his style and he quickly says “Good luck to ’em. Maybe they’ll do something we can copy later.” You just can’t argue with that.

Like their more commercially successful contemporaries AC/DC, Motorhead has their “thang”…their uncompromising style that is distinctly their own and they rarely deviate from it. To critics it all just sounds the same, but to fans it just means that you can count on them to consistently deliver the sound you love them for.

Motorhead’s “thang” is a sound that has led to them being called the godfathers of speed metal, although a closer listen beyond the almost hilarious levels of distortion reveals a groove and rockability that has more in common with old-time rock n roll like Chuck Berry than anything else. Chuck Berry turned up to 11 with a voice that is the product of smoking a pack a day and gargling with sandpaper. You either love it or you don’t.

I love Motorhead.

“One Track Mind” is probably the best known track on this disc, which was reviled by many due to ex-Thin Lizzy guitar wiz Brian Robertson joining the fold and totally clashing style-wise with his new band. His style was way too melodic and tuneful for Motorhead’s music, but on this one album it worked a twisted, agonizing magic.

“I Got Mine,” “Shine” and “Dancing On Your Grave” are three cool highlights on this disc full of loudness but also full of heart. Lemmy has always paid tribute to soldiers (“Marching Off To War”) to the joy of rock n roll (“Rock It”) and has always displayed an undeniable sense of humor (“Back At The Funny Farm”): “…I really like this jacket, but the sleeves are much too long. Stay calm, don’t be alarmed, it’s just a holiday back at the funny farm.”

Sounds like a party to me. ‘Another Perfect Day’ is simply another near-perfect Motorhead album.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Voivod – Angel Rat

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1991 Mechanic/MCA

If you’re a fan of Voivod, you probably want to shoot me for this, as most hardcore Voivod fans despised the band’s transformation from arguably the first true extreme metal band into a band that took their beloved psychedelic influences (i.e. their cover of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine“) and melded them with their heavy and progressive tendencies to create a sound that was, in my opinion, definitively their own.

These guys were always way ahead of whatever was happening at any given time. They were extreme metal back in the early 80’s when hair metal was in fashion and Metallica were just starting to make a major noise. Their sound on early albums like ‘War and Pain’ and ‘Rrroooaaarrr,’ however was much more dissonant and extreme than anything else at the time.

They were always Floyd fans, though, and even covered another obscure Pink Floyd song (“The Nile Song”) on their album ‘The Outer Limits.’ The influx of those influences, particularly melodic vocals, began on 1988’s ‘Dimension Hatross’ and reached a peak of accessibility on this album, ‘Angel Rat.’

You can’t really call this a metal album at all. The guitars are definitely heavy and the sound is energetic and pleasantly cold and mysterious, but I always felt that this album should have been the one to make them stars in the modern rock movement. Their evolution into this maddeningly original sounding “alternative” beast was natural, made sense from album to album, and it seemed to coincide perfectly with the musical climate of the early 90’s. Hardcore Voivod fans screamed sell-out; however, there’s nothing sell-out about it. There are no candy-coated commercialisms here…just more melodic hooks than ever before. Truth is, Voivod’s version of more accessible music is always going to have a cool, esoteric wierdness about it…especially with master guitarist Denis D’amour’s (RIP) uncanny ability to melt careening, dissonant and jazzy chords into something tuneful.

Check out “The Prow” on YouTube, or the video for “Clouds In My House” for a really nice taster of what you’ll find on this fantastic disc. Opener “Panorama” is one of my favorites here, as well as the aforementioned tunes, “Golem” and “Outcast.” The whole thing just flows from track to track, hooks and cryptic melodies painting a picture of a strange world to match the cool album graphics courtesy of drummer Michael Langevin…a world devoid of humanity, but desperately seeking its spirit.

The true defining force of the band’s sound, though, is in D’amour’s guitar work. There’s no one else like him…his work was never too flashy and always colorful. When it came time to rip a solo, he could shred with the best of them, but his real brilliance was in never overplaying and ALWAYS adding shades of amazing color to every song he touched. This album contains some of his best textures and really is a bargain at any price. I bought my copy for $15.99 back in the day and I still think it was a steal.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY ANGEL RAT AND OTHER VOIVOD MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Spot – Spot

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1995 Ardent/Interscope

Man, I love this CD.

