Part One
Wanna Contribute?
Wanna Contribute?
My Sluggo Poem
Sluggo is like sex with a Ram
Sluggo is not synthetic like Spam
Sluggo is fun like odd-shaped spaghetti
Sluggo is funnier than Flo & Eddie
Sluggo does not come with a coke and fries
And Sluggo won't give you Chinese eyes
Sluggo is worth every cent that you spend
Because Michael Keneally has done it again
--John W. Busher, who just listened to "Sluggo!" and peed his pants gleefully.
mudshark@ptdprolog.net
Mike Keneally's "Sluggo!": A Lengthy Review
Here it is as promised, folks. My over-worded review of Mike Keneally's brand-spanking new CD, "Sluggo!" If you haven't heard it yet, read this review and be sufficiently impressed to go buy the thing. If you have it already, feel free to send me your comments, disagreements, flames, and credit card numbers (don't forget that expiration date!)
Okay, first let me lay down my "review context" here. I'd decided not to review "Sluggo!" until I'd heard it at least five times. As it turned out I listened to it six times, then brought it to a friend's house where we arranged a little "listening party". Now, after all that is said and done, I am sitting down to compose what will surely be a lengthy review of Mike's new endeavor. First, I'll give you my overall impression of the album, then I'll do a track-by-track breakdown. At the listening party, I heard some additional noteworthy feedback. As I found it interesting to gauge the reaction of THE ROOM, I will occasionally include it [in brackets] after my own comments.
Overall, I like this album a whole lot. It certainly lived up to my expectations. There are places where it's a bit excessive, and places where it could use a little more excess, but who's perfect, you? Me? I think not. The packaging is especially nice: the artwork was done by atticus wolrab, the same feller who did such a nice job with "1/2 Alive in Hollywood". The rendering of Mike on the back of the CD booklet is especially amusing. Thumbs up on the packaging, and a definite thumbs up on the album as a whole. I was tempted to compare it to other Keneally releases, but what would be the point? One of the great things about a Keneally album is that it defies comparison to anything you've heard before. That having been said, let me get down to the track-by-track so I can really begin picking this thing to pieces...
"Potato": Ever had "track one anxiety"? It's that nervous feeling you get when you first put on your favorite artist's new CD and wonder, jeez will this be the one where they finally sell out/get dull/go commercial/start to suck? You Phish fans know what I'm talking about many times over. Well, "Potato" certainly fed my "track one anxiety" the first time I heard it. It's pretty straightforward for a Keneally track, and if you've never heard the word 'potato' in your life you will certainly be intimately familiar with it by the time this track ends. But once I'd heard the album all the way through, I played this one again and found myself digging it. It's actually kinda fun and it's been stuck in my head pretty consistently. Frequent readers of Mike's website will enjoy the historical references which pop up all over this album. Several times I found myself saying, "oh yeah, I remember hearing about that! The windshield thing, yeah." Kinda neat. [THE ROOM was not too fond of this track. "Too repetitive" was the common complaint. After the CD had played through, I put this track on again to see if it would have the same effect as it did on my second listening. It did not. Oh well, maybe it will grow on them.]
"I, Drum Running, Am Clapboard-Bound": I love Mike's piano playing on this album; and there's plenty of it. In fact, I think there might be more virtuoso pianism than virtuoso guitarism on this disc. Fine by me! I found the main theme of this piece quite pleasing, not over-stated nor too frequently. Bryan Beller's opening bass solo is really good, though he doesn't overdo it (we know how Beller enjoys soloing...not). Overall, the piece felt very welcoming from the first time I heard it. Just enough complication to keep it interesting while still maintaining a sense of subtlety. [THE ROOM liked it too, especially after "Potato".]
"Why Am I Your Guy?": I think I could've used more time after "Potato" to get to this song, but it's good anyway. Another pretty straight pop/rock thing. A bit non-descript, perhaps. But I like the stereo guitars in the beginning, and on the whole it moves along nicely. I'm sure we'll be hearing this one often this tour. [THE ROOM especially enjoyed the "wall of sound" at the end, but agreed that the song doesn't offer much to chew on.]
"Looking for Nina": Awesome! I liked "Drum Running", but it took until track four to really get me fully psyched. I never thought about it before, but I suppose I have spent more time looking for Nina in Al Hirshfeld drawings than appreciating the artistry of the whole image. Next time I hope I won't be so silly (though I'll still look for 'em). This track is probably the most fun thing on the disc; a true auditory delight, and funky as well. There's a brief bit that reminds me of Beck's "Rock the Catskills"; have we been listening to Odelay lately? [THE ROOM freaked over this one. The heretofore skeptical among us were fully sucked in at this point.]
