Fatso Jetson
Cruel & Delicious

Do you know Josh Homme, the current leader of Queens Of The Stone Age, and also the guitarist of the always unforgettable and unforgettable Kyuss? Well, if you know him, you should know that our Joshua Michael Homme owes a lot to a gentleman named Mario Lalli. The impact and importance that the good Mario and his brother Larry had on the singer-guitarist and the desert-bands of that time must have been impressive.

Mario "Boomer" Lalli was born in Palm Spring to parents of clear Italian origin, and at just 18 years old he was a hit among the teenagers of the desert. After being part (and also founder) of some bands that greatly influenced the Californian stoner movement (among them Yawning Man), together with his cousin Larry, he formed Fatso Jetson, who can certainly be placed in the vast stoner-rock world, but all in all also quite distinguishable, given the wide variety of musical genres offered (from punk to heavy blues, through pure psychedelia and experimentation).

Eight years after their public debut (where they also made Greg Ginn, the former guitarist of Black Flag, fall in love with them), in 2002 Fatso released the album in question, in a synthesis that is indeed "cruel" and "delicious". Cruel like the sun beating down on them in countless non-stop concerts around the canyons breathing in dust; delicious like a packet of chips and a nice big beer (recommended by the way for listening to said album, trust me, it will make everything much more enjoyable).

"Cruel & Delicious" veers away greatly from the robotic sounds of their previous "Toasted", as it is more heavily a child of an hyper-energetic rock-blues that proves to be particularly abrasive: "Pleasure Bent," "Pig Hat Smokin," "Stranger Blues," "Superfrown" bear witness to this (the last one complete with a crazed harmonica). Certainly worth mentioning is also the tribute made to Devo with a cover in a hard-wave style, and the dreamy hits "Light yourself on fire" and especially the instrumental "Heavenly Hearse", a mini trip of just over 4 minutes that relaxes and makes you daydream at the same time.

So, to recap, and for those who haven't understood, the term "eclectic" is a term that fits like a glove for this former-obese Californian, as he and his band's distinctive trait appears to be inventiveness and genius out of the ordinary: "being creative while trying to live everyday life." The singer of the "Queens of the Stone Age" isn't too far off when he describes him as: "a luminescent diamond in a sea of crap"; and I believe this is due to his versatility in the musical field, a sort of human generator of good music.

Now, if the subject (and the band) in question seem deserving of a listen to you, don't hesitate, trust this good man. Perhaps you’ll discover that Fatso Jetson is a great band, and that ultimately Mario Lalli was the Master of Josh Homme.