Dogman

King's X

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 18, 1994)
• Original Release Date: January 18, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002IXM
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,304 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Living Colour gets all the press, but King's X is actually a far more interesting blend of funk and hard rock. Imagine a power trio composed of Bootsy Collins, Leslie West and Ginger Baker, and you get some idea of the cartoonish but exuberant heavy metal funk served up by King's X on its fifth album, "Dogman." Producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) has captured the trio's vigorously syncopated rhythms, metallic clash and hooky vocal harmonies with an old-fashioned live feel. The lyrics are comicbook nonsense; the chord changes are pedestrian, and nothing is as memorable as the band's 1990 hit, "It's Love," but "Dogman" reminds you how much raucous fun hard rock used to be before it calcified into a dour, plodding exercise in self-importance. Doug Pinnock's bass puts the boogie back into heavy metal, and guitarist Ty Tabor has finally learned to play rhythmically as well as squealingly.

A far more interesting singer than Corey Glover or James Hetfield, Pinnock proves you can still carry a tune when screaming like Robert Plant. When the three voices soar sweetly above the sonic assault on songs as catchy as "Fool You," "Don't Care" or "Complain," the effect is hard to resist. They close out the album with a manic live version of Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression." --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great effort from an unapppreciated band, June 28, 2002

By	Whitey D (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews

While King's X's fan base is incredibly strong and supportive, the general public have missed out on one of the best rock bands of the 80's, 90's, and now. Dogman is a bluesy hard rock album which occasionally takes a break to pump out some thoughtful and melodic ballads. Doug Pinnick dominates this album, and his singing is in tip top shape. He wails with abandon but never loses track of himself and the music. Ty Tabor's guitar playing is stylish and heavy, but at times gentle and restrained. Jerry Gaskill backs these two musicians up with strong drumming and percussion (not to mention helping out with those vocal melodies). Highlights include the heavy blues of Dogman, the heavy pop of Pretend, the gentle and meaninful Flies & Blue Skies, the wonderfully dynamic Fool You and the staggering melodic power of Ciggarettes, arguably the album's best track.

This album is an incredibly strong offering of blues infused metal and hard rock mixed with some beautiful slow tunes. To miss out on this record is a sore mistake, and anyone with an appreciation for great rock n' roll with a heavy edge had best run to their nearest CD store and scarf this one up. Thanks for reading. (Like this review? Don't forget those nice helpful buttons below it...you want to hit yes don't you...yes...yes...)

Dan :-D

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It should've won Album of the year, June 29, 2004

By	Daniel Hayes "danrh" (Clermont, FL. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I remember delivering pizzas the day that this album came out, and the title cut was borderline violent. I'm like "This is King's X?" A month later I bought the tape, and of course I could never get enough of the title cut, but other songs came along too like "Shoes", "Pretend", "Sunshine Rain", and the other monster of a song "Human Behavior". This one blew Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden off the stage. It did good enough to bubble under the top 40 for awhile, but like Christian artists they don't mix too well on the regular charts. A real shame. This should've been album of the year.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grunge style, "King's X-ified"., April 8, 2002

By	M. Berger "webjock" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Reflecting the moody grunge of the day (1994) while still maintaining the band's stylistic dignity, King's X put together this underrated gem that ranks among their best. (Okay so all of their CDs are underrated gems!) Rich, deliberate, at times primal, and distinctly dark, this release expands on the band's prior musical endeavors but still fuses King's X's unmistakeable style of funk-ish rock and awkwardly cool chord progressions. That said, this is as close to mainstream as I've ever heard King's X get.

This CD would be a fantastic listen for someone who likes Soundgarden/Alice In Chains, Rush/Yes, AND Dave Weckl/The Brecker Brothers. Just be forewarned that the predominant element is the edgy grunge, and it may be too much "hard rock" for some. To paint a clearer picture, if you have a baby in the womb and you want a peaceful childhood, DO NOT listen to this CD repeatedly! Compared to their other releases, there is some clear anger and aggression being played out in this release...but don't worry, King's X is not a hate-yell metal band.

Overall this is a wonderful CD for those in the right (or wrong) mood to listen to it. There are some weaker tracks, although all have some redeeming value in my opinion. However the songs titled Dogman, Shoes, Pretend, Black the Sky, and Pillow are all undeniably rockers. King's X is one of my favorite bands, partly because they aren't mainstream and don't sell out to every new style that comes out. In "Dogman," they DO incorporate some additional grunge style into their music but DON'T incorporate their music into grunge. Admirable for sure!

FOR KING'S X VIRGINS: If you might enjoy hearing this band's markedly unique style of rock from its roots, I would recommend starting from the very beginning, borrowing "Out of the Silent Planet" from a friend first. Then buy Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and really indulge yourself in that listen. "Gretchen" is frequently recognized as one of the best CDs in rock music history, although most mainstream rock fans aren't familiar with it. So you need to hear "Gretchen" before you can start to pass judgment on this band. Next, Faith Hope Love is also fantastic, and their self-titled CD released in 1992 is severely underrated in my opinion. (Track 5, "Chariot Song," for example, is one of the average tunes on the CD but contains an allusion to all the band's prior CDs, which I find hilarious and makes the whole song worth it!) Only after listening to the others a few times do I recommend spinning the "Dogman" CD, so that you can understand the full impact of the band's style change on this CD.

BOTTOM LINE: For those who appreciate unique bands in the rock and jazz/funk genres, King's X's "Dogman" is worth considering for your collection. For current King's X fans, you'll love the metamorphasis from the "King's X" you know as they change into a "Dogman" on this CD!