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This compilation is a benefit
for the three prisoners known as the West Memphis Three. The
basic story is three young boys were brutally murdered and
three teens were charged with the crime based primarily on
their dress and their tastes in music and literature, not
physical evidence. For the entire story about what they are
and why such a compilation exist go to the website(www.wm3.org).
I won't go into the case anymore as this is a music review
and it would be silly for me to just cut and past from the
website. That being said this is a pet project of Supersucker
bassist/vocalist Eddie Spaghetti. What we have here is a collection
of outlaws and rebels of sorts. It's a damned interesting
collection too.
The old county/folk stylings
of Steve Earl start things off with "The Truth." Banjo pickin'
what we have hear and it's not too hard to imagine Steve Earl
sitting in jail singing about the jailer being the real prisoner.
The energy level gets pumped up when Rocket From the Crypt
comes roaring out of the gates. True rock and roll baby. that's
what the rocket's delivering, with horns even?! Horns of the
Devil, watch out. A brief Jello Biafra enterlude about the
case then the happy girls in L7 throw hot lead at you in "Boys
in Black." L7 Fan?
It's even got backmasking. The
Supersuckers take it down under, to Australia, not Hell, for
a cover of You Am I's "Heavy Heart." It's a perfect Supersuckers
song. I can't get enough of that stuff.
It seems only fitting that there
be a reggae protest song so Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They
Come" gets some special treatment by Joe Strummer and the
Long Beach All Stars. I've never been a big Tom Waits Fan
but if you're into Waits then here ya go "Rains on Me" falls
between a Jimmy Cliff cover and an X cover. An X cover? yep
and it's an interesting one too. John Doe and Exene Cervenka's
poor Girl gets an all-star send-up with Eddie Vedder fronting
the Supersuckers. It's a
wonderful version of the song.
There are a couple odd bits too.
Zeke's somewhat faithful version of Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild"
seems a little out of place and Nashville Pussy's version
of "Highway to Hell" is just wrong. I still have not forgiven
Kelley Deal for the lousy Breeders performance I had the misfortune
of catching in Austin several years ago but her cover of Pantera's
"Fucking Hostile" is very cool. The John Doe thing does an
X cover too. It works too. Hell, it's better right? I mean
it's his song. One of the cooler though somber moments is
Mark Lanegan's
Untitled Lullaby. Lanegan's the
singer for Screaming trees. He's backed up here by ex-Soundgarden
bassist Ben Shepherd, ex-GnR guitarist Duff McKagen, ex-Dinosaur
Jr bassist Matt Johnson, and industrial drummer king Bill
Reiflin.The best is saved for last with Fear Factory's Burton
C. bell doing an eye-opening spoken word with a brand new
Killing Joke song. It's a damned good cut too. If this is
a taste of the next album. count me in. Paul Raven is back
from his Prong ventures and is back in camp K.J. There's enough
good stuff on this compilation to warrant a purchase even
without just cause. it's an interesting collection if nothing
else. I rarely like all the songs on any compilation that
I didn't record myself but this one is pretty damned good.
I have a felling this isn't to going to be an easy one to
find but should you see it and you are a Supersucker, X, or
Killing Joke fan pick this bad boy up.
--Chadbo
Track Listing:
- Steve Earl - The Truth
- Rocket From The Crypt - Wrong
and Important
- L7 - Boys in Black
- Supersuckers - Heavy Heart
- Joe Strummer + The Long Beach
All-Stars- The Harder They Come
- Tom Waits - Rains on Me
- Supersuckers with Eddie Vedder
- Poor Girl
- Tony Scalzo - Indicted
- Zeke – Wrathchild
- Kelley Deal - Fucking Hostile
- The John Doe Thing - Hwy 5
- Mark Lanegan - Untitled Lullaby
- Murder City Devils – She
- Nashville Pussy - Highway
to Hell
- Killing Joke - Our Last Goodbye
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Various
Artists:
