Bittersweet...
David Johnson | 09/29/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a King's X fan of the first order, but when I heard about this box set, I had to ask...why? Don't get me wrong. The guys from King's X could fart into a microphone and it would be worth hearing simply on principal. But generally speaking, the first three Metal Blade albums are nothing to commemorate.
When Sam Taylor left the soundboard after their self-titled 4th album, fans nervously anticipated the next release without him. They were rewarded with Dogman (Brendan O'Brien) and Ear Candy (Brain Garcia) - both worthy additions to the King's X cannon. Then Tapehead came along - arguably the weakest effort at that point in history. Ty Tabor produced, the band had moved to a smaller label, and the following albums (included here) - Mr. Bulbous and Manic Moonlight - are anything but characteristic of the band's unique sound that influenced so many during the early 90's. Many have complained that these two albums are filled with left-over material from solo albums, half-finished songs with thrown together choruses, and only a glimmer of the creativity that seemed to seep from every pore of earlier albums. Lyrically speaking, these are the three darkest KX records, replete with a chronicle of Ty's divorce from his wife, dUg's divorce from God, and Jerry's divorce from....sanity? (See Mr. Bulbous' first track 'Fishbowl Man' for an example). This is the era in which many of the band's trademarks disappeared as well. Where is the 12-string Hammer bass? Where is Ty's fat, sweet guitar tone? Where are the guitar solos for that matter? dUG sings 90% of the vocals on these three albums - miles away from the shared vocal duties that permeated Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and Faith, Hope, Love. It seemed the band was changing, and not for the better.
Their latest release - Ogre Tones - is a truimphant return to their roots, but these albums are a record of a band that seems to be searching for a new identity, both on a corporate and invidivual level. While similiar changes have produced some great albums from other bands (U2, Metallica, Rush, etc.) - King's X frankly sounded like a mess on these releases. With the exception of the shockingly amatuer release 'Black Like Sunday' these are the worst of the worst KX albums. Why buy them a second time in a boxed set?
Though a seminal nightmare of red tape and legalities, fans would probably rather see a 'Sam Taylor' boxed set - the first four albums remastered, with a bonus disc of outtakes and unreleased material.
This is purchase for the die-hard fan who must have everything (and that would be me), but if you're just getting started as a KX fan, your money is better spent on the Jughead, Jelly Jam, or Supershine side projects."
The Worst King's X Is Still Better Than 99 % Of Most Music
S. Jacobson | 10/28/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To those who ask what is the draw of the King's X, I normally give the answer of where else can you find Sly and The Family Stone jamming on the same stage/album with the Beatles and Led Zeppelin? If that doesn't scare them, I go from there. Are these the best King's X albums in their weighty portfolio, now complimented by the awesome new "Ogre Tones"? No, but as the title of this review suggests, so what? "Tape Head", the first Metal Blade effort is still one of their best studio efforts, from the powerful "Groove Machine", to the rocking thickness of "Fade", to the soulful "Over and Over". "Higher Than God" is another highlight from this disk, with the cranking "World" to pretty much finish things up. I love the pre-Metal Blade disks, and pray for the day when the King's X will blatantly again merge a love for Jesus with their incredible artistry such as on efforts like "Out Of The Silent Planet" or "Faith Hope Love", but this one stands as another condemnation of record companies and radio stations that would rather waste their time with groups that can't hold a drumstick, much less Doug's 12 string bass, to this music.
Briefly, highlights from the other two disks include (is the price for this box set really this low?) the aforementioned "Fish Bowl Man" in all it's looneyness, "Julie" for quick burst intensity that compliments the slower parts rather than being an emotional ploy, "Charlie Sheen" with one of the prettiest guitar runs never heard on radio, the Lennonish mourning of love lost in "Bitter Sweet", to the final plea of "Move Me, Parts 1 and 2" of "Please Come Home... Mr. Bulbous". For me, the third disk of this collection, "Manic Moonlight" is worth the price if only for the one song it includes of "Vegetable". This is the quintessential King's X funk/metal/blues song that makes one wonder if Hendrix would have been making similar music at this stage of his life if he had survived the 60's. IMHO."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1