I was unfamiliar with the band Beasts of Bourbon before pulling this record off the shelves (how many times have I written this at this point?), but it seems they have overlapped with just about every band in Australia over their 30-year off and on career, from the band's origins as a side project for members of Hoodoo Gurus, The Johnnys, and The Scientists, to later splinter projects with members of The Drones and Magic Dirt.The original lineup of Beasts of Bourbon reunited this year for an appearance at All Tomorrow's Parties in Australia and a 30th-anniversary reunion tour. Based on my first impressions of Low Life, their first album, those were probably some pretty damn intense shows - but what I really wish is that I could have seen the show promoted on this album's cover, with Mudhoney and Gas Huffer at the Backstage.
"This is good - better than L. A unique band. Note that Tex Perkins drinks Coopers Ale (brewed in the bottle), which is probably where the title comes from (well, their stout anyway). The band drink Retches Pilsner, which is like being bottle fed." "Mixed bag from this Aussie band. Tex Perkins, backed once again by some of the Scientists, has lost some of his country hick vocal stylings. Songs range from Iggy sounds (circa 'The Idiot') to Tom Waits to a more serious Mojo Nixon as well as some grungy Scientists' romps. No particular stand out tracks. In general not all that exciting." "I liked 1-6" "Let's Get Funky!!" "Excellent." "Kim Salmon!" "'Cool Fire,' great blues cut. I liked this diverse mixed bag LP. It stands out like a glass of black milk poured over a bowl of Nuttin Honey." |
And then every once in a while you find a record that garners unfettered adoration from seemingly all corners. Going through the comments on Savage Republic's 4th LP (please don't make me type the title again), I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - for someone to cry "overrated" or "pretentio…
