By Staff Reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 11, 1997

Music Meltdown

Mike Patton- "Pranzo Oltranzista" (Tzadik)

Mike Patton is most well-known as the energetic, slightly off-kilter vocalist of Faith No More. He's also recognized as the extremely off-kilter, often leather-masked, man behind psycho-rockers Mr. Bungle. What most people don't realize though, is that Patton's musical excursions go even further off into the unknown, the product of an extremely under-publicized solo career.

On Patton's first solo album, he delivered a series of what he called "themes," stressing that they were not actually songs, and not meant to be taken as such. Being that there were no instruments, no melodies and no lyrics on the entire record, there wasn't much danger of that. The listener was instead treated to a score of bizarre noises, composed and performed vocally by Patton, which comprised a unique, if esoteric listening experience.

On his second, and latest, release, Pranzo Oltranzista, there are still no words, but this time there is a whole array of instruments and found sounds that combine into a loose form of ambient music, in much the same way as the folks in "Stomp" can create a song with a bunch of broomsticks and garbage cans.

Patton is joined by a number of musicians on this release, most notably long-time collaborator and sax-virtuoso John Zorn. Zorn has quite a reputation of his own, with projects ranging from Jewish heritage jazz to experiments in noise, and he gets to run the full range of his styles on Patton's compositions.

Tracks on this album have titles like "Carne Cruda Squarciata Dal Suono Si Sassofono" (Raw meat torn by saxophone blasts) and "Scoppioingola" (Throat explosion) and feature descriptions like, "The sound of an engine with a diaphonous blue light." There's also some quotes reflecting on pasta to ponder in the booklet.

If you know and like John Zorn's work, you'll definitely like this CD. If you're just a curious fan of Faith No More, or even Mr. Bungle, though, keep in mind that Mike Patton has many faces, and this is one you probably haven't seen.

­Doug Levy

The Brides- "Here Come the Brides" single (Rip Off Records)

I know little about the Brides except that they're a band of younguns' from Evanston, Ill. Everyone is buying into this latest trend of lame ska-pop, let-me-tell-you-a-sad-story riff-raff, and that some are still preserving the attitude of carefree, fun-loving rock and roll.

The Brides' "Here Come the Brides" single includes "Pushed Around" and "Get to You," both on the a-side, in traditional Rip Off Records fashion - two of the best new stompers I've heard all summer. After playing this single six times over, non-stop, I realized I had a dull pain at the bottom of my neck from so much head-shakin', but I'm glad I still have enough appreciation in me to do so.

"Pushed Around" is definitely the instant ear-catcher of the two, the first line beginning with some defiant declaration to a "little girl" (and I have no problem being referred to as one), while "Get to You" is Saints-like in riffs and posture. Both slices are fast and infectious in their urgency, while capturing that certain heedless manner that makes for great rock and roll.

I saw these clean-cut looking kids (maybe they're not even that young, but they looked like it) at the beginning of the summer at the Rip Off Rumble. The performance made me anxious for the release of this single, as this single makes me anxious for the possible release of a full-length album. Don't let new music's lack of availability in Tucson stop you from finding this. If you care enough, it's worth seeking out.

-Fen Hsiao

The Drags- Stop Rock and Roll (Estrus Records)

All right! Albuquerque's The Drags are a band that I've seen continuously progress in live performance capability, to the point of eclipsing almost any other current band in show energy and tightness. With their first full-length album, Stop Rock and Roll it seems they took their live attitude straight into the studio. No strangers to the ears of Tucson rock 'n' roll lovers (how few there are) it's nice to see The Drags are getting some deserved attention, no doubtedly increased by this album full of non-stop guitar potency.

I don't think this album is more than 15 minutes in length, but the Drags prove the beauty of a 2 minute stomper. Stop Rock and Roll has track after track of catchy, 1960s influenced screamers that sound better with every listen. The guitar is predominant, the bass frantic and the drums driving, while the production is low and fuzzy, the result of the band's competency and endless stamina. The Drags also benefit from some of the most gravelly-sounding, maniacal vocals and sassy, female backing vocals around.

"Anti-Satisfaction" seemingly gives credit, in sound, to two greats: Devo and the Rolling Stones. And, although I'm not familiar with The Nips, The Drags' shake-up cover of "Private Eye" has my curiosity peaked. "Who's Got the Electricity," "Tastes Like Poison" and "Cannible" are great garage punk screechers while trashy instrumentals "Leopard Skin" and "Bacon Grease," should be given attention by the variety of boring surf-instrumental bands who mistakenly think their bland music passes for anything vaguely interesting.

-Fen Hsiao

Retro Review ­ 1991

Massive "Attack Blue Lines" (Virgin)

Once upon a time, there was a place where no one had ever heard the term "trip-hop" before. The place was Bristol, England, the time was the beginning of a new decade, and the people were in for quite a treat. Of course, no one anywhere had heard of trip-hop before, but that's because it hadn't been born yet. Bristol was to be its birthplace, thanks to a crew of DJs and friends known collectively as the Wild Bunch, and which included such future luminaries as Tricky and Portishead's Geoff Barrow.

The three men behind Massive Attack - 3D, Mushroom and Daddy G. - were at the core of the Wild Bunch, and when they decided to record and release their own songs, a new genre was born. Featuring a number of vocalists and collaborators, including the soulful Shara Nelson, reggae man Horace Andy, and even Tricky himself (then known as Tricky Kid), Blue Lines explores a whole range of music, from chill R&B influenced tracks, to laid-back rap, to a sort of inner-city calypso and so on.

The best tracks are the ones which feature Tricky, who still works with the band on and off today (after all, there's hardly anyone he doesn't work with). He displays a talent for a mellow, groovin' vocal delivery which he seems to have all but given up these days.

While Portishead was a large part of the new star that shone on Bristol, Massive Attack was really behind its genesis, and Blue Lines remains their best work to date. Remember, these are the guys who saw the "hip" in hip-hop and then turned it into a trip.

­Doug Levy