I remember working at 100.7 FM The Tiger when the CD single for “Moon June Spoon” came in the mail and listening to it the first time simply because the song title intrigued me. We were one of the first radio stations in the country to put the song in our rotation and for a brief moment it looked like they were headed for really big things with their playful and emminently tuneful guitar-driven sound.

In an age where alternative one-hit-wonders were flying in from all directions (there were some REALLY bad albums being promoted), this was a CD that fired on all sixes and delivered a sound well-represented by the debut single.

In most cases, the debut single being the best track is a bad thing. In this case, ‘Moon June Spoon’ is just SO good that there’s just almost no way they could have topped it. So Spot just stocked the rest of the disc with more solid memorable tunes that are worth repeated listens.

“Drop Down” opens the song with a really rockin’ and chuggin’ riff and otherworldly melodies that just careen through your headspace like a rollercoaster that decided to take a nice little detour onto a more adventurous track. “Straight Thru The Sun’s Head,” “One of Hazy Days,” “Ground,” “Fodder”…track after track just shimmers with energy, hooks and sometimes progressive-sounding melodies.

In fact, it is the vocal melodies that are really the crowning touch on most of these songs. You can call it alternative, you can call it modern rock, you can call it whatever you want. I call it a disc everyone should hear, and another one well worth seeking out online. Check out ‘Moon June Spoon’ on YouTube and get your first taste. Then come back for seconds and buy the disc yourself.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY SPOT MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Def Leppard – High N Dry

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Moosejuice

1991 Mercury/Phonogram

I know, I know. What in the world is Def Leppard doing in the sonic abyss? They’ve sold millions of records and everyone knows who they are.

Now I have a question for you. Can you name any songs from this disc besides “High n Dry (Saturday Night)” and “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak?” If you can, you’re among the fortunate few, as Def Leppard themselves have rarely included anything from this album in their live sets since the dawn of their grossly over-produced-and-emotionally-sucked-dry era began with the release of ‘Hysteria.’

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for these guys, weathering the twin tragedies of the alcohol-related loss of a founding member and their drummer’s loss of an arm. I mean, I can be a jerk and talk about how their creativity has all but disappeared since the abysmal (in a bad way) ‘Adrenalize,’ but you’ve just gotta admire how they stood by drummer Rick Allen as he had to re-learn how to play the drums…with one arm and a helluva special drum kit. Beyond any criticism, it’s undeniable that the band does have heart.

I still say that while ‘Pyromania’ was a fine album and a classic in its own right, the real gem of the Def Leppard catalogue is the album that preceded it…’High N Dry.’

This was the album that made me a Def Leppard fan back in the day, and I still say it’s the definitive DL disc. Although “Pyromania” was good and was their breakthrough to stardom, “High N Dry” was their last album that had any real BITE.

After this, the tedious production values took over and sapped the primal emotion from their music. Don’t believe me? Check out the self-produced B-Sides from the singles off the “Hysteria” CD: they all sound more lively and real than any ‘Hysteria’ album cuts and they would have fit just fine on “High N Dry.” The guitar sound is punchy & wet, the energy level is high, and the delivery urgent. Mutt Lange does a great production job here, too, as this was before he started over-producing everything.

There’s a lot more here than “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak.” In fact, the second half of the album (“You Got Me Runnin’,” “Lady Strange,” “On Through the Night,” “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes),” and “No No No”) is just flawless. I remember the first time I ever heard of them. I walked into a record store and it was silent…then the first chords of “You Got Me Runnin'” (still my fave DL song) blew out of the sound system speakers. I had no money, but I flipped through the albums in the store for 20 minutes until the rest of the album had played. I was riveted. Then that evening I called my best friend and fellow metalhead Peter Gutierrez on the phone to tell him about this new band I had “discovered.” He teased me for years afterward because he said I actually called them Def Panther on that call. I’m red-faced even writing that here, but man it’s just a hysterical memory!

