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Rating: Released in 1993, "Fuzzy" remains the creative peak of the Grant Lee Buffalo discography. A record inspired by melancholic and dreamy tones, a skillful blend of rock blues tinged with pop. Dreamlike atmospheres contrast with electric bursts in a kaleidoscopic whirlwind of sounds and colors; that come out of the player as soon as you press the play button, in a sound cascade that leaves you speechless.
The album opens with "The Shining Hour", a beautiful and exciting rock song imbued with blues to the core, played with fervor and passion by the band, with Phillips's voice standing out against the sonic wall they create. Quite different is "Jupiter And Teardrop", entirely played on the contrast between vast spaces open to melody and electric moments full of tension, for what remains one of the most moving tracks on the entire CD. "Fuzzy" is a splendid acoustic watercolor, featuring finger-tip played drumming and the leader's falsetto as its strong point. Chilling is the overlap of the voice with the guitar solo at the end of the song. Another successful mix between the most intimate atmospheres and the typically rock attitude of the trio is "Wish You Well", which captures and engages from the first listen. A singer-songwriter attitude is instead the absolute protagonist in the following "The Hook", a clear folk song played with passion and delicacy and again with the voice in the foreground. A voice that transports to dreamlike and dreamy territories, lulling the listener with its crystalline purity. "Soft Wolf Tread" starts quietly before diving into the depths of rock as only Grant Lee Buffalo can do.
"Star n' Stripes" resumes the delicate and melancholic tones so dear to the band, thanks to a simply delightful acoustic guitar played, in this case, with the slide, making the sound even more bluesy. Delicately pop is "Dixie Drug Store", introduced by a beautiful piano and with the returning falsetto taking center stage. As always, Peters' drumming is varied and never overly redundant, fitting well into the trio's sonic framework. "American Snoring" is captivating, bringing the band back to the coordinates of the rock ballad and seeing them perform at their best with a guitar that indulges in the wildest improvisation in a vortex of sounds that captures and never lets go. "Grace" faintly recalls some of the best work by Oasis, reaching stellar levels thanks to a simple yet irresistibly groovy guitar riff and the voice which, as always, stands out for its versatility and expressiveness.
The album concludes beautifully with "You Just Have To Be Crazy", an acoustic melting pot rich in suggestions and emotions, capable of moving even the hardest of hearts. Eleven rare gems that make up one of the most beautiful albums released during the nineties. A worthy testament to the talent and compositional abilities of a band unique in its kind. Three musicians who, with modesty and talent, made us dance, sing, and feel. Absolutely a must-have!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Jupiter and Teardrop (05:57)
Just a girl who can't say no
And her sweetheart on parole
Parents named her Jupiter
To bless her with a lucky soul
He's a boy who never cried
When they locked him up inside
And she nicknamed him her teardrop
For the tattoo by his eye
Now she's sleeping in her bed
And he's sleeping in her bed
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
She divines by radio
Pushing buttons show to show
And she wonders 'bout the fate of
Lovers in the barrio
She forgets after a while
When she tunes in on the dial
Jackie Wilson's Lonely Teardrops
And she drives another mile
Now she's sleeping in her bed
And he's sleeping in her bed
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And they want to have a child
Walk together down the aisle
But the world they live in is mean
And it's built on sheer denial
The phone rings it's for her
Got to see ya Jupiter
I'm in trouble with the law
Bring my 38 caliber
Now she's sleeping in her bed
As she pulls the phone plug dead dead
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop oh
And it's Jupiter and Teardrop
And it's Jupiter and Tear oh
And it's Jupiter and Tear
Oh oh
Ooh ooh ooh
03 Fuzzy (04:59)
Bring me home
To this house of many days
Just lay me on the floor
Hard and cool as slate
You know I love it more and more
Than before I ran away
It triggers off so many hurts
Hurtful words and broken plates
I've been lied to
Now I'm Fuzzy
I've been lied to
All and all
The world is small enough for both of us
To meet upon the interstate
Waiting on a train
And just when those big arms lift up
Fall in love with no time to say it
And I would have liked to
Now I'm Fuzzy
I would have liked to
Now I'm Fuzzy
Fuzzy now
Here we are
In our car
Driving down the street
We're looking for a place to stop
Have a bite to eat
We hunger for a bit of faith
To replace the fear
We water like a dead bouquet
Does no good does it dear
And I've been lied to
Now I'm Fuzzy
We've been lied to
Now we're Fuzzy
Fuzzy now
Lied to.
09 America Snoring (03:40)
I hear you America snoring
I hear you America snoring
Did ya see it on TV
Or in your own backyard
Gate's LAPD
And they called The National Guard
Then the tanks came rolling down
Sunset Boulevard
And I hear America snoring
They want ta' legislate the moon
They want ta' legislate the womb
They wanna legislate all the things they hate
They want ta' legislate this tune
And I hear America snoring snoring
I hear you America snoring snoring
Give wind time to blow
The rooster to crow
Plug my ears but I hear
America
Oh oh oh
See the shoemaker and his shoes
Sliver needle thread and glue
He's closing up the shop
Move it all to Timbuktu
Where the labor force is cheap
And the rivers there run deep
But I hear America snoring
I hear you America snoring snoring America
I hear you America snoring snoring America
I hear
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