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Rating: If Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd could have given birth to a bastard, they would have named it Kyuss.
A creature born in the heart of the nineties, awkward, hallucinated, and even a dwarf, on the shoulders of that giant which the seventies represented for rock. But there's more. Homme and company were never original. They even copied artworks (and the omission of all kinds of references in the booklets) from Led Zeppelin. Just to cut to the chase, we'll add that they never even possessed great technical-executive talent. And just when the Nirvana typhoon (following the aforementioned dictats) was about to bury a genre once and for all, “Blues For The Red Sun” (1992) appeared. That's how Homme, Garcia, and that other brain-dead junkie Olivieri, decided to (re)teach us to live so we could hurt ourselves, leaving aside the tedious stories about the pain of living.
“Wretch” (1991) unfortunately, doesn't reach their more high-sounding masterpieces (which were alas all extensively reviewed). It's an album that testifies to the absurd path of this band, starting from an overused hard 'n' heavy with “hatfieldian” echoes, and “evolved backward” to mature a retro-artistic verve upon which they founded a (sub)genre: Stoner. Ironically, it's now Metallica that emulate them: some tracks from “St. Anger” could easily enter into this “Wretch” (and vice versa). A transitional stage, then, with which the band allowed themselves time to grow. The impulse (at times an end in itself) of tracks like “The Law”, “Son Of A Bitch”, and “Love Has Passed Me By” prove it. The approach of “Isolation” and “I’m Not”, supported by the classic four-four kick-snare made in U.S.A. (if brought by a Yankee even the tempo can take on rough connotations, at least for yours truly), will later be revived by Garcia's Unida. In “Stage III” some more experimental hints begin to emerge, though almost as an outlet. The same could be said of “Deadly Kiss”.
Based on the sounds and pieces that “Wretch” contains, the desert and hallucinogenic element that characterizes the band will later be grafted. The formula is not yet complete then, missing the “fifth element”. That is producer Chris Goss, who will soften and refine the sharpness of the cutting Les Pauls on this album.
Anyway, despite its small size, even “Wretch” contributed to delaying the celebrations for rock's funeral by a few years. Everyone always counts it out, but so far it's buried everyone, even that fool Cobain.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 [Beginning of What's About to Happen] HWY 74 (04:43)
In the middle of the Highway,
As you ride down the road,
Just get that feeling,
It's all so black and bald.
And then theres my face,
When you're drivin the desert sand,
Well open my hand,
Well open up the land.
Yeah.
Well everyone now bring your car to me.
From the mother of earth to the depth of the sea.
Well dont raise any hand for me,
When ya na na na na need me.
Yeah.
In the middle of the Highway,
As you ride down the road,
Just get that feeling,
It's all so black and bald.
And then theres my face,
And a-drivin the desert sand.
Well open my hand,
Well open up the land.
Yeah.
Well everyone now bring your car to me,
From the mother of earth to the depth of the sea.
Well dont raise any hands for me,
no no,
When ya na na na na need me.
Yeah.
02 Love Has Passed Me By (03:12)
Do I look blind?
or deaf?
or dumb to you?
Do you see burning pictures on my face?
It didnt take long
To figure out whats wrong with you
Fuck Off, well I'll put you in your place
Could it be,
That love has passed me by?
And could it be,
You're just a thorn in my side?
And all I see
Is that your walking away from me?
And all I know
Is that you'll never change me.
This hate in me,
Well it's burning in my veins.
I'm gonna' take it out on you,
Well and make you feel my pain yeah.
Cold carresses,
Well as you walk away.
Baby, things arent,
supposed to be that way, no no.
Could it be,
That love has passed me by?
And could it be,
You're just a thorn in my side?
And all I see
Is your walking away from me?
And all I know
That you'll never...
Do I look blind?
or deaf?
or dumb to you?
Do you see burning pictures on my face?
It didnt take long,
To figure out, whats wrong with you.
Fuck Off, well I'll put you in your place yeah.
03 Son of a Bitch (06:03)
Goddamn son of a bitch (5x)
Goddamn son of a bitch
See the young ones play
And say what you want to hear
You have long legs, long hair
Big tits, you got a big arse
Your pot will never last, never last
Goddamn son of a bitch (4x)
Goddamn son of a bitch
See the young ones say, well and play
What they want to hear, from you
You say you're not fucking with them
You say they're not fucking with you
Compete with them and you'll never win, never win
Goddamn son of a bitch (4x)
Well its cold where we come from
But not to make me freeze
I look around me at what I see
The world deeper than before
There's been a change in me
Things are looking pretty blurry
I keep a wishing she would wake me
And tell me it was just a bad dream
But I guess you're gonna be awakened
Well your already wakened to reality yeah
Goddamn son of a bitch (4x)
04 Black Widow (02:44)
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me away.
Give me a fucking reason, i reason i should stay!
Built for buisness or for pleasure,
Anyway you choose.
It doesn't matter how or why,
'Cos either way you lose.