This is one of those albums that many people own but few people really know. If you are one of those people, it’s time to revisit this disc and just listen from start to finish. You can skip the “remix” of “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak” with those stupid and unnecessary keyboards. Other than that, it’s darn near perfect. This is the album that made me a music addict…the first “unknown” band I “discovered” for myself and began the journey I continue to this day in search of more new music that rocks my world.

This disc is Def Leppard’s best and a true rock classic.

Rating: 5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY High ‘N’ Dry AND OTHER DEF LEPPARD MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Mutha’s Day Out – My Soul Is Wet

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Moosejuice

1993 Chrysalis

A more honest album on this earth cannot be found.

The two vocalists, MIkal Moore and Bryce Stephens, were 20 years old and 18 respectively. Guitarist Chuck Schaaf was only 17. drummer Rodney Moffitt was also 17, and bassist Jeff Morgan only 15. I still remember a phone interview I did with them in early 1994 when I was working at 100.7 FM The Tiger in Baton Rouge and the members called me ‘sir.’

Humbling.

There are bands twice their age with not one album in their catalogue as powerful as this one, yet ‘My Soul Is Wet’ stands to this day as Mutha’s Day Out’s only release, as they broke up in 1994 due to their disapproval over how their record label wanted them do things.

I admire them for standing their ground, especially at such a naive young age, and am saddened by the fact that mismanagement of a very promising and fiercely original young band robbed us all of the experience of ever knowing what they would have been capable of as they matured as a band.

‘My Soul Is Wet’ kicks off with an unbelievably powerful track called “Locked.” The mix of spoken word verses and a passionate, melodic chorus is chilling. Gives me goosebumps to this day. The honesty of raw emotion permeates every single moment of this album, as the innocence of young men reconciling their beliefs on their own terms is in plain view.

No kidding – track after track will have you shaking your head at the youth of this band. WAY before their time and wise beyond their years, Mutha’s Day Out took all their influences and boiled them into a stew that is entirely their own recipe. Vocalist Mikal Moore, upon ushering in bassist Jeff Morgan, described the band as an amalgamation of “Faith No More, Beastie Boys and Ozzy Osbourne.” Elements of all three are most definitely there, but the isolation of the rural Arkansas did these boys well as what they came up with is a sound unlike anyone else…before or since.

The word ‘chilling’ comes to mind, as tracks like ‘My Soul Is Wet,’ ‘Green,’ and “What U See/We All Bleed Red” (from the 1995 movie ‘Mortal Kombat” – see scene 2 in the techno bar) just turn your speakers into soul cleansing beacons of truth. ‘Dry Water,’ ‘Memories Fade’ and closing track ‘Ugly’ further prove the point that the demise of this band stands as an example of how some major-label know-it-alls don’t know as much as they think with their soul destroying guidance.

Really, once you’re on board with what they’re doing here, this is an album that can do no wrong. If I wanted to be a self-important critic (which I’m not – I’m just a fan of good music) I could nit-pick about the fact that there is the occasional rhyming cliche’ (like rhyming ‘change’ with ‘rearrange’ on the title track), but what we have here is an intelligent and REALLY rockin’ album with an undeniable depth and sincerity.

Creativity and really hammering chops ‘n hooks are just everywhere to be found. Fortunately, I’m not alone my opinion of this band. All over the internet, you can find this veritable classic for a nominal cost that belies its value and unanimous reviews that arrive at the same conclusion: They should have been FREAKIN’ HUGE!

If you love good, heavy jam with a sense of adventure, a little bit o’ (Good) humor – check out “Ding Ding Man” – brutal honesty and hooks for miles, buy this disc and turn it up real loud. And while you’re listening, remember that Mutha’s Day Out was, essentially a group of kids. Kids with intelligence way beyond their young ages.

Rating: 5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY MUTHA’S DAY OUT’S MY SOUL IS WET THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Kyuss – …And The Circus Leaves Town

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Moosejuice

1995 Elektra

Most of you reading this are familiar with Queens of the Stone Age. What many of you don’t know (and those of you who DO are terminally cool) is that Queens of the Stone Age guitarist/chief songwriter Josh Homme’s previous band is one of the coolest bands ever and is now legendary as a pioneer of the so-called “stoner rock” genre.

