Customer Reviews

Music to Eat

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The band has long joked that this record sold fewer copies than any title on the label. In fact, an instructional yoga record has that distinction, but the essential truth of the joke is undeniable: no one was ready, in 1970, for The Hampton Grease Band. This has for long been one of the most avidly sought rare LP's, and the recent CD release has finally made it possible for more than cognoscenti to get into the Grease. More adolescent, and much, much more Dadaistic than Frank Zappa (with whom the band sometimes played), the Grease Band was provocative, innovative, and always fun. Bruce Hampton stands out as the singer (billed sometimes as Hampton B. Coles, Ret. and Col. Bruce Hampton), but it's deceptive. Bruce Hampton has never been more than an extremely auspicious part of a mix, and The Hampton Grease band was probably the richest musical mix to ever come out of the South. To some degree, every band to have come out of the Atlanta/Athens area of Georgia acknowledges a debt to the Grease Band with every note. As with other pioneering bands, The Hampton Grease Band's demise led to the beginnings of a number of other bands, but listening now one cannot help but wondering at just how weird this stuff was in 1970 and how undeniably, consistently great it is still.

The second-worst selling album in Columbia history (behind a yoga record) is one of the most original rock records you'll ever hear. It's hip, virtuosic, funny, rockin' and has a freshness that still holds up 30+ years after the fact.

I was given a vinyl copy of this in the late 80s as a gift. I had never heard of these guys and was quite intrigued with all of the artwork and the song titles. I sort of groaned at the length of the songs, some running 17 minutes, and thought this was probably another out-dated psych/ Dead-type jam record. Upon my first listen I was changed. The songs all have tons of character and narritives that are labourous and everything is surprisingly listenable, even with different sections and interludes and time signature changes, etc.

I would recommend this to anyone searching for something truly original. It's a great record, not just a novelty item infamous for its commercial underachievements.

An amazing recording. Top notch musicianship combined with a wacky sensibility. It's remarkable that this ever got recorded. A wry combination of rock and jamming improvisation that has analogs in the Grateful Dead circa Live Dead and the jamming versions of Zappa's bands. It retains it's own off kilter southern sensibility. I never thought that reading the encyclopedia (Halifax) could sound so good.

Well, folks, "Music to Eat" is an amazing record at all levels: artistic boldness, superb musicianship, top-notch compositional skills, originality and firepower, conjuring an overall, neverending atmosphere of adventure and impact. Zappaesque and beefheartian echoes are surely present here, but The Hampton Grease Band manages to combine those influences with a remarkable creativity.

Yes, it must be considered proof positive that Planet Earth is in serious karmic arrears when this great album rests at the bottom of the musicical ocean. This was a band with a vision. They had a mission. When they used to play live, guys with chain saws would sometimes crank up behind them on stage. And not only that-----their twin guitars were as hot as the Allman Brothers, and Bruce Hampton's songwriting was as distinctive as....uh, Bruce Hampton's songwriting. I don't know who else to compare it to. THIS is a CD we should send into outer space. It would amaze any aliens out there, and send notice that there's hope for Planet Earth.

This is the second lowest selling record in Columbia record's history (beaten only by an instructional yoga record.)

Hampton Grease Band were an excellent Zappa/Beefheart influenced outfit who were, and still are very underrated. Their music can be described as top of the line blues based guitar jams with a Dave Thomas/Captain Beefheart cross singer singing, screaming, yelping, and moaning. Halifax starts this out somewhat normal, and it has lots of singing by Bruce Hampton, but when hes not singing, the guitar completely stands out from the instrumentation. Maria is probably the most accessible song on the record, while the following tracks Six and Evans are 2 fine pieces of jamming, Evans in particular having some fiery guitar.

Disc 2 starts with the solo guitar improvision Lawton, and proceeds to Hey Old Lady/Bert's Song, the most aggressive song on the CD, with Hampton yelling furiously while the guitars rip everything in their path. The final track Hendon is probably the most inaccessible song here, as it starts off with Bruce yelling out SPRAYCAN!, reading off a spraycan label for the lyrics. The final ten minutes are still another example of the talent this short lived band had.

This album's meat is definitely the guitarists, just ripping through all the way, with nary a dull moment to spare...any lover of Zappa, Beefheart, or the guitar really has no excuse to not own this album.

