Asylum (Naked City) (LP 3337)

Naked City  Radio (CDR, 1993) ***  

Genre: Alt-rock

Places I remember: Keegan gave me a copy.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Outsider (Thriller jazz, on YouTube)

Gear costume: Sunset Surfer  (On YouTube)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Ye gods - this one is a challenge and not for the faint of heart! I had a heavy cold on the day I relistened to this for the blog and it summed up what was in my head for sure.

First track (Asylum) is, on the surface, a cacophonous loosener - Captain Beefheart style - a potential warning. Then second track (Sunset Surfer) is a groovy surf instrumental.

As the album name implies - this comes across as if it was a radio station playing a range of hip songs - 19 in all. That idea sums up their eclectic approach on this record. Each song tackles a different genre - jazz, surf, R&B, death metal, funk, acid rock, and surrealism work together throughout those 19 songs. You need to embrace the bravery of that approach to make it through to the end.

The band includes John Zorn (alto sax), Fred Frith (bass) and Bill Frisell (guitar). They prove that they can play anything!

 

Ultimately, it's an exhilarating experience, if you give yourself to it.

Where do they all belong? A cool little set of weirdness.