1996
1997
AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett
Given that it was Kim who was famous (or at least
known first), it was bemusing that Kelley came up with the truer
follow-up to Last Splash, at least in terms of standing up to repeated
listening. Compared to the Amps' ultimately go-nowhere Guided By Voices
worship (and attendant limitations), Go to the Sugar Altar had the
crisper rock punch mixed with some surprising but effective
experimentation. The first song alone has a steel drum as a lead
instrument, and why not? Everything takes a turn -- from castanets to
Casio keyboards -- thanks to various guest players (including Jimmy
Flemion from the notorious Frogs), and the result is one of the few
albums of half an hour in length that honestly shows a real sense of
range and ability. Snaky blues, high and lonesome country, full-on punky
thrash -- it's all in here and all sounds pretty good at that.
Meanwhile, Deal's core band does a pretty good job replicating the
sharp-edged charge of the Breeders, though there's not much in the way
of immediate individual flair from the players. Deal herself, though, is
a treat, her familiar, sarcastic, and wry approach suiting both the
lyrics and her distinct way of singing. (Another key difference from the
Amps: Kelley doesn't bury or distort her voice the way Kim did, or at
least not most of the time.) Her ear for choruses that are catchy in
spite of themselves works like a charm -- "How About Hero" in particular
is a winner. Throw in everything else from the angelic overdubs and
quiet guitar that start off "Dammit" to the semi-Lee and Nancy melodrama
of "Trixie Delicious," and the result is an underappreciated treat.
Go To The Sugar Altar
Tracklist
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Go To The Sugar Altar
Tracklist
| 1 | Canyon | 3:10 |
| 2 | How About Hero | 2:43 |
| 3 | Dammit | 2:40 |
| 4 | Sugar | 4:17 |
| 5 | A Hundred Tires | 1:48 |
| 6 | Head Of The Cult | 1:51 |
| 7 | Nice | 3:31 |
| 8 | Trixie Delicious | 3:12 |
| 9 | Marooned | 2:08 |
| 10 | Tick Tock | 2:00 |
| 11 | Mr. Goodnight | 3:36 |
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Tracklist
| 1 | Shag | |
| 2 | Future Boy | |
| 3 | Baby I'm King | |
| 4 | When He Calls Me Kitten | |
| 5 | Brillo Hunt | |
| 6 | Box | |
| 7 | Stripper | |
| 8 | Where Did The Home Team Go | |
| 9 | Confidence Girl | |
| 10 | Total War | |
| 11 | Scary | |
| 12 | My Boyfriend Died | |
| 13 | Drum Solo | |
| 14 | Skylark | |
| 15 | Get The Writing Off My Back |
No comments:
Post a Comment