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A Sordid Evening of Sonic Sorrows

 
Album Review: A Sordid Evening of Sonic Sorrows
 

  • Artist: Adam Parfrey
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: April 22, 1997
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Writer, editor, and Feral House publishing mastermind, Adam Parfrey is intelligent, soft spoken,and a polite sort. However, on his first full-length solo release, A Sordid Evening of Sonic Sorrows, Parfrey and cohorts (including Boyd Rice and Jim Goad) flip-flop between two extremes. Half the disc contains crunching punk/metal doom courtesy of Poison Idea, including cover versions of Black Sabbath, Lou Reed, Leather Nun, and Steppenwolf. The other half is easy listening music with truly twisted lyrics. Parfrey applies the theory often attributed to Anton LaVey that the most "relaxing" or "lite" music can contain a darker agenda if you choose to perceive it in that manner. With that in mind, the musical portion is pretty standard, but the vocals glide between singsong, upper-class twit ("The Pusher") to bowels of Hades growl ("No Rule.") "Goldstein's out Tonight," based on the Blitz track "Someone's Gonna Die," sounds as if Tesco Vee, decked out in fur coat and plastic devil horns, invaded the proceedings, while "Quiet Village Idiots" has Les Baxter's haunting melody aided not by bird sounds but Dawn of the Dead moans and brays. If that makes you wince, steer clear of "Rubber Room." Parfrey takes Porter Wagner's bizarre country tale of mental illness a step further by changing the words to reflect a child stuck in a mental institution. Parfrey even goes above and beyond by delivering the vocal as if he's Elmer Fudd with Down's syndrome. Bad taste? Absolutely. A smashing release of balderdash from a keen bunch of deviates? Definitely. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
No Rule Leather Nun Adam Parfrey (3:11)
Paranoid Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward Adam Parfrey (3:20)
Kill Your Sons Lou Reed Adam Parfrey (4:37)
Nation Down for the Count/Pissed You in the River (D.J.'s Lament) Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (2:24)
Rubber Room Porter Wagoner, Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (2:47)
Wind-Up Doll Adam Parfrey (2:52)
What if They Gave a Love-In and Nobody Came? Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (1:17)
Quiet Village Idiots Les Baxter Adam Parfrey (3:08)
Goldstein's out Tonight Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (2:37)
The Juggernaut of Entertainment in Contemporary Life Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (1:47)
Race Riot Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (2:49)
The Pusher Hoyt Axton Adam Parfrey (6:13)
Slayer Adam Parfrey (2:57)
Inflatable Doll, Pts. 1 & 2 Bryan Ferry Adam Parfrey (3:49)
The Juggernaut of Entertainment in Contemporary Life (Reprise) Adam Parfrey Adam Parfrey (2:19)

Credits

Boyd Rice (Vocals), Mike Lastra (Engineer), Chris Newman (Guitar), Adam Parfrey (Guitar), Adam Parfrey (Vocals), Adam Parfrey (Producer), Adam Parfrey (Main Performer), Pig Champion (Guitar), Jerry A. (Bass), Jerry A. (Drums), Jerry A. (Vocals), Thee Slayer Hippy (Bass), Thee Slayer Hippy (Guitar), Thee Slayer Hippy (Drums), Thee Slayer Hippy (Vocals), Thee Slayer Hippy (Producer), Thee Slayer Hippy (Engineer), Thee Slayer Hippy (Sampling), Thee Slayer Hippy (Mixing), Jim Goad (Vocals), Sam Henry (Organ), Sam Henry (Drums), Sam Henry (Optigan), Sam Coomes (Organ), Ryan Foster (Mastering), Ted Soqui (Photography)
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more