Search - House of Freaks :: Monkey on a Chain Gang +14

Darkness & Light: An Indispensable Gem

Andy Wolfe | 01/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Precis:



Solid and uncompromised rock. Relentlessly raw. No disposable tracks. Louder than you think you need, smarter than you think you are. Unlike any "genre" rock you've absorbed before. A real voice, a matchless passion. Turn it up and in several seconds you'll have to admit you've found something brutally new.



Essay:



How thin and insufficient that taxonomic shorthand seems now, bandied so blithely about by a press that just a fortnight ago knew nothing of the work this half-doomed duo was destined to give us: Rocker. Indie Rocker. Power Pop. Progenitor of the White Stripes. That last one actually not a bad observation, a welcome reminder of the organic continuum that even the most original of rock acts swims within.



Chords drive, skins pound, hooks infect. Because whatever else they were, and they were many things, House of Freaks were at bottom and top a rock and roll band, and a blistering one at that. But one must seriously remember the synth-drenched and slick-sheened production value heyday of the 1980s to truly appreciate how wildly out of nowhere this record sounded when we slit the shrink-wrap and spun it under the needle that loud first time. Damn.



Back then of course the gold standard of less-than-a-quorum mega-noise was Rush, who nevertheless had the good sense to incorporate a bassist. But these House of Freaks freaks, no, they didn't even bother with session men: track after track, the record rolls on with just the lonely two of them making such an extravagant racket in what sounds like the biggest darkness a Gibson and Zildjian ever did try to conquer. Johnny's stampeding tympani kicks up sparks like the hearts of a dozen flint hummingbirds while Bryan etches jagged signatures from the raw blackness of the vinyl and the silence both, letting the echoing residue cascade and fade at the same time like copperhead scales shed from the stiff coiled asps of his E and G strings.



One could now and should wax on about Bryan's lyrics. But that would take an English major, so I'll just open the floor to whoever she is. Come on, you, and do him justice. His work is worth it."

One of my all time favorites

Patricia Taylor | Richmond, VA United States | 01/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD has always been one of my all time favorite CDs. It's great to see it reissued. For a long time I had the original CD in my car, until I realized if someone stole my car stereo I would be more upset about losing this CD than the stereo itself. (since at the time it was out of print)



Sadly, Bryan and his family were tragially taken from us on New Year's day. Even so, he has left us all with a great collection of music to remember him by. As a song on Cakewalk says, We will remember him well.



This is my favorite of the HOF CD's, but I would recommend getting their other CDs as well."

Where the White Stripes learned how

Rita | Illinois | 03/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This band was/is awesome. I saw them live, and could not believe that just two guys could make that wall of sound! I watched in amazement as Bryan played both rhythm and lead at the same time! Johnny drummed like a man possessed! The technique! The feeling in your gut! They mastered just about every type of music- blues, rock, country, folk, grunge(before grunge even existed), depending on the song. But their personal style was completely of their own making. This album has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it in early 1988. Every single song is a gem. Bittersweet, raw, and thought provoking, this remains one of the best albums EVER. (and GREAT for road trips, especially thru the southwest..) I was happy to see this reissue, and the added tracks (which include some previously unreleased material) really are a delight. This is where the White Stripes got it from. I was happy to see that after the demise of House of Freaks that both Bryan and Johnny turned up with Steve Wynn in Gutterball. I am so saddened that Bryan and his family are gone. It is heartbreaking and senseless. The world has lost more than words can depict."