Reviewed: 2018-04-20
Genre: General
FCCs: none that I hear
Review: The Sex Pistols sang about anarchy, Pere Ubu practiced it. What the band called “avant-garage” music broke all the rules while creating visceral engaging off-kilter rock. This box set pulls the best tracks from the final 4 albums. Even at their most commercial, they were sill playing outside the box. A few tracks here demonstrate that they could have actually been a killer straight rock band, if they cared.
If You Like: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, The Residents, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Snakefinger, Marc Ribot
Track Review (favorites denoted by*):
DISC 1
*1/ Something’s Gotta Give (5:06) – distorted noise starts> midtempo off-kilter song with wild noise breaks> fade
2/ George Had A Hat (4:01) – trumpet starts> fast tempo song> wild swinging jam> scat singing> quick stop
3/ Talk To Me (3:31) – drums start> midtempo song> wild noise jam> quick stop
*4/ Busman’s Holiday (4:30) – spacey synth start> slow song> spacey jam> slow song> fade
*5/ Say Goodbye (4:39) – bass starts> slow rocking song with power chords> > sonic jam> slow song> spacey fade
*6/ Universal Vibration (2;21) – guitar starts> fast rocking jam & song> rocking noise jam> quick fade on vocal
7/ Miss You (4:22) – accordion starts> midtempo song> wailing rock jam slides into a march> midtempo song> quick stop
*8/ Dream The Moon (3:25) – guitar starts> uptempo off-kilter song> space jam> quick stop
*9/ Rhythm King (4:29) – drums start> uptempo off-kilter song slows to slow song>midtempo polka slows to slow song, then swings to uptempo jam & song & slows again> quick stop
*10/ The Hollow Earth (3:36) – drums start> fast jam & song> rocking space jam> song> crescendo end
11/ We Have The Technology (3:01) – drums> midtempo song> rocking jam song> fade
12/ Breath () – heavy guitar chord opens> uptempo song> rocking distorted guitar solo> spoken word> uptempo song> quick fade
*13/ Race The Sun (3:18) – guitar starts> wild uptempo rocker like Velvet Underground> quick stop
14/ Cry (2:32) – quiet spacey guitar starts> midtempo song> spacey guitar solo> midtempo song> quick fade
15/ Why Go It Alone (2:49) – guitar starts> close to Top 40 with psychedelic vocals & music> spacey surf guitar solo> quick fade on vocals
16/ Waiting For Mary (3:23) – milling crowd sounds> uptempo rock song with interesting refrain> quick fade
*17/ Ice Cream Truck (2:49) – drums start> bouncy uptempo song with sunny chorus, like a Velvets outtake> spoken word> uptempo song> quick stop
*18/ Bus Called Happiness (2:49) – bass starts> uptempo rocker> distorted rocking jam> quick fade
*19/ Love Love Love (3:20) – spacey synth starts> uptempo rocker> wild space guitar solo> song> bass solo> song> slow fade
*20/ Lost Nation Road (2:18) – drums start> uptempo rocker with spoken word interspersed> quick fade
21/ Nevada! (3;20) – drums start> uptempo rocker with Sloop John B lyrics> distorted heavy space jam> song> quick fade
22/ Flat (2:21) – spacey start> spoken word over heavy chords with distorted chorus> slow song> spoken word> quick stop
*23/ The Waltz (3:27) – bass/ drums start> slow waltz & song> guitar solo> song> stop


DISC 2
*24/ Pushin’ (2:28) – distorted noise/vocal starts> uptempo song like Psycho Killer> wild distorted jam> song> quick stop
*25/ Monday Night (2:15) – horns start> fast rocking jam & song shifts to midtempo distorted jam> swings back to blistering speed jam> quick stop
26/ Oh Catherine (2:53) – drums/ bass starts> midtempo song with chanted lyrics> heavy jam> quick stop
*27/ I Hear They Smoke The Barbeque (4:00) – guitar/drums start> spacey jam> midtempo song with rhythm of a sea shanty> space jam> calliope vibe> heavy jam morphs into slow Dylanesque song> quick stop
28/ Turpentine! (2:41) – distorted noise> slow song swings to midtempo with shouted vocals> sonic guitar solo> song> rocking jam slows to fade
*29/ Goodnight Irene (4:10) – frenetic guitar starts> uptempo song> wild jam> fade
30/ Mirror Man (3:28) – accordion starts> n
31/ Don’t Look Back (4:05) - midtempo song> distorted jam> song> quick fade
*32/ Worlds In Collision (3:42) – guitar starts> uptempo song> distorted jam with repetitive riffs> song> quick stop
*33/ Life Of Riley (3:08) – bass starts> reggae riff> uptempo song slows to midtempo, then swings back to uptempo> reggae riff & song slows, then bounces back up> quick stop
*34/ Over The Moon (2:44) – drums/distortion starts> uptempo song almost crooned>
*35/ Cry Cry Cry (2:34) – space jam> song> crescendo end
36/ Playback (3:08) – distorted guitar/harmonica starts> midtempo song> quick fade
37/ Nobody Knows (3:28) – crashing guitar starts> rocking uptempo song> straight ahead rocking jam> song> fade
*38/ Winter In The Firelands (2:41) – heavy guitar chords starts> midtempo song with ominous vibe> space guitar solo> song> quick stop
*39/ Down By The River (3:13) – spacey guitar start> midtempo song with psychedelic music bed & chorus> soaring vocals to fade
*40/ Around The Fire (3:01) – uptempo rocking song> fade
41/ Like A Rolling Stone (3:42) – guitar starts, quiet & slow> uptempo song like Talking Heads> slows to slow song> fade
*42/ Invisible Man (3:16) – rocking guitar starts> uptempo song> interesting jam> song> quick stop
43/ Fedora Satellite (2:49) – funky guitar starts> midtempo song with extended chorus> quick fade
*44/ Fire (2:00) – drums start> slow song with spacey undertow> spacey jam>song> fade
*45/ Bang The Drum (3:42) – drums start> uptempo rocking song> sonic guitar solo> quick stop
*46/ Postman Drove A Caddy (3:53) – drums/synth start> midtempo song> quick fade
47/ Wine Dark Sparks (2:59) – bass starts> midtempo song with extended chorus> quick stop
48/ The Wire (3:07) - slow plodding song with drum & organ