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me now,
Give me away.
Give me a fucking reason, i reason i should stay!
Built for buisness or for pleasure,
Anyway you choose.
It doesn't matter how or why,
'Cos either way you lose.
Yeah, Yeah.
05 Katzenjammer (02:23)
I want a girl and not a pearl.
I want a girl who'll take me home.
A kind is nice and will get me
where i want to go. yeah.
Theres been a lover to ignore me,
To ask me the one who knows.
If I tell the car, run the other,
Will it end from there?
Take a look underneath the hood,
And I won't be friends.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
Blue Shaddows on the track.
Run your fingers through my hair,
Use my Dodger to get me there.
Line my seats with everybody there.
Oh my god then baby will last,
Its got little hands and baby blue eyes,
Mine who will last when my baby will lie.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
Baby in my motor,
Make my blood boil,
Be on her.
yeah.
06 Deadly Kiss (05:04)
Look into my face now
Stare into my eyes
Hellfire in my veins
in my veins
in my veins
in my vein, yeah.
I can see through your eyes,
Its no disguise to me,
I can see through the lies,
No one can make a fool of me.
Drowning in your lonliness,
Want to bring me down with you.
No one buys your innocence,
Gonna' break your walls in two.
Well in two,
Well in two.
No one buys it,
No one wanted to,
With you,
You,
Fuck you.
Dig your grave for two.
Walk my way,
Get out of my way.
Well I wanted you,
I saw right through ya.
Well I'm your man,
You'll understand,
You'll pay the price,
To live in a-paradise.
Look into my face now,
Stare into my eyes.
Hellfire in my veins,
In my veins,
In my veins,
In my vein yeah.
I can see through your eyes,
Well its no disguise to me.
I can see through the lies,
No one can make a fool of me.
I'm drowning in your lonliness,
Want to bring me down with you.
No one buys your innocence,
Gonna break your walls in two.
Well in two,
Well in two.
Well no one buys it,
No one wanted to,
With you,
You,
Fuck you.
Dig your grave for two.
07 The Law (07:52)
Darkness, imprisoning me.
Feeling, that darkness in me.
Me and it's you, and I run over you.
So let me be.
Swing low,
Into the blood off of me.
Me and lie on the streets of law,
Breaking down the road.
So bringing me down,
Well in to the ground.
No one sees me, and no one talks,
Cuz we all know it to be mine.
Me and lie on the streets of law,
Breaking down the road.
So bringing me down,
Well in to the ground.
No one sees me, and no one talks,
Cuz we all know it to be mine.
yeah.
yeah.
yeah.
[whispered]
yeah, spend
spend yeah.
yeah, spend
yeah, spend
yeah.
yeah.
yeah.
yeah.
[whispered]
Yeah.
Darkness imprisoning me,
Feeling, that darkness in me.
Me and it's you, and I run over you.
So let me be.
Swing low,
Into the blood off of me.
09 I'm Not (04:39)
I'm not,
Ready to leave this world.
Bring as big a people,
Well no one told me about them.
Sometimes, well it doesnt seem to matter,
But I'll make mine a good one.
Up with the clouds of hate.
Only,
time,
will tell,
Time, will tell.
Will tell.
I'm not,
Ready to leave this world.
Bring as big a people.
Well no one told me about them.
Sometimes, well it doesnt seem to matter,
But I'll make mine a good one.
Up with the clouds of hate yeah...
Well only,
Time,
Will tell,
Well only
Time, will tell.
Well only time.
Well only time will tell.
Takin' it yourself,
Well only time will tell.
Yeah.
Only.
Time
Will tell
Only,
Time, tell.
Well only time will tell.
Well only time will tell.
Well I'm not,
Ready to leave this world.
Bring as big a people,
Well no one told me about them.
Sometimes, well it doesnt seem to matter,
But I'll make mine a good one.
Up with the clouds of hate yeah...
Only.
Time
Will tell
Only,
Time, will tell.
Only, time.
10 Big Bikes (05:01)
Here she comes a ridin
Well burning down the street.
Here she comes a fucking the boy,
Hear the New York street
Cuz I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a bad bitch
well on a big bike,
big bike yeah.
He is feelin' nasty,
She is feelin' nice tonight.
Hey baby, well, I want to cool you down.
I need something tonight
Cuz I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a bad bitch
On a big bike,
Big bike yeah.
Here she comes a ridin
Well burning down the street.
Here she comes a fucking the feet boy,
Hear the New York street
Cuz I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a bad bitch (mmm)
On a big bike,
Big bike....
Big bike.
Whose the?
Yes you think it wide?
Yes you,
Yes you,
Yes you CK...
*Yeah*
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Other reviews
By Kurtd
"Wretch is the consecration of STonER, this album if listened to at the right volume can create emotional deserts, inexplicable dizziness."
"Josh plays that guitar in such a powerful way with such sharp riffs that... heck, I can’t say what it does to me, but it does!"
