Customer Reviews

Chim Chim's Badass Revenge

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is the album the brothers in Fishbone HAD to make in order to stay sane. A allegorical concept album telling the tale of their use and abuse in their first decade in the music industry, "Chim Chim" holds no punches and is undoubtedly one of the most bitterly honest and caustic recordings ever released.

For those not in the know, Fishbone had cracked the Top 50 for the first time with their 1991 masterpiece "The Reality of My Surroundings." When their follow-up didn't do the same numbers, Columbia Records dropped them, leading to the angst-ridden "Chim Chim."

The story of the album is revealed in the two interludes, featuring the group's legandary lead singer Angelo Moore waxing poetic with a storyline told in a style remeniscent of his Dr. Maddvibe poetry excursions. The band is metaphorically represented as Chim Chim and Columbia Records is warmly referred to as a "massive corporate plantation/slavery compound," a moniker it probably rightly deserved considering the way it treated the band. The bitterness the band feels is aurally noticeable whenever he alludes to their formal label.

However, the climax of the album comes with the song "Rock Star." An open account of the racism the band has witnessed first-hand in the industry, it's the song that, unfortunately, the band was born to make being five black brothers playing "white" music. "So I guess you can say I'm an angry brotha/can't play my music 'cause of barrier of color/deep in debt with a seven record set/videos and funky shows but no one knows/the major pain and misery of bein' radical.." It doesn't get more real than this. The fact that the public doesn't have a problem with white posers like Kid Rock making black music but has a problem with blacks making music that was invented by blacks in the first place is so sad.

As for the music...it's very different from their earlier stuff. I have been a hardcore fan for a decade and it even took me about 10 listens before I finally understood where they were coming from. I think the Intro of the album says it best: "If you try you will catch on." The loss of guitarist Kendall Jones and Keyboard/Trombone player Chris Dowd was a downer, but the remaining members, especially guitarist John Bigham, play so well you hardly notice they're gone. Fish's drumming is especially good. The drumming during the final minute of "Nutmeg" is some of the best I've ever heard in my entire life, and I've heard a lot.

This is pure, unadulterated 'Bone. This is the sound of five unbelievably talented and underappreciated men trying to cope with the fact that the only thing holding them back from superstardom is their color. This isn't an easy listen, but the rewards are many.

Thank God for Fishbone.

The problem with this album wasn't Fishbone's. It was mine, and mine alone. And when I finally understood and got past that problem, this album became one of the best Fishbone albums they released, despite sound quality or diminished band members.

My disappointment came first with opening up the Cd on day of release, and finding two members of the band missing, Kendall Jones and Chris Dowd. It truly made my heart sink, because Fishbone up until that point had retained all its original members for more than 10 years. And often, as is the case, when people start jumping ship, it means the boat is sinking. Well, at least that's the purported case with rats, I've never been on a ship to know if it's true. This original disappointment persuaded me to not give the album a chance, and it was a mistake that has been corrected. It took me some years to do, but I get this album now, and everything that's being said on it. It's nearest equivalent in overall message is 1991's The Reality of My Surroundings.

The 1996 Chim Chim Fishbone were: Angelo Moore (Vocals / Sax), Walter Kibby II (Vocals / Trumpet), John Bigham (Guitar - before Fishbone he was with Miles Davis), and brothers Phil Fisher `'Fish'' (Drums), and Norwood Fisher (Bass / Vocals). All songs were credited to Fishbone as a whole for the first time, apart from `Pre Nut' and `Chim Chim's Bad@ass Revenge co-written with executive producer Dallas Austin.

CHIM CHIM is an album that does have to be taken song by song, track by track, because it is worthy of any description of its contents.

Intro -
`'It's the coming of the Digital Freak Swing Vs. Ape Kills Master. If you try you will catch on''. Spoken piece announced by a security alert horn. The aim and purpose of Fishbone's Chim Chim is documented before you even hear one song.

