•
Rating:
Powerman 5000 was formed in Boston in 1989 with very few ambitions, a typical college band designed to make some noise on Saturday night. However, the band would soon find themselves recording some pretty appealing material that would capture the interest of a record label like Dreamworks, certainly not a newcomer, far from it.
The quintet, led by the charismatic singer Spider, the younger brother of the famous Rob Zombie, released four demos, only one of which was truly interesting, namely "True Force," a concentration of typical rock riffs and funky influences, all well blended, creating a unique and interesting sound that is very enjoyable. The first true full-length "The Blood Splat Rating System," dated 1995, became a real cult album in the Boston underground, and it's only a matter of time before a reissue by Dreamworks. The album was completely remastered, the songs remained the same, but the title was changed to "Mega!! Kung Fu Radio," a bit peculiar.
A very personal, original, and well-structured work, engaging and full of truly noteworthy insights, you can already draw these conclusions after the first listens, but let's analyze the work in its entirety, as each song is a separate story. The album opens with the gritty "Public Menace, Freak, Human Fly," with a slow start featuring excellent percussion, then exploding into a powerful refrain that's immediately memorable, an excellent opening. Next is "Organizized," a rather calm song, but with an energetic and engaging chorus, this track is also definitely well-crafted and original. The third track "Neckbone" is a classic of the group, accompanied by Spider's almost paranoid voice and simple yet effective guitar riffs, perfect bass lines, and percussion, delivering an excellent final result, very entertaining. The following "Car Crash" is the most energetic and direct song on the album, featuring a simple but direct guitar riff with a very fitting solo, this piece also deserves to be considered a classic, excellent. Then there's the distinctive "Earth vs. Me," pleasant and fluctuating, played on mild rhythms interrupted by more aggressive parts, a good piece, perhaps not up to the previous ones.
"A Swim With The Shark" is the calmest track on the album, with the rock component disappearing, giving total space to funky influences, a nice song, but nothing special. We return to more aggressive sounds with the beautiful "20 Miles To Texas, 25 To Hell," introduced by a typically country arpeggio, interrupted by a surprising yet powerful guitar riff that becomes the backbone of the entire piece, really well-done and enjoyable. The title track "Mega!! Kung Fu Radio" is a rather mellow piece for most of its duration, except for the gritty, almost chaotic ending, accompanied by Spider's hoarse voice, another good piece but not a masterpiece. It is followed by "Tokyo Vigilante #1," a truly beautiful and engaging piece, with great energy, simple yet effective. "Bored Witcha" is the strangest piece on the album, not a real song, but rather a funky base combined with various samples, perfectly placed as an interlude to the excellent "Standing 8," opened by a very nice bass riff, a lively piece full of tempo and mood changes. The album closes with "Even Superman Shot Himself," actually two pieces in one, as the Dreamwork version of the album also contains the song "File Under Action," valid and enjoyable pieces.
As for the purely technical aspect, despite the songs seeming very simple, they hide quite surprising musical preparation, with great instrumental taste featuring precise and powerful rhythms. Excellent work by percussionist Jordan Cohen, who integrates excellently with drummer Al Pahanish. The bass performance is also great, with Dorian Heartsong embellishing the entire album with very inspired and precise riffs. Adam Williams on guitar also delivers an excellent performance, precise, powerful, and inspired. Singer Spider provides an engaging and charismatic performance, his tone never changes, but it is very effective. The production is very good, the instruments are all equally prominent with rich and never flat sounds.
