OFF: stoner bands of yore back to get us (was: Hawkestra)

[Jonathan Jarrett]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009, Carl Edlund Anderson wrote:
> I admit that I was one of those left thinking "hmmm" on California Crossing, 
> and haven't really followed the band since.  Still, I guess they've cranked 
> out a steady stream of albums since then, so it may be worth giving them a 
> listen should they cross my transom.  (Doubtless their MySpace site or 
> something will stream some of the new and recent tracks, if I look around 
> .....)

 	I also didn't much rate _California Crossing_, it sounds poppy, 
and they cut their hair at the same time, it was all a bit much. That 
said, when I saw a double LP of live stuff from that tour I still bought 
it because, you know, double live LPs. It's not at all bad, and matches 
the gig I saw: brisk, business-like and generally on tbe ball but not 
quite the sprawling feast of fuzz that _Action is Go!_ might have led one 
to hope. The one before _California Crossing_, _King of the Road_ is an 
acceptable compromise between where they were and where they were going.

 	Fu Manchu are an odd one, really; there's a definite sweet spot, 
as I find their early stuff too rough and stupid to really enjoy, but 
their current (or recent, anyway--the stuff they say on the website about 
the new one looks promising) sound is too radio-friendly for me. With most 
other bands I like to start with the first album and slowly work my way 
forwards; that doesn't work with Fu Manchu. Anyone else got any bands like 
that?

> "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" _is_ a good title.  I'll have to see if I find a 
> way to give that a listen, too!

 	It and `Abraham Lincoln' are streamable from their website at 
http://www.pro-rock.com and I have to say that the latter impresses me 
more, but as to what the full thing sounds like, I still do not know. Yet. 
Come pay-day, though... Yours,
 				Jon

ObCD: Reverend Bizarre - _Harbinger of Metal_
-- 
       Jonathan Jarrett, Cambridge    jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk
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