Customer Reviews

The Future Is Worse Than the Past

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   A spectacular collection from the man who is arguably both the most prolific and least known great American songwriter of the 20th century. As usual, RSM plays all or most of the instruments on most of the tracks; as usual, the tracks range across the entire gamut of pop music from synth to blues to country to alternative to techno to power pop to several genres which have not yet been named, because they don't exist anywhere except on this album; NOT as usual, the tracks hang together and this does not seem at all like a random collection of terrific songs (which it kind of is-- the songs were recorded over a 25 year period (!))-- but like the Last Great Album of the 20th Century, which it also is, unless something amazing happens in the next few minutes. The Billboard review of this album (it was Billboard's "Critic's Choice" for the week of August 28th) invokes everybody from Harry Nilsson to Devo as clear influences on the various songs, which is fair enough; the fact is, RSM has assimilated all of his influences and has surpassed many of them as both an artist and a craftsman. The album kicks off with a cover of the Talking Heads' "Found A Job," recorded with a distorted, robo-voiced lead vocal and a lyric modified to include references to various Friends of Stevie; propelled along by the effortless virtuosity of the crack rhythm section (Stevie), this is one of those covers (like Detroit's version of the Velvet Underground's "Rock N Roll") where you find yourself saying "So THAT'S what it was supposed to sound like!" It concludes with an impassioned song called "Disaster in the USA" from one Antonio Fiornascente, possibly left (acapella) on Stevie's answering machine, and accompanied not by the major power chords (the musical equivalent of Socialist Realism?) the message would seem to demand, but by a twisting progression of augmented and diminished chords; they make Fiornascente's song moving in a way he probably did not intend, but without making fun of it. Pick hits among the other 15 songs are the lovely instrumental "For Vini," the Nilsson-like "Once and For All" (Billboard heard Nilsson's influence on "Everyone, But Everyone," but "Once and For All" sounds like a deliberate homage), and the dreamy "Where We Are Rght Now" (one of two cuts featuring the great Krystyna Olsiewicz on lead vocal). Also pretty irresistable is the version of Sparks' "Fletcher Honorama," where, for a change of pace, all instruments are played (excellently) by Andy Charneco and Stevie contributes the vocal. All credit to the producer, the seriously disturbed Irwin Chusid, responsible (I assume) for the sequencing and the unusally superb sound quality (the album was mastered in Germany). He made a lot of decisions which would appear to be counterintuitive-- including so many covers (6) on an album showcasing a great songwriter, and even starting the set with one of them, including some of Stevie's most uncommercial material ("Oh Baby Baby Baby"), including tunes where other people sing lead. But virtually all of it works. Because the range of material is so wide I don't think anybody will like everything, but surely everyone (or at least everyone reading this) will like MOST of it.

This guy's created his own genre, he's so distinctive. This CD boggles the mind. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, had seen his name dropped for years. It's so much fun! The perfect kind of record to enjoy turning others onto. People! Get this NOW! Spread the word!There's simply nothing else like it.

R. Stevie is phenomenal. Nobody else tries so many different ideas on a single album and suceeds like R. Stevie. From polished pop to experimental noise rock, he covers all the bases! Enigmatic! Essential! If you don't own an R. Stevie Album, then you aren't truly a music fan...yet.

We can all celebrate the fact that R. Stevie Moore remains healthy and crazy. Heart problems a couple of years ago didn't make a dent in his musicianship or in the eccentric spirit that has made him one of the true originals. A staple of the New York/New Jersey underground who became a one-man cottage industry when he started a home-tapng phenomenon eons ago, Moore has kept at it, churning out cassettes and LPs by the truckload. He was slow to embrace the digital era, finally breaking down in 1993 and releasing a CD compilation of recordings he'd made over the years. Now, under the guiding hand of music scholar and producer Irwin Chusid, Moore steps into the fore with yet another collection of lo-fi symphonies, including "Everyone, Bur Everyone," with its echoes of Harry Nilsson, Ben Folds, and Alex Chilton; the synth-spiced "Where We Are Right Now"; the Devo-esque "Academy Fight Song"; and the dreamy "Play Myself Some Music." Unsung by all save a small cult, Moore deserves a wider audience. Perhaps this fine release will help him find it. Contact:www.rsteviemoore.com. ©Billboard Publications

R. Stevie Moore's music is refreshingly different and hard to compare to anyone else's. But if you appreciate the weirdness and musical genius of David Byrne (Talking Heads), you'll appreciate this.

I thought the Sound Of Music was great until I heard these tracks on The Future Is Worse.. R.Stevie Moore makes the porta studio cry (and many listeners) with his personal vision of pop, wok & eggroll. He incorporates ideas from Sparks to Bee Gees to John Coltrane to John Phillip Sousa to Gorilla Monsoon and back again. Always original, always skewed and fresh, always Stevie. A national treasure.