|
|
|
||||||||
Review of *Piece Of Work*
What the #*(&!?
That was my first thought (of course I don't think in symbols, but I like to keep this family-oriented) upon playing *Piece Of Work*, the latest offering from the Brain Surgeons, in my CD player.
"You must unlearn what you have learned" - Yoda, to Luke in "The Empire Strikes Back"
It's not that I was disappointed or unimpressed with the 22-song, double CD offering by this 5-piece band in New York. But I WAS a bit confused. I have followed this band for the past 5 years, heard them live and met them all, spent quite a bit of time on the Internet trying to promote them, and spun their previous 4 CDs countless times. I guess I thought I knew them.
"If you think you know what's going on, you're probably full of $%@+" - seen on a t-shirt about 15 years ago, author unknown, again without the symbols
I guess I forgot how diverse they were - either that, or they really pulled a fast one on me. Even though I knew to expect the unexpected, I didn't expect this.
"And, now for something completely different" - Monty Python
Yes, there are echoes of former tBS efforts in this package (Albert Bouchard's bass vocal part at the beginning of "Biloxi" is reminiscent of their cover of "Love Potion #9" on their debut CD, *Eponymous*; and Deborah Frost's vocals on "Last Angry Woman" remind me of "Operation Luv" on *Box Of Hammers*, or "Time Will Take Care Of You", also on the eponymously-labelled first CD), but musically this effort goes off in many new and exciting directions. Perhaps part of this is due to the simple fact that putting out a double CD allowed the band to present more musical styles. Maybe the band just continues to grow and evolve, and the freedoms of being on an independent label allow them to do whatever they want. Or maybe they planned it this way all along...
"I'm no career victim with awards from MTV..." - Deborah Frost in "Last Angry Woman", *Piece Of Work* by The Brain Surgeons
Oh, did I mention how much I like this album? I wasn't sure on first listen - as I said, I thought I knew what to expect. So, I had to put away any pre-conceived notion I had of the band, and play it through one more time before I could decide...and I've been playing it at least once or twice every day since.
So, on to the songs, now that they have been more firmly cemented into my brain...
The first CD begins similarly to the first tBS CD, *Eponymous*, with something mellow. Some beautiful harmonies shape the basic framework of "Biloxi" as Deborah Frost delivers one of her finest moments on the disc. Instruments are completely absent on this song (well, there is a little percussion added in the middle), yet they are not missed. Perhaps all of those heavy guitar sounds on previous tBS efforts brainwashed me into thinking they couldn't do a tune without them. While I might have preferred a heavier song to open the CD (like the way "Gimme Nothin'" on *Trepanation* hit me square between the eyes), this song is best-suited to open the album, and not be placed somewhere in the middle of the track order.
With an almost "big band" sound, "Rain Rain" begins, which quickly takes on a somewhat country feel. With this song, and subsequent tracks, the "thickness" of this album becomes apparent. Most of the songs have many layers - sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, but it is an interesting exercise to try and pick out all of the different parts on some of ths songs, and this one is a good example.
A somewhat eerie song, "On The Road (Again)" is the first "rock" song on the album, and is sung by Albert Bouchard, with lyrics provided by Richard Meltzer. While my enjoyment of most music, including that of tBS is not focussed on the lyrics (much of which I can't always interpret anyway), some of my favorite tBS songs are ones with Meltzer's lyrics. Perhaps Richard inspires Albert and Deborah to write in the styles of music that are most suited to my tastes. Any way, there is also a great saxophone solo that precedes a rather funky break.
David Hirschberg's bass thumps out the opening riff to "Practice Makes Perfect" - Deborah's first "rocker" to sing. The song is built around a neat off-beat riff during the verses with a somewhat standard rock chord sequence on the chorus. A nice melding of two musical ideas to a song that would fit nicely in a live tBS set.
Next up is perhaps my favorite song on the disc, "Swamp Thing" - written by Deborah, Albert, and tBS guitarist Billy Hilfiger. Albert and Deborah sing in unison on this mid-tempo rocker. The lyrics would appear to be about Billy's love for fishing (as can be seen by a few photos included with the liner notes), but of course one might derive other meanings from lyrics like "Goin' down, fishin' hole, gonna do the swamp thing. Better bring, ten foot pole, gotta do the swamp thing". Some nice harmonica work thrown in for good measure - this one rocks.
