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Rating: Anyone who listened to McLusky Do Dallas in 2002 couldn't help but be blown away. And those who haven't listened to it should do so as soon as possible.
But now it's time to talk about this—anticipated—follow-up. The expectations were high, the hopes conflicting. And the test is passed with flying colors.
Put the CD in the player and enjoy the initial surge of «Without Msg. I Am Nothing», with that obsessive and bastard chorus angrily declaring «Everywhere I look is a darkness, darkness». «That Man Will Not Hang», the launch single, rests entirely on a simple bass line, with piercing guitar incursions in the chorus. «She Only Bring You Happiness» is a great damn pop song, good enough even to play on MTV, if desired (but which pop song says «Our old singer is a sex criminal»?). And so on, moving through the blind fury of «Kkkktichens, What Were You Thinking», «Icarus Smicarus» («get out of those shoes and grow wings!»), «Lucky Jim», «1956 And All That» («Your son looks like Michael Jackson!»), «Falco vs. The Young Canoeist» (a captivating post-punk raid) and other tracks that instead experiment with new solutions, like the trumpet inserts in «Forget About Him, I’m Mint» and the soft-loud/full-empty alternations in the mad «Slay!» and the closing «Support Sistems».
In general, the lyrics demonstrate progress, which includes the striking irony of the previous album but enriches it with more existential, more pessimistic reflections. The eloquence is still brash, genius, unsettling, this time serving a depiction of a world slipping towards the abyss - «I get my msg. / from digital tv, / good consumer...»
An album that retains but does not stop, indeed that moves forward in compactness, maturity, solidity. Masterpiece.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Without MSG I Am Nothing (02:57)
get carter to the phone, don't teach him how to cook
that'd kill him
without it she is great, a little underweight
but still appealing
everywhere i look is a darkness
i get my msg from digital tv
good consumer
you aren't the only one who has no trousers on
good audition
everywhere i look is a darkness
my my my my my my
my my my my my my
my my my my my my
my my my MY
get carter to the phone, don't teach him how to cook
that'd kill him
without it she is great, a little underweight
but still appealing
everywhere i look is a darkness
02 That Man Will Not Hang (03:00)
there's a story on a thimble
on a dimple, on a pea
and it's absolutely true until the end
when they pan out in the titles
we can see you're still alive
and the maitre'd is not your special friend
there's a road in a wrong place
twice as far out
and a bitch on a bridge
yeh the bridge was a bitch
with a heavenly drawn out roll of her lips
she undid the straps and smiled
that man will not hang
that man he will never hang
there's a man you should meet
and he might be under arrest
but believe me when i tell you he's ok
he ran the mohawk out of living rooms across the land
and introduced me to the joys of doubt
there's a dream, there's a barn
there was a story, it was a boring one
but honestly i tried to stay awake
born to hang and proud of it
i base my claim on credit
that man will not hang
that man he will never hang
he realised he wanted to have children with this girl
he pulled her to his side and quietly
gave away his heart like it was his to give away
wednesday the studio come knocking
excuse them but they need their property
gave away his heart like it was his to give away
04 KKKitchens, What Were You Thinking? (01:50)
kkkitchens, what were you thinking?
your quality units never stood a chance
with a little forward planning and perspective
you'd have avoided this
but you're a spook, a legend,
an urban myth with a twist in the tail
a precautionary nod to the licensing trade
and children still whisper your name
da-ddy, don't marry da-ddy
kkkitchens what were you thinking
if racial tension is a benchmark
then how much for this sink in a riot?
i'll buy it with the water main,
but you're a mock, a molar
a molecular fault in a parallel world
a mysterious font by the end of the north road
just across from the spar
da-ddy, don't marry da-ddy
kkkitchens i know you're shutting
i think you gave us everything that we could ever ask
of a little racist shop
but kkkitchens what were you thinking?
what drugs were all your salesmen taking?
i tried to run but spent the weekend shaking
da-ddy, don't marry da-ddy
06 Icarus Smicarus (01:51)
get back in your hole, get dead, son get back in your hole, get bent crawl under a rock and get lost, boy crawl under a rock, get fucked get out of those shoes and grow wings, dear get out of those shoes and grow wings fall over yourself and break heads, kid fall over yourself and break heads crawl out of your skin takes time, pal crawl out of your skin takes time get out of those shoes and grow wings, dear get out of those shoes and grow wings
11 1956 and All That (02:24)
come out quick and count the corpse
i'm sure we killed a family
keep your killing clean my love
just keep your killing clean
come out quick and count the corpse
i'm sure we killed a family
keep your killing clean my love
just keep your killing clean
come out quick and name the dead
i'm sure we got a scrabble score
keep your killing clean my love
just keep your killing clean
come out quick and name the dead
i'm sure we got a scrabble score
keep your killing clean my love
just keep your killing clean
good advice
sons and lovers
western armies
good advice
sons and lovers
western armies
to the left two bored men discuss suicide by drum solo
serious songs jesus christ
once a year or maybe twice
your son looks like michael jackson
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