Chim Chim's Bad@ss Revenge -
`'Running the stop sign to get your peace of mind'' - Opens like a cowboy's lament, while Angelo Moore welcomes you to the proceedings like an old, irritable drunk on stage. Which then goes into kickstart jump up thrash metal. Not as stereo as it could be, the rest of the album doesn't sound like this. Maybe that was the plan. The bass, and guitars are the equivalent of Mono, the drums are in Stereo. Why? Who knows. Chim Chim knows.

In The Cube -
`'With no question, and no testin' of no one's wits or individuality'' - The 8 minute 32 second slow Ska / Jazz / Funk workout. Points out the error of all of our ways, even when our intentions are good.

Beergut -
`'But the gut snuck up while he wasn't lookin'' - Dedicated to the beerdrinker and hellraiser. Pure chaos all the way through, but what happens at the end of this song as Fishbone becomes a musical train is quite phenomenal. That train would speed past the station so fast, you'd have no hope of catching it. `'Next stop - Corn Liquor, Wines and Spirits.''

Interlude 1 - Band Introduction and History of Fishbone to date. Jawbone solo!

Psychologically Overcast -
`'Cause the clouds are in your mind'' - Features Busta Rhymes. Should have been the single, if one ever were to be released. Funk Metal.

Alcoholic -
`'With an Eight for a Chaser'' - Dedicated to the Winos, Junkies and Drunks, opens with Reggae, slips into Punk Ska, with a brief second of Funk. Absolutely as funny as Angelo found it halfway through.

Love ... Hate -
`'Love and Hate too close for most but Revenge can make it even'' - Opens with Swing Metal Blues, into Ska. Probably the album's defining piece, certainly one of its high watermarks. 6.44m of pleasure.

Interlude 2 - Update of the Chim Chim story.

Riot -
`'Treat your customer crazy, they gonna act crazy'' - Total thrash punk. Reasons for riot.

Monkey DiŠk -
`'Get me soap and water'' - Frenetic, crazy chaos blues at 90mph, until the chorus. This is the song that woke me up to how good this album actually was. I heard everything differently, and I understood what was going on, once I got past my own blockade. Includes the first use of the Theremin on a Fishbone album. Lev Sergeivitch Termen who invented it in 1917, would be proud. I think? It was used on a song called what???

Sourpuss -
`'You got that clench jaw scrunched snawz look'' - The music is actually sour. And that is very hard thing to do, actually making the music reflect the topic matter. Like sucking a lime for 7 minutes and 13 seconds. Minnie The Moocher all frowned out til it gets funked up at the end.

'Rock Star -
`'Wreck your hotel room, catch a Lear Jet, stay in debt. Manic depressed.'' - A brutal indictment on racism and ego in the music industry, and what Fishbone encountered trying to release their music to the mass. Enters like the Fishbone train that left the station in `Beergut', going 100 miles per hour.

Pre Nut -
Precursor to the final track. Da' Blues, with Soul.

Nutmeg -
`'The time is now for you to be the beast'' - Opens like a bizarre Cecil B. DeMille epic he never filmed, if he had also acknowledged there aren't many Caucasian people, if at all, hanging around ancient Mesopotamia. Twisted Snake Charming Metal. Fish, their drummer, has his say about the Nutmeg in the finale.

This album stands as a document and diary of one of America's most important bands, who mixed almost 100 years of African-American musical culture into one form, called Fishbone. Purchase the album just to say `I own a Fishbone album'.

It surprises me how often people relate or don't relate to Fishbone in the terms of ska, but there it is. Clearly this is the album which would test such a narrow view of what the band has proven itself to be. On the same album with tracks like Love..Hate which boasts of some of the most sophisticated horn phrasing and rythms ever associated with electric guitar in any genre are old, old school favorites Beergut and Alcoholic going back to the days at Al's Bar in downtown LA in the early 80s.

But they push again as only an LA band can, with Riot, Rock Star and Monkey Dick, Fishbone breaks out with some serious hardcore thrash which makes you rethink what thrashing is all about. This is not adolescent rebellion, this is real rebellion and you can feel the weight of lyrics lived with the kick ass committment of a band that lives it. Fishbone is the anti studio-gangster, running the stopsign to get a piece of your mind with working words that aren't the shallow ejaculations of numb-nuts hardheads, but the heartfelt shouts of hearty love warriors.