"Alpha And Omega" is, in part, a reworking of a song Albert demoed for Blue Oyster Cult in the early 80s. Some really nice rhythmic changes on this song. "More Than Truth" is a mellow rocker with lots of layers to it. It sounds like something that Heart might have done in the late 80s. Next up is a great little tune from the twisted side of the Brain Surgeons. Co-written by guitarist Peter Bohovesky, "Hot Dog Man" is a bouncy little rocker about a gal's desire for the simple pleasures of life. This seques immediately into another reworked demo from Albert's days in BOC, "Bad Hair Day". Formerly titled "I Need A Flat Top", the lyrics appear to have been updated to provide reference to the cornrows that Albert has been sporting over the last few years.
tBS have always had tunes with "attitude", complete with "snarling" vocals from Deborah. "Last Angry Woman" provides that in-your-face delivery that tBS has made almost a trademark (especially on their second CD, *Trepanation*, still this fan's favorite). George Thorogood impressed us when he sang that he used a "cobra snake for a necktie". Deb's last angry woman uses it for a tampon (oh well, so much for my "family-oriented" review...). She ain't kidding when she says she's "no girly blizzard from a department on the hill". This song has a nice big drum sound with crunchy guitars to boot.
With a total shift of gears, "Way Of The World" has Deborah "crooning" like a lounge singer under a thick mellow accompaniment that is both sweet and sad at the same time. "Pink Roses", an almost psychadelic number with a funky bottom to it weaves a hypnotic web around your consciousness as CD #1 comes to an end.
The second CDs opens with wailing reminiscent of AC/DC's "bagpipes from hell" sound on "It's A Long Way To The Top If You Wanna Rock And Roll". The Surgeons' possible answer to AC/DC is "Rock 'N Roll Is Dead", a straightforward rocker with a I-IV chord progression over a funky bassline with lyrics expressing the ultimate angst in plain English - "I hate everyone - I hate everything - I don't care - there is no god - and rock 'n roll is dead."
"Confession #9" could probably get radio airplay as a single - with it's underlying funk, smooth yet emotional vocals, and lyrics which just seem ripe for the times (and don't bother asking me to clarify that statement - it's as much a feeling as anything) - and the "bells" are a nice touch. tBS guitarist Billy Hilfiger sings the next two songs: his "Billy's Song", featuring some beautiful acoustic guitar work; and a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", with some great fingerpicking. These three songs in particular show tBS putting forth a new level of emotion in their pieces seldom heard by other "rock bands".
But back to good old rock and roll with "Victory Boulevard" - open the sunroof, hit the highway, and crank it up. 'nuff said.
"Madame X Factor" sees the band returning to an almost psychadelic feel, with some Middle Eastern themes, this time with Albert singing. "Lost" again brings a layered mellow song with a lot of emotion. "Competition" then has us rocking out one more time.
Live, tBS have always featured a drum solo by Albert Bouchard, who has a fairly unique approach to his instrument. He often seems to play the drums as if it is a melodic, as opposed to rhythmic instrument. It makes for a much more interesting solo than the standard rock drummer's bash-athons. On "Prince Albert In The Cans", Albert takes it one step further and makes a drum solo into a cohesive song. For those who saw Albert perform in Blue Oyster Cult, you may notice some echoes of his solos performed during the band's "Godzilla", as Albert manipulates a Syndrum in the same way he did with BOC.
CD #2 concludes with the beautiful "Lady Of The Harbor", previously heard in an acoustic form on a fanclub-only tBS release (known as "Pull The Plug" - most of the songs on this tape would eventually appear on *Malpractise*, the fourth album by tBS). At the end of the track is a reprise of "Biloxi" bringing the album around full-circle. The reprise is edited so that it sounds as if it is being played on an old phonograph from days gone by (complete with pops and hisses) - I can just imagine sitting on a porch in Louisianna kicking back listening to it as "the sun will set from off towards New Orleans". John Swartz
BACK