"Frozen Beef (Come With Me)": We'll hear this one in concert, I'm sure. A nice rocker with plenty of tricky little moments in it. I love the Smashing Pumpkins reference, especially the way Mike cracks his voice a bit when he says "Billy". I'm still analyzing the underlying guitar line to see if I can't find a Pumpkins quote in there, but so far it's eluding me. See, this is why I love Mike's stuff so much. Not only does it rock, but you occasionally find a prize in the box. I'm still finding little things on "hat." after all this time!
"TRANQUILLADO": Wow. Keneally, you suck. Not in the way that Yanni sucks, nor even in the way that Primus sucks, but in the way that you wave all this fucking talent around like some mad bastard. How are any of the rest of us supposed to take our own work seriously when you're doing stuff as brilliant as this? Anyway, let me slip back out of second-person mode to say that if this track doesn't happen live it will be a shame, even though Mike would have to do the vocals himself. And let me take the opportunity to praise the excellent vocal work of Mark DeCerbo and Bob Tedde on this track. TRANQUILLADO is easily among Keneally's best. [Mike's Sluggo! liner notes (viewable on the website only) claim that it might take some time for people to dig this track. Not! THE ROOM immediately expressed their sheer delight at being allowed to hear such an amazing thing.]
"What Happened Next": It's a short filler piece, so there's not a huge amount to say about it, but it's got a great groove and I like the vague ghost vocals Mike lays down in the background. No complaints here.
"Chatfield Manor": This one's growing on me, but it's not one of my favorites. I do like the slide work (I'm a sucker for slide when it's done tastefully). The instrumental section is quite good, but I'm not crazy about the verse/chorus section. In fact, if I start about three minutes into the track, I like it a lot. So if you find you don't dig the track right away, give it a few minutes and it gets better. I'm listening to it right now and I'm grooving on it pretty well. Not a huge thumbs up, but I have a feeling I'll like it more as I listen to it more. [THE ROOM liked this one a lot more than I did. So I guess I just need to get a clue. Someone said the first verse sounded like old Genesis. Whatever.]
"Beautiful": This may well be the best thing Keneally's ever done. It is simply too cool to exist. A fantastic groove coupled with a great and funny vocal line which is doubled on guitar a la "Jazz Discharge Party Hats", only not quite so "sprecht". I, too, have often felt that the vast majority of the human race was fully disposable; Mike seems to have had a ratio-downsizing in this department and I congratulate him on it. I only wish my life was as full of such pleasant revelations. I count this track among the few I've had lately.
""I Guess I'll Peanut"": Hysterical! Another short filler track, but I can't help but laugh aloud every time I hear it. "Yeah, I guess you *will* peanut!" Hehehe, great stuff. And there's another brief moment that makes me think Beck...coincidence?
"Voyage to Manhood": A great lick in this track! This song rocks muchly; another track that needs alive treatment this tour. I meant to bring some coasters to the listening party so we could throw them at the ceiling fan, but I forgot. Should I mention the Chris Cross thing? Nah...
"Egg Zooming": I want to like this track a lot more than I do. Much of it sounds to me like anarchy. There are times during this track when I ask myself "what exactly is supposed to be going on here?" I found myself searching for something to latch on to among the chaos (much like my impression of "Molehead Revisited" but not so extreme). After several listenings, I am starting to get the hang of hearing this thing, but I still get a vibe of "difficulty for difficulty's sake". There *are* some really neat moments in this track, but overall I'm more confused by it than anything else. And I'm really disappointed by the ending. After all my head-scratching, I was hoping at least for some sense of closure, and instead got...a fade-out. Right in the middle of a vamp with both a guitar and keyboard solo going on. A fade! Apropos of nothing as far as I can tell. Well, the music is fast, and it gets complicated here and there and there's polyrhythms and stuff, so if that's your bag and you don't really require any common thread to hold it all together, enjoy. [THE ROOM, by the way, thought I was fucking nuts. A big thumbs up all around from the peanut gallery. Shows you what I know. A month from now I'll regret I ever said any of this, I'm sure.]
"Own": This one's just fine. Not spectacular but quite alright. I think it'll be better live. It's kinda bouncy but with a tone of seriousness. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it. I give it an 88, Dick. I really enjoy the middle section, but overall I don't find the song amazing. Real good, but not amazing.