But what has changed about the band as reflected in the longer cuts, especially Love..Hate and Nutmeg is the kind of (dare i say it) orchestral presense of a group of musicians who seem on the edge transcending the form. Taking off on the groove of Love..Hate and riffin on the lyric is magical, evocative of the ways you remember exactly where, even in the long versions of their songs Marvin would scream in Give it Up, or George would in One Nation Under a Groove, then turn around into a funkafied fanfare. Extraordinary. It's funk and rock and ska and poetry and rap and jazz, composed into a smooth frenzy that makes you jump, and then listen again and again.

NutMeg finally is the Anthem and it is something that bears repeating in these days of sellouts and poseurs, that there remains true, subtle yet passionate spirit behind that thing we call Rock, which is not all about cynical despair and other suicidal visions. Fishbone continues to bring the proper energy, humor, vituosity and gutbucket granduer to the front. This homie salutes, nyah better yet gives a sly wink and remains at peace with my inner Chim - I celebrate the birth of the babyhead... ahahahhha!

I'm a wild headed brother pushing 40 and this is my music. I crank it up and live.

'Chim Chim's Badass Revenge' has created more reasons for arguement amoungst Fishbone fans than any other topic or album. Bitterly hated or adoringly loved, the balance of the two is undisputed as some say it is an amazing musical journey, and other say it is an angry shadow of the bands former self.
Around the time of it's release back in 1996, I have to say I was extremely disapointed. My thoughts as I went through the tracks for the first time were, that the departure of founding members and key song writters Kendall Jones (guitar) and Chris Dowd (Keyboard, Trombone, Lead Vocals) have left the band in ruins, all the catchy talent gone, as was the polished edge. The production was so muddy and lacking in definition, the songs weren't melodic and some were just far too agressive and thrash/punk to get my head around. I was in mourning for the band that I loved and adored over the previous few years. I did recognise magic moments such as the final track 'Fight For Nuttmeg' is one of the bands most intense grooves but with expectaions of another 'Reality Of My Surroundings' or 'Give A Monkey a Brain...', 'Chim Chim' Badass Revenge' left me disappointed.
None of my friends who loved Fishbone seemed to like it either, some have never purchased another Fishbone album since, as if this one album turned them away.

Lets just say time has worked for this album and I now have a new found appreciation for Chim Chim. Because I never listerned to it much, when I decided to give it another listern 5 years later, it was like a new album which I was unfamiliar with but without the expectation. The production, mix and sound is still poorer than an average demo, but it is a profound window into the emotional turbulance Fishbone were going through during the time. After two key members quit, losing a major record label and being black listed in the music industry, no wonder why it is so mad. These days must have really hurt the guys in Fishbone and it shows in 'Chim Chim's Badass Revenge'
Not for you average listerner!

Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge is truly one of the finest and most important pieces of music released recently. It flies right in the face of the present's typically safe and boring music, and embodies the uncommon bravery to be Black and hardcore, to play rock,ska,soul,punk,hip hop, whatever, while being true to a great musical vision. This music may lack a viable commercial aspect, packaging, or venue. Instead, it embodies honest artistic expression, the breaking of barriers, being who you are,and trying to express an anger and love born of the existence of Mankind, from the experiences of "the cube," circa the depths of Los Angeles and beyond. In the process, Fishbone decide to be true to themselves, and to create truly great music, song after song, as they discard and move past MTV rotation, to hit you dead in the eye. "If you try, you will catch on..." The title track, "Chim Chim's Badass Revenge" sets the tone with a hardcore punk-like furry that immediately lets you know that this is not like any other Fishbone album. I would say, if you like 'hardcore, you'll find that this one intimidates as it thrills. If you don't like hardcore, you probably won't get it. No loss, however, as the next song, "In the Cube" caters to Fishbone ska fans. Some may find it somewhat hard to find the melody at first, but once found, it is among the finest skanking music around. Fishbone provides plenty of fishy, fishy ska. Not the 1,5,7, ska so common...not the happy, peppy ska, but deep, luscious, intense ska. This collection illustrates that ska can embody the 'blues' as well as the blues genre itself. It is rare to find such honest, soulful music in such an uncompromising package, sometimes loud, sometimes soothing, always inspiring. The cd packs all sorts of sounds, with heavy doses of funk/soul, ska, and rock. It delves into various aspects of rock/punk/hardcore with little self consciousness, but much forethought, with carefully crafted songs, the amps, vocals, horns and drums turned up to 11, and with the musical vision placed high above the dollar. Some of my favorites include, "Rock Star," an all-too honest and insightful depiction of the all-too racist music industry responsible for the rock music we hear. Another great song is "Love-Hate" a intense, bass-driven skank-a-thon with just the right simmering intensity for ska maniacs. Great songs litter the cd, with various flavors. My two favorites are "Riot," a hardcore punk song of the highest order..heck, it may be, apart from its shortness, one of the greatest hardcore songs ever written!(I say this with no compunction!). But my true favorite, is clearly "Sourpuss." This is what I like in ska, what I never dreamed of, until I heard this song. If you like the cool intensity of some Sublime songs, this is at another level (heck, Sublime clearly acknowledges Fishbone as the godfathers!). This also gives the infamous Angelo (the band's singer/sax player) one of his most memorable venues to spout out Dr. Madd Vibe's poetry as only Angelo can. (For hip hop fans, check out Busta Rhymes rapping on the rock/hip hop "Psychologically Overcast.") I can understand how Fishbone fans of the past may not be able to readily make the leap to the sounds of "Chim Chim's Bad-Ass Revenge. Understand that this is a highly creative, passion-driven outfit, who hardly compromised on this offering. Such is very rare these days, especially from such a well known act. Also, note that Fishbone are clearly in seminal positions for current Black rock and roll, and especially for the ska waves of the recent past and present. For those not familar with this band, I must warn that other Fishbone cds are somewhat more accessible, with many, many songs that clearly show a commercial viability that these songs may lack (again, these songs are great!) For those who have varied interests, and are prepared and waiting for a rock act to elimate the barriers, go all out and play their hearts out and do it right...for those who like intensity in both its loud and quiet forms, this cd delivers. I say again, it is by far, their best work to date, and embodies everything I like about current music. It is sad that an opus like this is given little attention by the major and minor media. It seems bad reviews (like those above) often come from fans who cannot progress with the band on their (not really) new avenue. I just felt inspired to present a clearly laudatory view from a true fan, and make sure it is known that Fishbone fans are also thrilled with this great work.

I've been a Fishbone fan since the early 90s and throughout the years I would've selected Truth and Soul and The Reality of My Surrounding as the flagship works of this legendary uncategorizeable ska band. However, as much of their music has done to the general public, 'Chim Chim's Baddass Revenge' flew past me initially and I prematurely dismissed it as the early demise of a rightfully resentful rock group underappreciated for their creative genius. But I've recently rediscovered this album and I've found myself indulging in what has now become a full-blown guilty pleasure.

This album is an amazing feat since it was produced after the loss of two of their gifted songwriters where many fans winced at the prospect of the band losing it's cerebral edge. And to a great extent it did but that's why this album works so well. The band's sound is stripped down to its primal essence that would make Rousseau feel proud. The amalgamation of rage, bitterness and angst with their ability to compress layer upon layer of sonic energy into every note is what makes this album so unbelievably rich.

This album is not for the faint of heart, as it took this dedicated fan several years to digest. This album was never meant for the general public although the song 'Psychologically Overcast' with its Busta Rhymes cameo suspiciously appears as though the band made a half-hearted attempt at it. This is Fishbone full of rage and as a general rule, rage is difficult to market, but it makes beautiful art.

