Customer Reviews

Digital Dump

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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After witnessing the Chicago House music scene, checking out some of chicago's after hours clubs, the Butthole Surfers were sufficiently inspired to create their own version of a House music mix. Renamed 'The Jackofficers', they released what could only be described as one of the strangest albums ever. All the songs - as disparate and odd as they can be - all flow into each other like a house mix. The strange collection of sounds include multiple samples, distorted guitar signatures, spaced out synthesizers, and warped Hendrix spoken word vocals, are all fairly repetitious yet manage to converge into some pretty catchy songs. The album (or mix) peaks out with L.A. Mama Peanut Butter/Do it - both tracks being surreal, scary and ultimately groovy all at once. Much the same can be said for the rest of the album which does veer into Buttholes territory towards the latter half (repeated samples of Flushing toilets) - even though, you still get the feeling you are listeneing to the most tripped out club music ever - such as only the Butthole surfers can deliver. If you are into unique and strange music you couldn't get any stranger and better than this. Pure sonic surrealism as a dance mix.

The only reason you would be looking at this thing would be if you are a Butthole Surfers fan. Digital Dump by the Jackofficers is a Side Project of Gibby Haynes and Jeff Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers. For some reason, Paul Leary's solo album; the History of Dogs, can not be found on amazon.com, so since you're looking at Digital Dump, you also probably want some information on Paul Leary. Alright here we go.

Digital Dump:

It's known as Paul and Gibby;s Techno Album. That's exactly what it is. It's not industrial, it's not the Weird Revolution. All the songs are instrumentals with audio samples, weird beats, drum machines, blips, twangs, boings, and any other word you can make up that is supposed to represent a sound. It's enjoyable but you're not going to listen to it on a regular basis.

The History of Dogs:

Easier to listen to compared to Digital Dump. Simple drumming followed by Paul's strange vocals and his guitar joined with keyboards/organs. Despite this being his solo album, his best work is still on the album independent Worm Saloon. A few songs are political like Indians Storm the government and a few songs are just, well, strange like is it Mikey. One of the most unusual things about this album is that unlike any Butthole Surfers album, this one included the lyrics in the CD Sleeve.

These albums were released after the Hurdy Gurdy Man Single but before the release of the album Pioughd. They were fortunate enough to release these four records before Rough Trade collapsed and screwed them, so in a way they were able to get them back by having all these things released. The problem with the collapse of Rough Trade is that all four of those albums are out of print. You are going to have to get these used off the internet of in a used CD store if you're lucky. Well hoped this review helped and I hope that you Butthole Surfers Junkies are able to hunt these releases down.

I freely admit to buying anything Gibby records. He is, in the words of Triple H: "that damn good". What surprised that in John Dos Passos "1919" there is a reference to jack officers. You know, I thought Gibby made it up. Very Jungean. Saw the Buthole Surfers at the Regency Ballroom a month or so ago. After the show the corner of the stage was all torn up, shards of wood all over the place. Paul had just shredded so much, the center would not hold!

if asked what vein this this album would fall in... actually if you ever cared for anything from Wax Trax's industrial dance 12'' a fan of Clock DVA, Nurse w/ Wound or better yet the closest I'd say it is right where the COIL album Loves Secret Domain was At times true genius, at times very very much an album that is sexual and grindy so much so you almost can smell it and of course it also takes a very dark psycho sexual realm that is very much an lp I have always been able to play for anyone irregardless of their tastes (assuming they do have taste) and like myself was hooked on it although it must be given a few listens to do so butt is so worthy and should be in anyones collection if you are a fan of the industrial genre IT IS on my Deserted island disks top 10