In conclusion, this is quite a particular album, decidedly original and certainly not for everyone, but if you're looking for a fun and immediate listen, it could definitely be for you.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Public Menace, Freak, Human Fly (03:38)
I know a man-his face is like plastic
Stretch smile wide, it's elastic
I know a girl she can fill up a room
1200 pounds, footsteps of doom
I know a machine man he's X-51
Harder than steel-his fists they're
Like machine guns
I know a guy bend a fork with his mind
The three-eyed baby, she is not blind
From mud hut to skyscraper in the
wink of an eye
Back again just as fast
Public menace, freak, human fly
I know the rat boy he does the rat dance
Born with a tail
He had to cut a hole in his pants
I know the slug of the slime of the
Slug of the worm man
Couldn't walk a step, but he
Dreamed that he ran
I know the skeleton girl she'll play
A song on her bones
Creak the high notes and rattle
Those low tones
From mud hut to skyscraper in the
wink of an eye
Back again just as fast
Public menace, freak, human fly
Dollar a look
Dollar a look
Dollar a look
Dollar a look
02 Organizized (03:55)
Like a kung fu maniac drunk on the blood of a thousand victims
My case in point is I don't have a system
No need to knock them down
What's that sound or uplift them, yeah
Well maybe in space no one can hear you scream
Now is it yourself or is it a team
Think fast 'cause you might get caught while you're asleep
The forces of evil run deep, they're so deep
Gettin' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Get Get Get-in' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Get Get Get-in' organizized
Confusion is the heart of stability
Stability is the heart and soul of insanity
It's going, it's going what's going's got you gone
There ain't nothing' here so move along
When it rains it pours it pours, it rains insanely
Logic is the strength of the truth but the pain sees it all
I'd tell you why but I cannot recall
Gettin' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Get Get Get-in' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Gettin' organizized
Get Get Get-in' organizized
Possessions possess they kill you distress
I know what's here and that is a mess
When you recreate the fact, you recreate the factual
What was never here becomes the actual
Seven thousand words scripted out in rhyme
And I've got some too but in the meantime I'll step
from the flow 'cause that is my way
I know what's when hey what can I say
03 Neckbone (04:00)
Neckbone or backbone neckbone or back
You got no fiction if you've got no fact
Neckbone or backbone your choice for the breakin'
You're thinkin' for a minute your choice might be takin'
mistaken for some good or some bad
You see what you got
I see what you had
There ain't no difference in the left, right
There ain't no difference in the blind, sight
Now stop for a minute 'cause your head is gettin' spastic
Paper or plastic, paper or plastic
Situation no win is the sin
So you rush for a change but the change
has just always been the same
Same fools still trippin' off some old ways
New fools just thinkin' about some better days
Transparent, apparently you let it all
pass
A kick in the head a kick in the ass
It's all the same to me
Neckbone or backbone neckbone or back
You got no fiction if you've got no fact
Fire or freezin'
Dried up or bleeding
Just when it's over you get what you're
needing too much or no time
Shut up it's all mine and I let it go like that
Neckbone or backbone neckbone or back
You got no fiction if you got no fact
Kobeyashi maru what you gonna do
Am I gettin' through
Am I gettin' through!!??!
F-F-F-Five triple zero
Yes you are no hero
You stop and wait, and why
Oh where, Oh where, Oh where can I be
You must understand that the world is crazy
it's not for me
this is combat rock for the masses
But you know I fear the masses need to get
their asses kicked,
quick!
Step on up...
04 Car Crash (02:42)
red, the color the lines the road 225 the fearless explode
who burns rubber from coast to coast supernova gets burned like toast
gasoline blood fire veins honk Kong flu rides soul train
concrete breakfast, star struck fame first place
killer the man with no name,
machine shop rodeo the scrap pile boss,
you're the one who's gonna learn about loss
eyes on the road souls in the gutter burn up the
street just like the toe cutter
don't be foolish don't go insane dead man's curve,
ride the inside lane
concrete breakfast, star struck fame first place killer
05 Earth Vs. Me (03:20)
that's the way it's gotta be
the earth vs. me
tales of an ordinary madness
who's to blame, i mean for all
the sadness could it be the
enemy within or just them
i blame them who is the one
that's kickin' your ass
who is the one that's on your
back stabbin' the soul twister
turn your miss into a mystery, i see
that's the way it's gotta be
the earth vs. me
well, i can dig it yeah i'll rise
above it all
never, never, never takin' the fall
well the thoughts that i think
are paranoid
the thoughts that i think i
think i can't avoid
i swear they're out to get me,
but get me not 'cause i'm ready
for the fight see
trapped in a conscious state
of mind of separation
stickin' to kickin' the facts
from the songs of alienation
stickin' to kickin' the facts
stickin' to kickin' the facts
stickin' to kickin' the facts
from the songs of alienation
some people were meant to be
left alone so step off
step one - dehumanize
step two - is when you realize
step three - humiliate
step four - recreate
06 A Swim With the Sharks (03:20)
You get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing
Well a swim with the sharks is like me
I'll find them for three and catch them and kill them for ten
When they smile just cut off your legs
You've got no time to think only to beg
Twenty no twenty five - three tons
The one in the front is the one on the run
Well it's blood red
Fair game for the eats 'cause this my home this is my street
Well is a swim with the sharks like weak is for strong
Nobody knows it yet not right from wrong
Deep is the dark from the depths of the dive
Am I okay, am I alive?
