Forever Einstein - Racket Science

Year of Release: 2005
Label: Cuneiform Records
Catalog Number: Rune 206
Format: CD
Total Time: 50:37:00

Cuneiform Records is hands-down the most consistent record label into which I've ever run. They put out album after album of stunning originality and quality as far as progressive rock is concerned, and even those releases which fail to meet their rather lofty standards usually have something interesting going for them. In short, I've never listened to a Cuneiform release that failed to catch my attention in one way or another. Up until now.

Oops. I know, I'm sorry; I gave it away too soon. I'm not even going to ask if it was good for you, too, because I've obviously ruined it. But let me explain. It's not that Forever Einstein isn't original. In fact, Charles O'Meara's quirky bare-bones compositional style is pretty hard to pinpoint, and his very obvious and often-surfacing surf rock influences are quite amusing. It's not that the members of Forever Einstein are unable musicians. While not technically bewildering, they have more than enough skill to tastefully choose what to play in order to add to the general wit. Well, at least most of the time. And it's not that these guys don't have a sense of humor, as their hilarious track titles can attest to. It's just that the comedy gets thin quickly. Really quickly.

Actually, save for the great "God Has A Plan For Me, And It Involves Puppets," it doesn't even take off most of the time. O'Meara and cohorts have their Americana down pat, their musical references are unmistakable, and their riffs do tend to have a funnily playful vibe to them, but it gets so frivolous, that it just becomes hard to pay attention to the music. In fact, the only reason why I can now sing along to pretty much any part of the record is that I had to force myself to actively listen to it. And when I did so, it was almost painful to notice how there were so many great ideas in the mix that irremediably got lost because the music is simply trying to be funny all the time. Add the rather mediocre and thin production, and the humor gets lost even further.

Now, I'm sure some people will hear Forever Einstein's incessant drive towards simple hilarity. And I don't have anything against the band or its chosen territory of exploration; in fact, their track titles made me laugh out loud more than a couple of times, but the music, I'm afraid, doesn't quite match the words. Racket Science is simply an album that those looking for serious progressive rock must avoid at all costs, and one that the rest of us will probably not find that funny anyway. Alright, alright, except for God's plan including puppets ? that was actually a good one.

Similar artists: Kong, Dancing Lessons, Barrett-era Pink Floyd

Tracklisting:
How Come The Wrong People Are Always In Charge? (3:26) / You're Living In A World Of Make-Believe With Flowers And Bells And Leprechauns And Magic Frogs With Funny Little Hats (3:55) / It's A Good Thing I Don't Have Super Brain Powers Or You'd Be In A Thousand Little Pieces Right Now (3:17) / They're Portable, They're Annoying And They Cost Three Dollars A Case (2:52) / I'm Trying To Contain An Outbreak Here And You're Driving The Monkey To The Airport (4:26) / It's Almost Impossible To Concentrate In This Caf? With All These Leggy Belgian Girls Walking Around In Miniskirts (6:05) / God Has A Plan For Me, And It Involves Puppets (2:26) / I Wish I Had Me Some Of Them Miracle Smart Pills (4:26) / I Got My Picture Taken, I Got Forty Dollars And I Get To Keep The Underwear (7:04) / There's Some Milk In The Fridge That's About To Go Bad ? And There It Goes (8:06) / Every Word Out Of Your Mouth Is Like A Turd Falling In My Drink (2:58) / He Looks Interesting - And By Interesting I Mean Weird (1:36)

Musicians:
Kevin Gerety - bass
Charles O'Meara - guitar
John Roulat - drums


Discography:
Artificial Horizon (1990)
Opportunity Crosses The Bridge (1992)
One Thing After Another (1998)
Down With Gravity (2000)
Racket Science (2005)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: July 25th 2005
Reviewer: Marcelo Silveyra
Score:
Artist website: www.forevereinstein.com
Hits: 2241
Language: english