The quality of the production is surprisingly poor for inexcusable reasons and the lyrics can get challengingly scatological but as the band's lead singer, Angelo Moore, says, 'the smell is only a bluff'. The album's genius comes with the band's uncanny ability to be experimental without trying to be. With the fusion of flaring horns; drums that refuse to die; a bass you're convinced must have strings that are six feet long; and an Olympian singer who doesn't care if his vocal cords fly out of his mouth; this album is a high octane cathartic sweat fest. Plus the album carries an important theme. With lyrics such as, "Listen to the message if you want to release, the time is now for you to be the beast", Fishbone reminds us that no matter how highbrow we become we're all naked underneath our clothes and by acknowledging this truth we can set ourselves free.

This a great album from the greatest band the world will never know. Fishbone's legacy teaches us that no matter what's being shoved in our face as art, we should trust the judgment of our own minds and always keep our ears close to the basement because you never know what goodies are brewing underground.

I love Chim Chim's Bada** Revenge. This is Fishbone at their creative peak. On this album they have seem to have perfected their sound and style. the album sounds smoother, more organized, and put together. Fishbone are the P-Funk of the 90s. Just like George Clinton and Bootsy Collins before them, Angelo Moore (whom I've met and he's a really cool and down to earth dude), Norwood Fisher (also a down to earth fellow), and the rest of the band take funk into another super cosmic level. So, they add white boy music, who cares? They are still slammin'! (Who's says a funk band can't play rock). Fishbone, in my opinion, are the saviours of Black music. I'm glad Busta Rhymes and Blackstreet have worked with these guys, giving Fishbone a chance to be exposed to a generation of youth who have grown up on weak-a** samples , loops, and drum-machines. I hope they're next up coming album "Fishbone And Friends" on Hollywood records will finally give the band the success that's long over due to them. PEACE!!!!!!!

Comically angry, abrasive, and a bit cluttered "Fishbone" album is not without the cool whimsey, genuine social comment, and tight ska-rock-soul musical excellence that is Fishbone, a band that gets more respect than it does recognition for their powerhouse rocking assault on the ears and for staying true to their original concept; great music and something philosophical about a fishbone. I love the hard rock edge, the ska horns, and Angelo Moore's political, wild and crazy guy poet's rants and raves. Here we have Chim Chim the monkey, a metaphorical Fishbone, joyfully lashing out at social disorder, white rock and roll guys (with tvs in their ears and eyes), the pressure to hip-hop, and happy-go-lucky substance abuse; the song "Alcoholic" really sounds like a walk from the bar to the alley and back to the bar. Fishbone create a real homey, family insider feeling for the listener, one feels a part of this not hip-hop but not without bop alternative musical ensemble. Chim Chim, however, like a pet monkey gone violently beserk, needs a few sessions in anger management as some of these songs go on just a bit too long, like Angelo Moore is really, really mad about something.

I agree when it comes to evaluating this Fishbone album that it's their worst release compared to everything else they've done. But it honestly doesn't bother me because I know I'll always have all the Fishbone albums that I love (like the magnificent "Truth & Soul") to go back to. So what if I don't like "Chim Chim"?! Plenty of other people out there do. It's true that the quality of "Chim Chim" is on par with that of an unmixed demo or fan-made bootleg, so be extremely careful if you're looking for the same high-quality gloss found on "Truth" and "Reality of My Surroundings", because "Chim Chim" ain't where it's at.

2.5 stars out of 5

The concept is scathing, the mix is great, the playing is intense and contrary to what many of the negative reviewers claim this album is focused like a laser beam. Absolutely my favorite record by Fishbone (and don't get it twisted, I have them all). One reviewer said the audio quality was on par w/an "unmixed demo" or a "fan-made bootleg". What? Have you folks ever heard a demo or a bootleg before? Fish's drum sound alone is worth the price of admission. As far as I'm concerned most Fishbone album's are far too slick and produced sounding. They don't capture the electricity that this band positively oozes in the way Chim-Chim did. Another reviewer demands to know what kind of REAL Fishbone fan could like this? The kind that gets excited to hear a band go in new directions and play outside of the box they have been crammed into. Fishbone was working some serious anger out with this record and the energy is absolutely palpable. If you were hoping they would play "Party at Ground Zero" for eternity that's fine for you, but the first time I heard Chim-Chim I just about lost my mind. It's a good thing when bands evolve.