"I'm Afraid": Ummmmm...hmm. Well,...hmm. I really want to be very kind with this track. I know if I'd just spent a year on the road away from my little girl, I'd come back and write her a song a lot like this one. I don't know if I would've put it on an album for the whole world to hear, but I certainly would've written it. So I'm compelled to cut the dude some slack on this one (especially in light of what THE ROOM thought of it, but let me not go there just yet). It's very nice. Very sweet. I was quite touched and stuff. I'm sure little Jesse loved it as well she should. It's a very sincere and loving piece of music. Okay, here we go...[THE ROOM thought it was a sappy load of horsie doo-doo and easily the worst thing Keneally's ever released. I hope I've sufficiently distanced myself from such a crass and unsympathetic assessment of such a heart-felt expression of love. Besides, the worst thing Keneally ever released is "Don't Go In Caves", duh.]
"Cardboard Dog": The return of the Spearmint Pup! A lush, beautiful piece of music with some great vocal harmonies. I love this track and was very surprised to see they opened the Troubadour show with it (it actually worked, thereby proving Keneally is no "stone fool" so there, BRYAN.) In fact, let me take this opportunity to talk a little about that show. It was the first show with the new keyboard-guy, Marc Ziegenhagen, and if my digital copy is any indication, this tour is going to rule! Marc's keys are a very welcome addition to the somewhat sparse '96 lineup. I appreciated the reappearance of several key thingies in "Lightnin' Roy" which disappeared in '96, and nifty touches like the "Vulture Fun" quote in his "Dilemma" solo made it clear he is no mere hired gun. Most importantly, the keys take some of the burden off of Mike's guitar, allowing him to concentrate more on his vocals (probably the biggest complaint I heard vis-a-vis the '96 shows). A great improvement all around and a sure sign of great things to come. Oh, and did I mention I really like "Cardboard Dog"? Let me not forget that...[THE ROOM echoed my sentiments on this one. Major up-thumbage. ("At the peak of the disco up-thumbage..." sorry, couldn't resist a little Baby Snakes reference there. ahem.)]
"Sluggo": Y'know, I honestly can't decide if Mike's a better pianist or guitarist. Anything I could say about this solo piano track (sorry, that's solo *Grand* piano track) would simply be insufficient. You just need to go buy the disc and listen to this. Then listen to it again. Maybe your command of the English language is better than mine, because all I can say is...uhhh, it's really really good. Especially the way he manipulates the piano keys with his fingers and stuff. Too damn great, Keneally. Too damn great.
Okay, that's it for the track-by-track. Before I give this thing a final grade, I feel compelled to list the tracks in order of my appreciation, from favorite to least so:
*These two almost shouldn't be graded in such a fashion, since they're sorta filler racks, but what the fuck.
And as for a final grade, I considered giving Sluggo! a B+, but I just don't have the heart. A-...congrats, Mikey! A job well done. Now get your ass out here to the East Coast so I can miss a week of work trailing you up and down the coast like some sort of Deadhead. See ya then!
--Ron Spiegelhalter
ron2112@xtdl.com
OOoooo, AAAAaaahhhh!!!
Listening to Sluggo is like having a 34-day-long brain freeze.
It's bitchin'.
--Brian Timpe
To MK and all musicians involved with "Sluggo!":
Three comments....
--Migor (MEE-gore) St. Marseille
thank YOU for exploring those options
well color me overwhelmed.....sluggo is here!!!!!! after waiting for what seemed like forever, haunted by flashbacks of childhood cereal boxes without prizes, and magic decoder rings that never did arrive and resentments that did; surviving only on saltines and repeat listenings of the tar tapes, - just as i was about to despair, and make yet another lonely trip down the long dark hallway from the mailbox emptyhanded, IT CAME!!!!! i soooo frightened the mailman as i tore it from his hands and made my way inside tearing the wrapping gleefully.........SLUGGO!!!! a quick prayer in hopes that my cd player would work (long story about electronic interference) and i was off to that happy place we like to call the land of BFD..........let me just try to come to my senses here and say a GIANT THANK YOU to mike keneally, bryan beller, toss panos, joe travers, tom freeman, frank briggs, mark decerbo, bob tedde, mike mangini, the chatfields, the mccoys, and anyone else involved in the making of this wonderfully delightful musical gem. this thing is a masterpiece. no really. i don't even know where to begin. ok. as one other reader has mentioned, i too had that pre-listening jitters feeling, being a major fan of hat, boil that dust speck, half alive and especially soap scum remover (i live for those acoustic 'bits'), i was not sure what to expect from this new material, and i am happy to say that it exceeded my wildest expectations, not that i'm sure what they were in the first place..........i think what i like most is that while the songs are definitely 'keneallian', they are also, to me, somehow totally different and distinct. maybe they are beer for dolphins? so to speak. ? i'm not sure,.............
