Customer Reviews

Stinky Grooves

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

 

 

Musically this album is a beautiful, unusual, funky, intense creation. The guest appearances from big funk names fit in incredibly well, not to mention Bill Laswell having left his production mark. Many sources characterize this band as having a promenant "heavy metal" component and I'm not sure I'd really agree with that. While some of their tracks are too heavy to be "strict" funk, I think most metal fans would not gravitate to this album.

Despite its musical genius, the lyrics on this album are downright juvenile. One need not use *too* much imagination to figure out songs like "Butt Funkin'" or "The Toilet's Flooded." I guess there's relief in knowing that even the band doesnt take it too seriously: at the beginning of "The Toilet's Flooded" it sounds as if one of the band members sarcastically quips "We're mighty young to write such heavy lyrics."

If you dig P-funk or the Chili Peppers, have a soft spot for the rock sounds of the early 90's, and don't look to lyrics for philosophical inspiration, this album could be the diamond in the rough you're looking for.

I've had this CD since it came out, as I attended several shows by this band in San Francisco in the early 1990s. I only now write this review as I found out that a spin-off of this band, MIRV, is playing again in a political benefit at Slim's in the coming weeks. It gives me memories. Coming out in the hey-day of the punk-funk movement in the Bay area with Primus, MCM, Fungo Mungo (and others), the Limbomaniacs made one fun, groovin' album. Some songs kick hard, like the incredibly catchy and hard-driving "Maniac," some are dancelike ("Shake It"), and then there's "The Toilet's Flooded," which is something I wish was around when I was in college. I wish this whole music scene was around when I was in college, but alas, that was quite a bit before this stuff. Anyway, as one reviewer says, if you like the Chili Peps, and stuff like Primus (particularly the first Primus album, or Chili music like The Uplift Mofo Party Plan), then you're going to like this. It's fast, funky, funny, and a bit butt-oriented - but hey, when the bass player is named "butthouse," what do you expect? Go MIRV and MCM and the Monster!

Limbomaniacs. Oh, yeah. I remember them. One of the Bay area punk/funk bands of the early '90's, a-la Primus, but with more of a low-brow, partying, frat-boy feel. Listening to Stinky Grooves a decade down the road, I've got to say that there ain't a bad cut on the whole album. 'Butt Funkin' & 'Shake It' are favs, and the bits with Bootsy Collins and the Bill Laswell production shouldn't be missed.

Hefty props. If you dig the early 'Chili Peppers - hell, if you like your rock music heavily funk influenced, check this one out. Mirv could out white-boy rap Anthony any day, and musically, the band was as good or better than anybody - I saw them live opening for Lenny Kravitz; the Limbo's played to an almost empty house, and they still blew Kravitz away. The only reason these guys never made it big, far as I can see, is the limited fan base for the goofy, juvenille lyrics. Most people grow up and away from stuff like this - even the 'Chili's had to expand their musical horizons, or they'd be stuck playing crummy college gigs like the poor, poor ganja-addled remains of what was once the tightest band in the land, Fishbone.

Or just gone - poof! - after one solid album, like the Limbomaniacs.

you like your rock heavily influenced by funk dig this reminds me of freaky style, old fishbone, 247 spyz type funk hell bootsy collins even p'z on here you can't get no more funkier than that.

The sound of this album is wonderful. Bill Laswell's production brilliance is very evident. I am not sure how to characterize it-- it's funk with some heavy metal overtones. The lyrics are silly and very entertaining, but what do expect from what is essentially P-Funk modernized? "The Toilet is Blocked" is not philosophical genius but in this context is funny. Bootsy Collins, Brain and Maceo Parker all make appearances. Very enjoyable and expertly crafted fun funk. I am not sure what to compare it with-- Zillatron's "Lord of the Harvest" has some features in common.

I originally bought this CD because I heard it was a cross between Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Faith No More. I didn't know anything else about it. But it's way more than I expected from a band I'd never heard of. It's got Butthouse, Mirv, Brain, Pete, and some additional support from Bootsy, Maceo, T-Bone, and Adrien. It's really entertaining & somewhat bizarre.

I saw them at the Warfield in San Francisco in the early 90's. They were playing with 4 Non Blondes and Primus. I have been looking to purchase the cd, but have had bad luck until now.