Butthole Surfers
Electriclarryland

THE REVIEW

Before writing this review, I asked myself, "How can I describe such a mature, enlightening, intense, sarcastic towards society, and stimulating album with simple sentences?" Indeed, it is a challenging task because the seventh studio album by the Butthole Surfers, released on April 2, 1996, is a succession of bizarre Hardcore bombs like "Birds," "Ulcer Breakout," or "L.A" and acid psychedelic ballads such as "Cough Syrup," the famous "Pepper," the absurd "Jingle Of A Dog's Collar," and the WONDERFUL "Let's Talk About Cars"; in my opinion, not only a masterpiece from the psychedelic rock perspective, but a wonderful example of the performative art that has always influenced the Surfers. Furthermore, Gibby Haynes' versatile vocal performances that range from melodic to the most possible shouted represent another pleasant surprise.

The album opens with "Birds," a decidedly Hardcore Punk song with a very pleasant psychedelic aftertaste and then continues with the reflective "Cough Syrup," which reflects on how "cough syrup is bad." The third track is the famous "Pepper," an interesting experiment that connects Rap Rock to a distorted reflective and existential rhythm. "Thermador" and "Ulcer Breakout" are two substantial distorted tracks; the former in a surprising traditional Noise rock approach and the latter follows classic Punk-Rock patterns.

At this point, the album changes starting with the excellent ballad "Jingle Of A Dog's Collar," characterized by melodic existential sounds that somehow allow the listener to completely indulge in the key track, followed by the sarcastic "Tv Star," which ridicules our society, based on a fictitious and lobotomizing appearance of celebrities. "My brother's Wife" is a mature and interesting sound experiment of true "Performative" nature. "Ah Ha" is more melodic and calm, while "The Lord Is A Monkey" has decidedly more "noise" and claustrophobic atmospheres. Then comes the AMAZING "Let's Talk About Cars," truly a wonderful example of original art. It is an acid ballad composed of deep background music and a beautiful conversation in French between a man and a woman talking about art in general; from Warhol to French cinema, to cultural differences. The song then culminates in a spoken chorus announced by a resonant and golden voice. "L.A" is another very energetic Hardcore track, while "Space" represents the album's final gem, which seems to connect all its different facets. The track indeed links the calm elements of the psychedelic ballads to decidedly "Noise" elements.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate how, in my opinion, this album perhaps represents the artistic pinnacle of the Buttholes, who manage to create not only epic songs and tracks but also a structure and atmosphere of an album that I believe had never been reached before.