one of the big problems with music is that often times, people expect artists to repeat themselves, so that once they;'ve hit upon the "magic formula", by writing 'your song', they are expected to repeat this action again and again. hey, don't get me wrong, i loved the first black sabbath album, but if they had just stayed there, none of us would ever have met iron man, now would we? i guess what i'm trying to say here is that i'm glad this doesn't sound like anything that's come before it, even though it's somewhat familiar.........and that the songs have already left a lasting impression on me, not like most of the music i hear, which fades and blurs like a bad tattoo......
so far, my favorite pieces are, in no particular order, 'beautiful', 'i guess i'll peanut' 'looking for nina,' and 'tranquillado'. for some reason, i can see ozzy osbourne doing that little dance of his to the taco physique section of nina, and, i would also like to see the broadway production of the song potato, starring the whole crew that did that thing on mtv with puff daddy and sting , i could really see sting getting into the potato lines. but that's just me.
also, in keeping with the random nature of this, i would also like to add that for whatever reason, tranquillado kept me up all night!!!!!! this is very odd, considering i usually sleep like a barbituated baby lamb, entering deep rem like states moments after my head hits the pillow, and yet, somehow, after listening to SLUGGO!, all i could do was lay there and listen to a little band of merriness in my head singing 'oh ho, tranquillado, thank you for exploring those options." this continued into the next day, and hasn't let up yet. i will let you know when and if it does.
the song sluggo is probably my favorite. it's amazing to me that someone who is as talented as mr. keneally is on the guitar can also do THIS on a piano. unreal.
the only other thing i want to say at this point is that i am really grateful that all of you did what you did to put this album out. i think it is very very very important that you did, and here are some of the reasons why:
in closing, let me suggest to those of you out in cyberspace that if you have not yet bought this cd, do so NOW, and order a few extra copies for those who do not yet know about it. thanks again for your music.
sincerely
--lloyd thayer
thayerl@bc.edu
http://www2.shore.net/~nobodymu/
Sluggo ate my prized tomatoes...again
Keneally, Beller, Toss, Joe, Frank, Rob, Jeff, Suzzanne, and dem other guys on "Sluggo": OH...MY..GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!. That's all I can say :->
--Rich Lewis
"Sluggo!" OR as it should be alternately titled, "Mike Keneally Gets Down With His Bad Self!"
After a week of breathless impatience, Sluggo! arrived in my mailbox.
Like all Keneally albums, I had to listen to it twice before I could appreciate it. And the four-word short review is, "I love you, Mike."
Thoughts on particular tracks: 'Beautiful' is just that, inspiring instant happiness and illumination in my soul. Why don't I ever catch Mike driving down Wilshire, anyway?
'Looking for Nina' is addictive and a great sing-along song (OO--AH--OH).
'Chatfield Manor' is stuck in my head every day. And, unlike some people (ahem), I believe 'I'm Afraid' is an absolute heart-warmer and studio masterpiece.
The instrumentals are all cool, although not as varied in tone as in other previous Keneally outputs. The Coltrane influence is definitely shining through, though.
I do miss the standard filler between tracks we've come to expect from Keneally -- but I realize this album was put together at a pretty disjointed and frenzied pace, not allowing for the same intricate tomfoolery. 'S Ok.
Finally, the Keneally Fan Standard Refrain: "Every Time I Listen, I Like it More!!"
-- *J*
i want my disc
i'd like to waste this piece of page with something a little more entertaining but i still haven't received my copy yet. here i thought ordering directly from immune would be much quicker.
YO, STAFF@IMMUNE.COM
what the dilly yo?
--lance
HAIL SLUGGO!
Prior to Sluggo's arrival, I can honestly say I have never anticipated an album's release so anxiously. Constantly checking the mailbox, making routine long-distance calls to Suzanne at Immune inquiring the exact mail-out date, even harping MK himself; was I ready for Sluggo or what? It arrived while I was working so I had it delivered via a convenient roommate. Listening to it was certainly out of the question, but to have it securely in my hands to hold and nurture was all I needed. A refraction of a reflection of me from the glossy disc through my prism eye could shed light on my inside. A light of continuity that colorfully shines my palette of sound and reason. Keneally's lyricism is truly deep and coincidentally strange. Sometimes I wonder if their is a clairvoyant relationship between MK and his devoted listeners. I guess we all sorta think alike in Keneallyworld. I'm sorry but I cannot hastily review the cd on what it sounds like because I'm still mesmerized by the mere thought that it exists and its all MINE and haven't got around to listening to it yet but the inlay art of atticus wolrab is quite superb. Nonetheless, MK is a literary and poetic genius outside his musical virtuosity. Therefore, I give Sluggo an F-. Long live Keneally!
Love,
--Barracus
The self-proclaimed Midwestern MK and BFD correspondent
barracus69@aol.com
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