Down on the Floor

The Zulus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Slash / Umgd
• ASIN: B000008MMY
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,907 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars one of boston's finest, September 6, 2010

By 

R. Demerjian - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Down on the Floor (Audio CD)

The Zulus, for those who didn't know it, are basically what happened to HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE, one of boston's finest club bands. Does that mean HSR fans are likely to love the Zulus as well? Maybe, though the catalog is a little more sparse. Somewhere on Amazon it says that Down on the Floor is the only release by the Zulus. Not true; they had a second album which was self titled and superior to Down on the Floor. however, it is damn hard to find and possibly impossible to get on cd. Anyway, the Zulus are made up of Larry Bangor, the singer of HSR and Rich Gilbert, the HSR guitarist and former employee of Quincy Records and Tapes (for those of you from the greater Boston area). Along with some new members they formed a band post HSR that was less new wave than HSR (not to say HSR was your every day man's new wave, but certainly had a touch of the 80s) and more akin to what would happen in the more mainstream 90s period that made bands like Bad Brains, The Pixies and Bad Religion suddenly more acceptable. That is not to say The Zulus sound like those groups, though search hard enough through the album and you will find some similarities I suppose. The Zulus were ahead of their time, or possibly just out in their own world. Rich Gilbert's guitar playing is often in its own realm and Larry Bangor's vocals are controlled screaming mixed with breathless singing that sounds creepy (and may be where radiohead frontman guy thom yorke got his cue). Seeing these guys live was a treat (though it was in their HSR form when they reunited on an annual basis in the boston area for New Year's Eve)as Larry Bangor often appears as though he should be in a padded room and Rich Gilbert was known for playing his guitar with broken beer bottles, playing it behind his head,etc.

The album is primarily energy but at times is slow (Big D being a bit of a bluesy drag) and sometimes moderately paced (Too Much being just a fun middle of the road tempo). If you like The Bends by Radiohead or Surfer Rosa by the Pixies you may like this album quite a bit too. If you ever get the chance to see Rich Gilbert play or are lucky enough to take guitar lessons from him, you should probably do it!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good 'ol rock 'n roll, July 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Down on the Floor (Audio CD)

Saw these guys open for the somewhat-legendary Pixies around 1990. I was unfamilar with both bands but definitely liked the Zulus' set better. This album has a great song ("Never Again") that would have made a nice single -- actually may have been ahead of its time. "Big D" is kind of slow, but the other tracks are unpretentious, slightly-alternative, straight-ahead rock. They don't take a lot of chances or experiment overly much in them, but this is a very solid effort for what I think was a debut album. Good tunes to exercise with!

5.0 out of 5 stars A sadly missed Boston band.............., February 18, 2011

By 

M. Bailey "Snookums" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Down on the Floor (Audio CD)

and it's TRUE. "Down On The Floor" is actually their second release as the previous poster commented. The vinyl LP of "Down" is fairly common it seems and can be found here or on other internet sites anywhere from a few dollars for a used copy or around $50 if new, sealed.

Now, their FIRST release, self titled "The Zulus" was produced by The Zulus on Greenwood Records out of California. It's a six track EP and is INSANELY rare and only shares "Kings In The Queen City" with Down On The Floor's track listing. The cover is a very dark brown, near black with "The Zulus" spelled out in bones with a jawbone with teeth used for the "U". It's amazing how very little is known about this EP. I have a copy that I bought when it was first released here in the Boston area decades ago. It's phenomenal and I can't figure out why for the love of God that these guys never really hit the big time. Such an incredibly powerful, raw sound!!

I'm not sure because I currently don't own a turntable, but I think "Kings In The Queen City" on Down On The Floor is extended from the original. Definitely re-recorded. I'll have to bring it over a friends to check. I wonder how much this Greenwood EP is worth!!!???

After buying a used copy of Down On The Floor here on Amazon, it's great to have these guys in my playlist!! Like old times!