Yep, I’m talking about this band here…Kyuss. If you’ve never heard Kyuss before, imagine Black Sabbath waking up one day and deciding that life’s okay after all, and you’ve got a really good idea of what to expect. The sound is fuzzy and bassy in pure homage (Homme-age?) to the Sabbath sound, and the meaty hooks serve as fertile ground for singer John Garcia’s often cryptic lyrical ventures.

Big, lumbering power chords push their way through your woofers creating a soundscape that is perfectly depicted on the cover art and inside cover photos. Open and barren, yet full of life and vibrance, Kyuss is another one of those bands who are a world unto themselves…and there’s plenty of room for all to become inhabitants.

“Hurricane” kicks off the album with a pulsing riff and Garcia’s vocals are inside the mix rather than cutting through, which only serves to add to the mystique of what he’s singing. The lyrics, once you delve into them, exhibit an intelligence, wit, and big sense of humor, often spilling over into the song titles themselves. To wit: “Thee Ol’ Boozeroony,” “Tangy Zizzle,” “Jumbo Blimp Jumbo,” “One Inch Man.”

There’s not a weak track on the whole dang thing, even instrumentals like “Thee Ol’ Boozeroony” and “Tangy Zizzle” prooving to be jamming and memorable. “One Inch Man” was the single off the album and was a great choice because while it’s a really good track that represents their sound well, it’s not the strongest track on the album. For my ears, that designation goes to “Gloria Lewis,” with its slow, sludgy and impossibly pulsating groove. Man, this song just riles me up every time I hear it.

I remember seeing these guys at Tipitina’s in New Orleans on the “Welcome To Sky Valley” tour and they were just incredible. I have a bootleg video of the concert (I didn’t just say that) that I pull out from time to time and relive the experience. After ‘…And the Circus Leaves Town’ was released, I suggested to a club owner in Baton Rouge, LA (Papa Joe’s…RIP) that he should book them and he did.

And I had tickets.

And then they broke up a month before their scheduled show.

Major bummer.

“Catamaran” and “Spaceship Landing” close out the disc in fine fashion, and indeed close out the Kyuss chapter in rock history. Kyuss disbanded a mere 3 months after its release and have no plans to reform, Homme seeming to prefer to maintain the band’s status as an underground legend rather than cash in on a reunion. That’s just fine with me, although if they ever change their mind I’ll be first in line.

Rating: 4 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY …AND THE CIRCUS LEAVES TOWN & OTHER KYUSS MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Toadies – Hell Below, Stars Above

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Moosejuice

2001 Interscope

For starters, Toadies were just a very, very cool band. Their 1994 debut, ‘Rubberneck’ was terminally cool and unlike anything else at the time. The eternally humongous single from that album, “Possum Kingdom,” will forever stand as a classic. Many people don’t know the song by name, but instantly recognize it when they hear it. Much like a similarly huge song from the time, “Backwater” from Meat Puppets’ ‘Too High To Die’ CD, the song proved almost too huge to follow up and many people who bought ‘Rubberneck’ never gave the rest of the disc a fighting chance.

Because of this and the fact that Interscope Records refused to release the original intended follow up to ‘Rubberneck’ entitled ‘Feeler’ in 1998, this disc never stood a chance. ‘Hell Below, Stars Above’ finally saw the light of day some 7 years after the debut, and by that time the alternative movement had turned more to Nu-Metal and Toadies sadly broke up a mere 5 months after the album’s release.

What we have here, then, is an undeniably original disc full of hooks, melody and relentless grooves all delivered with a decidedly non-commercial, enthusiastic almost-punk attitude. I’ve always admired how Soundgarden can just turn beats around on a dime and make the most absurd time signature groovable. Toadies just might be even a little better, as evidenced on songs here like “Little Sin” and the hair-raising opener of openers “Plane Crash.”