Well the hot house now seems like suckin' on some ice cream
Funny thing is it'll make a grown man scream
Want to stay afloat but don't forget it
All I've got to say you're gonna need a bigger boat
Well a swim with the sharks is like now
never
deadly
clever
the darkness
the sun...forever...done
07 20 Miles to Texas, 25 to Hell (03:16)
20 miles to Texas, 25 to Hell Where the weather's hotter I could never tell Spend most of my days doing nothing but no good Seems like I was born to be misunderstood 20 miles to Texas!! 25 to Hell!! 20 miles to Texas, 25 to Hell I was born for stealing I wasn't made to sell Carved out of bone and ash, steel, dirt, concrete An arm for an arm a leg for a leg One dead end street 20 miles to Texas!! 25 to Hell!! Fire's on the side of the road people toe to toe Warm your hands on burning blood I gotta go... go!! 20 miles to Texas, 25 to Hell If she ever loved me, I could never tell Spend most of my days doing nothing but no good Seems like I was born to be misunderstood
09 Tokyo Vigilante #1 (02:59)
Tokyo Vigilante #1
Kills with his
Mind not with a gun
The rumor 'round town, that he
Was all washed up,
But then he showed up
And then he cleaned up
Sharper than a sword
He don't run
You can't fuck with
the number one son
He said now everybody needs
A little vengeance
And when you want some,
You call me
Yeah, everybody needs a little
Vengeance
I'll kill any man for a fee
...Tokyo!...
Now who amongst you is
Gonna stand up
Now who among you is gonna fall
Now who's got the brains to see
What's going on
And who amongst you is gonna crawl
Well it's all for one
But they say it isn't so
Blood in the streets
Of downtown Tokyo
But the prayers of the weak get
Answered like a shot
quick, fast style
Yeah, check it out
pressure drop
Tokyo!...
Eventually time it grinds
Down to a halt
The ultimate battle
The slug and the salt
The sun rises in the east
But sets in the west
Tokyo vigilante he never rests
Test of the body,
Test of the mind
The future's on time
And the future's unkind
Explain the thought process
Of the insane
not like the movies,
But it's just the same
11 Standing 8 (03:35)
out on your feet standing 8, standing, 8
you can't look to me when you sealed your own fate
it's one to four and you're half way there
i can tell from your face your and blank stare
that there ain't nothin' going on upstairs
and the state that you're in is despair
it ain't rare that your eyes are seeing double
it's par time for the course 'cause you know you're in some trouble
one - check the eyes for some vision
two - I seem to sense indecision
three - you're getting weak in the knees
four - crying please baby please
five - begins the loss of the brain cells
six, six, six - and you go to hell
seven - you ain't looking so right
eight - it's too late that's the end of the fight
out on your feet standing 8,
standing 8 out on your feet standing 8
so what went wrong, you were so strong where's
the flow in your show
must been something, but i don't know
you fly like an eagle, but you die like a dove
it seems to me that your name is mud
blood on the canvas painting a portrait
a slice of life and the fact that you're unfit
but you kept steppin' and gettin' your wreckin'
it seems like awhile but it only took a second
was that right? was that the left? was it the jab?
or was it this hook?
it's undisputed, but who did the damage
do you think you can manage
are you in or are you out?
now there was a time when your mind was you mind
it's a desperate state i find when you're holding up
the peace sign your name to the contract to get
yourself some combat but won't that start bringing
about decision
you've got a choice, much due respect or beat into
submission...
Loading comments slowly