Oh, but dear friends, you missed it if you weren't actually THERE at the Variety Playhouse, Little Five! Music to Savor - a feast for the ears at full room volume with nods and a wink or two and mostly appreciated by an auditoriumful of folks from all over.... . ..All of the original, still-living members had practiced and labored and now their efforts will not go unrewarded - I pray. Absent but surely honored in spirit was Harolde (with an 'e' now?) Kelling by Atlanta-based guitarista Bob Elsey of the Swimming Pool Q's. Bob also rendered yeoman service to the opening band, the redoubtable, ridiculous Thermos Greenwood - which Google! Good thing there was a brand-new ATM machine in the lobby of the old theater; I was able to cop a double disc CD limited edition pressing of the 1996 reissue of "Music to Eat" for a mere twenty.... from Glenn himself! The five fascimile autographs (from what would be the band's only moments together since 1973) on the back 'tank' cover are icing on the cake, as the creamy nugat filling is the EXTRA live stuff therein. Gooey sweetness from the Atlan'a Fest of 1970, and something special recorded at Emory University??? Be sure to visit Glenn Phillip's remarkable website and do as I do - begin collecting his oeuvre. See reviews of his other stuff; try to find the original vinyl if you must; add the CD reissue to your eBay wishlist, but by all means lobby your nearest friends and confidants and aficionadoes to get the concert tapes of this remarkable, moving show!

The sensation produced by the Hampton Grease band can quite acuratly be described as the very same flabberghasted excitement and tension (both quite and vociferous alternatly, and often at the same time)produced when one finds one's self NEARLY thrown from a chair while leaning more than slightly too far back. The opening track "Halifax" is initialy starteling as lead singer Bruce Hampton belts out a shattering "Wouldn't you like to come to Halifax?" but a bar or two into this track creates what can best be described as a suspended moment in chaos where one may look about and enjoy the beauty of the monstrosity. This mood is consistently held throughout the album as one never quite knows what to expect as it has the spontaniety found in a good jazz album as well as spuratic, and often illogical spoutings from the vocal dept. (which include readings from the Encyclopedia and a Spray Paint warning lable). The Band's fan base (as well as their anit-fan base)was largely a result of their increadible stage act, which included peanut butter gargleing, pizza standing, and flying kicks to band mate's chests. These types of antics, and their intense and inovative sound had an increadible polarizing effect on audiences. While the song segments available on this site do not convey properly the feel of this album, (most songs stand near to the 6 min. mark, and cannot be accuratly experienced or expressed in 30 sec. segments) they do stand as a testiment of the bands musicianship. The Hampton Grease band is an intensely enjoyable experience, although it is not for everyone. If you are the type of person who prefers to keep all four chair legs on the ground at one time,this is likely more than you can handle, and it is recomended that you continue to enjoy safer bands than the Hampton Grease Band....

The sensation produced by the Hampton Grease band can quite acuratly be described as the very same flabberghasted excitement and tension (both quite and vociferous alternatly, and often at the same time)produced when one finds one's self NEARLY thrown from a chair while leaning more than slightly too far back. The opening track "Halifax" is initialy starteling as lead singer Bruce Hampton belts out a shattering "Wouldn't you like to come to Halifax?" but a bar or two into this track creates what can best be described as a suspended moment in chaos where one may look about and enjoy the beauty of the monstrosity. This mood is consistently held throughout the album as one never quite knows what to expect as it has the spontaniety found in a good jazz album as well as spuratic, and often illogical spoutings from the vocal dept. (which include readings from the Encyclopedia and a Spray Paint warning lable). The Band's fan base (as well as their anit-fan base)was largely a result of their increadible stage act, which included peanut butter gargleing, pizza standing, and flying kicks to band mate's chests. These types of antics, and their intense and inovative sound had an increadible polarizing effect on audiences. While the song segments available on this site do not convey properly the feel of this album, (most songs stand near to the 6 min. mark, and cannot be accuratly experienced or expressed in 30 sec. segments) they do stand as a testiment of the bands musicianship. The Hampton Grease band is an intensely enjoyable experience, although it is not for everyone. If you are the type of person who prefers to keep all four chair legs on the ground at one time,this is likely more than you can handle, and it is recomended that you continue to enjoy safer bands than the Hampton Grease Band. Similar, yet un-compareable bands; Oh Jay! and the Brantis Oranguatangs, the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart.

I was pissed looking at the reviews of this, hoping to be the first to use the worst-selling album on Columbia stat. Oh well.

But there is no reason Music To Eat should have been down there with the yoga disc. This may not be as immaculately arranged as a Zappa album or as dissonent as Beefheat.

The jams, however, have mass qualities of both, and also have the folksy reflex of early Little Feet. They are also quite amusing, charming in their raggedness, and I have laughed out loud several times listening.

For a progressive, or aspiring progressive album, the sound can be a little flat. On the other hand, the offhand rough edges of these lengthy tracks add to the immediacy and humor.

Quirky album for any prog or underground collection. Probably not essential, but very novel `