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EDIT INFOShellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound
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Album Details
- Artist: Shellac
- Album: Excellent Italian Greyhound
- Label: Touch And Go
- Year of Release: 2007
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: dscanland on 2007-07-12
RecommendWhen you thought another Shellac album wasn't possible, out pops an Excellent Italian Greyhound to very little fanfare. It really is to bad because this is the sort of music that deserves hype. Guttural is a term that quite often gets used with any of Steve Albini's albums (Big Black, Shellac). This follows suit on Excellent Italian Greyhound, a loud cacophonous affair that should tingle your heavy senses.
This album starts off with a declaration that this is "The End Of Radio" with some very clever rhetoric that deserves your time:
"I'd like to thank our sponsor, but...we haven't got a sponsor. Not if you were the last man on earth."
"Is it really broadcasting if there's no one there to receive?"
So if radio is officially done on the first song, how do Albini, Weston, and Trainer follow it up? With "Be Prepared", starting off with sort of a stumbling beginning they don't sound at all prepared, but that is all part of the show. It gets going pretty decent by the time the track is over. The thing to remember with this band is A) you have Albini's chaotic buzzsaw-like guitar going on its own schedule, Weston's nice rhythmic bass that manages bass lines like you've never heard, Trainer's slightly abrasive drums and then Albini's furiously demented vocals holding the whole affair together. The band can sound crazy but then on "Elephant" the group comes together and pulls off one of the most cohesive "songs" that they have ever done. It could be compared with Fugazi. An easy intro starts off the 9-minute "Genuine Lulabelle", proving that Albini is no guitar hack. Then about 2 minutes in the song kicks in and almost takes a free-jazz like approach before it drops right out again. "Kittypants" is a fun little two minute instrumental that is the most approachable Shellac have ever been. Again, some clever guitar riffs take place on "Paco", amidst huge bass lines.
There is a reason why Shellac only create these sporadic albums instead of regularly scheduled ones. Greyhounds should keep their fans appeased until they decide to hit the studios once again. There is a reason Shellac is unique, no one else COULD sound like this.
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Tell us why this album is great or sucks ass, or correct the reviewer. If you write enough quality reviews you may find yourself on the editorial staff.
Reviews have to be over 100 words, shorter ones are classed as comments.
Log In or Register to Rate Albumson 2009-04-27 Meisho_san Said:
I like it but it'll never have wide appeal. Luckily I doubt that's what they're going for. The sampling in Lulabelle is interesting, and I'm not going to lie and say I didn't laugh at the Strongbad sample.
All in all a wicked album if you're looking for something different; tired of listening to the same.
Rating: 8/10
Review:
on 2007-08-22 SolitaryMan Said:
While I can see the appeal Shellac will have in some circles, only when they get down and dirty with more traditional song structures can I say I enjoy them. Based on this release, at least. The first half of the album is the best, with "The End Of Radio" (a cynical and sarcastic look at today's state of radio) and the nice triple-punch of "Steady as She Goes", "Be Prepared" and "Elephant". It's the rest of the album that sorta baffles me, and at times they sound totally unsure of what they're trying to play. They remind a little of Mogwai, but more spastic and unfocused. While that probably (certainly) isn't the case, my tastes leave me wondering, 'what the hell are they trying to do?'
Rating: 5/10
