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| Mike Keneally - Wooden Smoke |
 Released: 1999 Label: Exowax Cat. No.: EX 2403 Total Time: 73:56 | |
Reviewed by: Eric Porter, December 2001 Am I jumping on the bandwagon here? Since Mike Keneally is not a household name (not yet anyway), let's just say I may be a bit late to the party, but it's just getting started. This man has received nothing but the highest praise in every article/review I have come across. From Robert Fripp to Andy Partridge, Keneally is widely regarded as a virtuoso musician by his peers. And, anyone with Frank Zappa's stamp of approval has got to be special. Nonkertompf (No, I don't know what it means) is a completely instrumental release of 35 tracks of diverse sounds. Try digesting this one in a single listen and you better get the bottle of Tums out. It is a very intimate listen, almost as if Keneally were in your living room and saying "listen to all these ideas I have in my head" as he sits down to play them for you. The songs run straight into one another so be ready for quick changes. Wailing guitar can be found, right alongside ambient soundscapes, jazzy piano pieces, and noisy interludes. Some songs sound worked out, others sound like he just ran the tape, played something and jammed to it. Reading the song titles will crack you up and apparently, like Tom Hanks in Bachelor Party, Paprika is Keneally's favorite spice. This CD is not for the faint of heart, and probably not for everyone. I can't say that I like everything I hear, but it's not that kind of record, if you know what I mean. A friend of mine said that a lot of it sounded like someone noodling around. In some cases I had to agree, and wish that Mike had developed some of the ideas, but I also think that is part of the charm in an odd way. As a guitarist myself, my feelings are best summed up in quoting Andy Partridge of XTC: "Keneally is so good, he makes you want to spit." The CD shows this to be true, the mans talent is astounding and all you can do is sit back and go wow, so this is what a real musician can do. My vain attempts on my 4-track take on a whole new perspective. I am awaiting the arrival of the Beer for Dolphins CD to continue sampling this man's musical output. All I can say is that if you are into a unique listening experience, and are open to new things, this CD belongs in your collection. True to the word, this is a "progressive" release if I have ever heard one. More about Nonkertompf: Track Listing: What Are You Doing (1:08) / Click (5:04) / I Just Got Here (0:44) / Naked Horse (1:25) / Blue Jean Baby (2:24) / The Knife & Drum (2:59) / Paprika (0:33) / Nine (4:51) / Sunset Over The Paprika Festival (0:53) / Juzz (0:49) / Chew (1:24) / Show Yourself (3:32) / Don't Hurt Our Paprika! (0:52) / Clumpy Clumpy O (2:17) / Oh Angel (1:12) / The Boing-Ah Steroid (3:43) / On A Glandular Level (0:19) / The Blumpy Hop (0:35) / Draconian Blump (4:16) / Rake Bannuh's Men (0:45) / Odon (0:25) / I Love It Here (3:05) / Drumsticks (2:06) / Oprah Talks To Teens (1:13) / Hum (3:01) / Rake's Men Hurt Their Back (0:38) / Piezo Clambake (1:31) / Medic! (0:12) / Hang Tough (0:39) / An Understanding Of My Self As Other (1:04) / Self 'N' Other (3:47) / O, Stamp Collector (1:19) / Show More Of Yourself (6:11) / Lights Out, Eyes Open (0:50) / What I Have Done (7:55) Musicians:Mike Keneally Contact: Website: www.keneally.com Discography Mike Keneally:
Mike Keneally and Beer For Dolphins:
The Mike Keneally Band:
Plus Appearances with other artists include Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Nick D'Virgilio and many more | |