release date: Mar. 24, 1994
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Marshall Lawless, Tri-State Kill Spree Johnson
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA
Track highlight: 1. "Buy My Snake Oil" - 3. "Convoy in the Sky" - 4. "Atomic Power" - 6. "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" - 7. "Burgers of Wrath" - 12. "Will the Fetus Be Aborted" - 13. "Plastic Jesus"
A collaboration work by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon. The album came out after the demise of Biafra's old band Dead Kennedys at a time when he was highly productive, very politically engaged, releasing either collaboration albums, making solo albums, which was mostly spoken words releases, but he was also lead vocalist in the band Lard. 1994 was when grunge rock ruled the alternative rock scene but this album is so original that it could have come out any year after the punk rock era 'cause it really sounds like nothing else. Biafra sneers his lyrics out like still playing in Dead Kennedys. The style is quite far from his '91 collaboration work with NoMeansNo and simply is a better album. It's not hardcore punk but it definitely has punk rock elements but also folk rock, blues rock, country rock , and a whole lot of satire to it, which puts the album aside releases by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. The album could be labelled 'cowpunk' if I ever thought that was a style or genre, but I do think it's a conglomerate of styles and genres that in many ways makes it more of a roots rock album. A few of the songs are pure cover-versions, others are musically built on known and famous songs with completely new lyrics, some just sound as familiar tracks, and a few are just brand new compositions. If one find it hard to listen to Biafra's American tone you may try listening to the lyrics, but really, I find that it kicks butt and it's pretty nice for more than just a one-time listen. Mojo Nixon plays so tight no matter the style, and Biafra nails American society and life-style in that way only an American is allowed to.
Recommended.
[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
