Post by jaerockets on Jan 9, 2021 10:03:23 GMT -5
Monsters and Robots released 1999 in CD format by Buckethead. Collaborators include Les Claypool and Bootsy Collins
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OOh boy do I like this one! We start out with an absolute JAMMER in Jump man. The combination of vocals, along with Bucket's intense riffing, chugging, and shredding, plus sound effects left and right makes me wanna go crazy! I like to think of Michael Jordan jamming to this track while practicing for the dunk contest. This track absolutely sets the tone for the album, bringing in a mix of the various styles that will be featured throughout. A+++!!!
Stick pit comes onto the scene with an absolutely filthy opening riff, that never gets old. After a faint "let's begin" out of the left channel, we break into the main part of the song, which feels like a buncha Chickens slunkin around in a stick pit! This track doesn't really go anywhere further than where it starts, but I love it that way. Topped off with computer beeps and boops, this track continues the trend of awesomeness set by Jump Man.
Track 3: You know it, you love it - The Ballad of Buckethead!!! What more is there to say about this track? Absolutely funkalicious bassage backing Les Claypool's narration of Buckethead's backstory, along with an eerie main riff. Of course you've got extra chicken noises and what-have-you sound effects in the background to top it all off! One of my favorite tracks made by the Chicken Lover himself! So creative, unique, catchy, and just OUT THERE.
Sow thistle comes in sounding like... I don't even know what. This thing is just weird. Out of this universe sounds combined with Bootsy Collin's narration of life is something everyone should hear at some point [and by some point I mean right now].
Revenge of the Double Man starts out with another infectious opening riff, complete with boomin drums and a wicked guitar tone. The rest of the song continues along these lines, with a narrator [maybe sampled? idk] saying "beware coward" keeps looping over it. Definitely adds to the murderous vibe of the song. This track could certainly be used in a horror movie!
Night of the slunk is a certified CLASSIC and the opening gives me goose bumps. This song sure lives up to its name, conjuring up images of a buncha slunks slunkin around slunk street, up to no good. Maybe they're running from the double man, maybe they're out to get you. Whatever it is, you wanna stay clear!
Who Me? Is completely unlike any other song on the album, and it's just so beautiful. What a wonderful little piece, that I'm thankful is on here. Sounds like a kid on a hay bale who got turned into a ghoul playing a sweet melody about his parents [who got killed by the evil farmer who turned him into a ghoul] on his old beat up steel string before going to bed. Another reminder of Bucket's versatility, and his ability to completely change genres at the switch of a button.
We go right back to the brain melting jamfest with Jowles! The opening "SAVE ME THE SLUUUNK" is a perfect intro to go into the main riff, which will make your head slosh through the mud of the gutter. In between the various repetitions of this chugger we've got a slew of robotic solos, twangy country noodlin,' and everything else you'd want in a Buck-Buck-Buckethead album from his 90s era! As if this wasn't enough, we've even got references to Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Hell Yeah!!!
With The Shape vs. Buckethead, we've got another Bootsy-Dubbed horror piece. This one is hard to describe, it's just so FREAKY! This song is literally a horror movie on its own. We've got all kinds of characters, dialogue, action scenes, spooky ambience, and quacked out soundscapes! Possibly my favorite track off this album, but they're all so good. Take a listen to this one while walking around at night, it'll be scarier than any horror movie you've seen.
Stun Operator comes in with a kick-you-in-the-nuts drum sequence, that breaks into a slower, distorted melody, topped with unintelligible voices makin' spooky sounds. This one is a bit of a change of pace over the rest of the album, opting for more of a slow burn approach. It's really nice to have this here, as without it this album could run the risk of burning you out. The bass in this one is absolutely delicious, and pairs perfectly with the spooky guitar melodies. The end of the track has a bit of speedy soloing, but nothing too crazy by Bucket standards.
We get more on theme with Scapula, another catchy chugger broken up by various sound effects, breakdowns, mini-solos, and the like. The last minute or so of the track is extra spooky. Buckethead uses this track to show off his ability to take just a few chords and turn them into an abandoned farm filled with shoulder bones!
Nun Chuka Kata is aptly named. The vocals sound like some martial arts guy practicing his best moves. I love when Bucket matches the sound of the song so perfectly to the title. The track ends with a killer solo, as Bucket likes to do. An excellent send-off for the album, living up to the rest of the lineup!
God frickin damn, this album rocks. From start to finish, there aren't any weak links. As with most of Buckethead's best work, all the songs stand on their own, yet come together to make something more, by using similar motifs but expanding on them in different ways. This album is what happens when you combine a psycho guitarist with robot hands and some of the best funksters in town [Les and Bootsy]. An absolute masterpiece, which should always be in consideration when talking about Buckethead's best work. Bravo, Buckethead!!!!
