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THE REVIEW
How many times have we heard the term avant-garde music used incorrectly?
How many bands have claimed to be the standard-bearers of a new genre (since today such definitions are thrown around and it seems that no band that cares for itself can resist inserting its proposal in a mix of at least 3-4 musical currents) only to then limit themselves to blending a couple of genres at best?
Well, for once, get ready to hear something truly innovative, as never before is it so difficult to give a name to the musical proposal of the group. The band claims to compose dadaist music (their very name would derive from a sort of museum run by a group of futurist and dadaist artists called Sleepytime Gorilla Press) and indeed you can see how in the CD the various genres are dismantled and remixed with each other, apparently at random, in a shapeless and chaotic mass but also damnably engaging and alive, it is not an artificial and soulless construction; even in the lyrics, nonsense seems to prevail, at least at first listen, and they blend well with the feeling of the tracks, thanks also to the excellent performances of the two singers (male and female voices).
A surreal and dreamlike atmosphere prevails throughout the work, touching a wide range of sensations: it goes from more violent and frantic episodes ("Sleep is wrong", "1997"), to calmer ones with melancholic and twilight features ("Ablutions", "The Stain"). In total nine tracks, all of extremely high quality (it is almost embarrassing the ease with which the artists juggle the various sounds, both in terms of single compositions and in the album as a whole, without affecting its organicity or accessibility; faced with such skill, one can only take off one's hat); nine tracks for a long dark trip that will make us witness the destruction of genres (we can understand here how they are mostly completely arbitrary mental schemes) and the rebirth of Music.
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Summary by Bot
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's Grand Opening and Closing is a truly innovative avant-garde album that defies easy categorization. With dadaist influences, the band masterfully blends multiple genres into a chaotic yet engaging musical journey. The album features high-quality compositions with surreal and dreamlike atmospheres, ranging from frantic to melancholic. The dual vocal performances enrich the experience, making this release a standout in experimental music.Tracklist Lyrics
01 Sleep Is Wrong (06:35)
Writhing in the old bliss
Never forget this
Reeling in the sweet grip
Never let this slip
Your eyes are yours to close
Never let go Sleep is wrong
Do not go gently
Into that good night
Rage against the
Dying of the light
Your eyes are yours to close
Never let go Sleep is wrong
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I go out I'm never coming home
When I grow up I'm never gonna die
07 The Stain (06:46)
A man is digging in the delta
In the dark soil with his bare hands
To work the land for generations
Is he a fool?
And I am working in my garden
To stem the tide of grass and weeds
With the green machine and roto-tiller
I break for lunch
The man has planted all his seeds now
His tired hands are black with oil
Nothing grows
The man is thin and hungry because he's lazy
The seeds are sprouting in my garden
My soft white hands are stained with blood
Again this year I will reap the harvest that I deserve
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is an American avant-garde/experimental rock group from Oakland, California, formed in 1999 by Nils Frykdahl and Dan Rathbun (ex-Idiot Flesh) with violinist/vocalist Carla Kihlstedt. Known for theatrical, multi-percussion live shows and custom-built instruments, they released Grand Opening and Closing (2001), Of Natural History (2004), and In Glorious Times (2007), paused in 2011, and reunited in 2023.03 Reviews
