King of Missouri

Anton Barbeau | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 11, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bongo Beat Records
• ASIN: B00070EBJY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,282 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

As a prime exponent of melodic power pop, the Sacramento singer-songwriter Anton Barbeau has XTC's Andy Partridge somewhere near the top of his influences list. Now Partridge himself is a fan of Barbeau's eloquently crafted music. The brilliant title track of his seventh album is just about as good as the genre can get, with a driving riff, 1960s vocal harmonies and appropriately bittersweet lyrics... King of Missouri was recorded in Bromley, of all places, with the help of Walthamstow's veteran psychedelic rockers the Bevis Frond, who embolden Barbeau's singer-songwriter tendencies with a crisp, vibrant backing. On "I Don't Like You" they prove the perfect pairing, sounding like Bob Dylan fronting some great lost British freak-beat band. --THE SUNDAY TIMES, London, UK

Barbeau's cracking (in both senses of the word) voice rasping over Saloman's crystalline guitars like a blessed alliance between The Soft Boys, Cake and XTC, all of whom hold Barbeau in high esteem. Despite the easy tag, Barbeau peddles neither pop nor psychedelia, it's power that's the important word. Though they're completely unrelated references, think of Julian Cope's sprawling Krautrock and Zappa's ironic everything as touchstones for how outsider music can get inside you and change the way you think, feel and hear. Barbeau deserves a place alongside them. --Alan Downes, LOGO Magazine, UK

Product Description

Anton Barbeau lives in Sacramento, CA, and has been releasing albums since 1993. "King of Missouri" is his 7th and possibly the most accurate representation to the mainstream world of how a majorly talented songwriter can create such a fantastic prolific body of work seemingly in an alternate universe where the grand tradition of British pop psychedelia and English eccentricity continue to flourish, channelled through an unassuming American pop accolyte. "King of Missouri" is like (ok, take your pick) Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope, or even Andy Partridge fronting the Jeff Beck Yardbirds, or better yet, The Move!

The most amazing thing about this album is how the full rock-n-roll power of The Bevis Frond and the raw lyricism of Nick Saloman's exquisite guitar bristle brilliantly within the constraints of Anton Barbeau's tightly plotted pop structures. It's a fantastic and actually genius team-up. Consider also that bassist Adrian Shaw is an ex-member of Hawkwind and you realize how complete the circle of British progressive rock is within this marvelous cd.

This is going to be one of your favorite albums from 2005. Spread the word. Play it loud!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! Soft Boys album the Soft Boys never made, March 9, 2005

By 

diodes fan "Beatnik Guy" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of Missouri (Audio CD)

Originally released by The Bevis Frond on their own Woronzow Records label in the UK to great critical acclaim

* North American version has been completely remastered and re-designed and expanded to include all lyrics + liner notes from Nick Saloman and Adrian Shaw of The Bevis Frond, plus notes from Anton as to how the project came together

* Includes bonus track, "Motor" not on the UK cd

* LIKE: Soft Boys, XTC, Julian Cope Brit prog art rock

* Bassist Adrian Shaw is ex-Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, and Crazy World of Arthur Brown

* Drummer Andy Ward is ex-Camel, Deviants, Marillion

Anton Barbeau lives in Sacramento, CA, and has been releasing albums since 1993. King of Missouri is his 7th and possibly the most accurate representation to the mainstream world of how a majorly talented songwriter can create such a fantastic prolific body of work seemingly in an alternate universe where the grand tradition of British pop psychedelia and English eccentricity continue to flourish, channelled through an unassuming American pop accolyte. King of Missouri is like (ok, take your pick) Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope, or even Andy Partridge fronting the Jeff Beck Yardbirds, or better yet, The Move!

The most amazing thing about this album is how the full rock n roll power of The Bevis Frond and the raw lyricism of Nick Saloman's exquisite guitar bristle brilliantly within the constraints of Anton Barbeau's tightly plotted pop structures. It's a fantastic, and actually genius team up. Consider also that bassist Adrian Shaw is an ex-member of Hawkwind and you realize how complete the circle of British progressive rock is within this marvelous cd.

This is going to be one of your favourite albums for 2005.

Spread the word. Play it loud!

5.0 out of 5 stars what they said..., January 10, 2012

By 

Art C. Phartsy (Hellameda, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: King of Missouri (Audio CD)

I wanted to reiterate the previous comments in the newspaper review and the product notes. They're right on the money, this is an album to write home about!