You can’t really go wrong here, this being one of those discs that sounds just as life-affirming after a thousand listens as it did the very first time. “Push The Hand” (a song salvaged from the unreleased ‘Feeler’ sessions), “Motivational,” Pressed Against The Sky,” “Jigsaw Girl, “Sweetness,” the title track…I could just go on and name them all. Even the more toned-down songs like “Pressed Against the Sky” crackle with an absurd realism emanating from lead vocalist Todd Lewis’ passionate pipes.

One of my favorite tracks, “What We Have We Steal” is a reworking of a ‘Feeler’ track called “Best of Three,” as well as being one of the few tracks that DON’T have an unorthodox song structure. As great as this album is, I often wonder if the lost ‘Feeler’ tracks might be even better what with the record label refusing to release them…that usually means the label didn’t believe the tracks were commercial enough to sell, a laughable thought with regard to Toadies given the sincere, catchy non-commerciality of all their work.

Fiercely independent, fiercely original and fiercely hooky, you’ve just gotta hear this band. There have been rumours that Toadies have reformed and could be recording a new album in the near future as of this post. We can only hope.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY HELL BELOW/STARS ABOVE AND OTHER TOADIES MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM

Swell – …Well?

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Moosejuice

1993 Def American

I clearly remember my first exposure to the unsung musical entity known as Swell. It was in 1993 and I was in a store called Mushroom Records just off the Tulane campus in New Orleans (don’t look for it…it’s not there anymore). On the TV in the store, there was a show playing that looked to be a closed-circuit music video program possibly originating from the Tulane campus itself.

I dunno, but I remember a cute female host introducing the video and after being mesmerized by her eyes I was then mesmerized by the song she had just introduced. It was the leadoff track of this wonderful disc, “At Long Last.” I was so entranced by the song, I couldn’t remember anything about the video. Thanks to YouTube, I’ve been able to relive that moment many times. Swell has numerous cool videos on YouTube that are well worth checking out.

This CD is just overflowing with personality, humor, a perfect blend of acoustic and electric guitar, and great esoteric pop songwriting. As far as I’m concerned, anything vocalist/guitarist/chief songwriter David Freel is involved with is worth a good listen and this CD is a great starting point for the uninitiated. The overall sound is intimate, but what I think sends that intimacy over the top is the drum sound. Sean Kirkpatrick sounds like he’s playing right there…right in front of you.

As well as the otherworldly “At Long Last,” this CD is loaded with winners. It’s a disc full of smoky, ethereal melodies and hooks that seem to pop out of nowhere. “Everything,” “Turtle Song” (with a really nifty drum groove courtesy of Mr. Kirkpatrick) and “Tired” deliver an undeniably clever mix of electric and acoustic guitar textures, shadowy atmospheres and melodic hooks delivered with Freel’s somber and intimate vocal stylings. Again, with all due respect, it’s almost like Lou Reed singing on key. “Wash Your Brain” gets my vote for the second best track here.

The whole thing is held together with a sly and quite goofy sense of humor as evidenced with the salting of interludes consisting of what appear to be outtakes of an old man making a homemade demo tape. In an inadvertently funny moment, he stumbles through a spoken word lamentation of show business (“Showbizz”) where he mutters about the good and the bad, saying “you have to cherish the bad and put up with the good.” The most light-hearted moment, however, is when he plays a very echoey sounding piano lounge tune (“Soda Jerk Fountain”).

It’s almost silly how much I love this band. I remember back in 1998 when my then-wife and I moved to Dallas, TX, I had written a song that I played at my live solo acoustic shows and I called it “Swell.” This is because, while I’m proud of the song, it’s admittedly a rip-off…ahem…TRIBUTE to the band. On a goof, I emailed them and told them about the song and left my phone number. Out of the blue, I got a call from then-bassist Monte Vallier saying they’d love to hear it, so I sent them a copy. Don’t know if they actually heard it – it was a poor recording, so I hope they didn’t – but it was just another really cool memory I have that’s associated with this band.

If all this sounds just a tad out of the ordinary, that’s just because Swell is exactly that. There’s just simply no one else like them.

Rating: 5 out of 5

CLICK HERE TO BUY …WELL? AND OTHER SWELL MUSIC THROUGH AMAZON.COM