Finally, a thorough retrospective!
aliled | Shawnee, Kansas United States | 02/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ed Kuepper's post-Saints band, Laughing Clowns, have been poorly served in the CD era. Four separate CD releases existed prior to this complete, three CD collection - two of their "real" albums (one with 10 tracks, one with only 9, and neither with bonus tracks) and two compilations (both just 10 tracks, with lots of duplication with each other and the two stand alone albums).
This collection sets things straight, with 48 tracks which include all of the above plus roughly a dozen and a half more tracks. If, like me, you've marvelled at the unique and stellar magic of chance hearings of (now former) obscurities such as "Year Of The Bloated Goat," or if you've wondered what all those early uncompiled tracks from the "Prince Melon-era" actually sounded like, this is the package for you. This 3xCD set is packaged in a kind of fold-out digipack, and includes excellent liner notes and band member details, as well as a track-by-track run through memory lane from Kuepper.
The music of the Laughing Clowns always suffered from a certain muddy claustrophobia; the mastering here is better than on previous releases, but like the first Raincoats album or the Blue Orchids' "Greatest Hit," it's obvious that the band did not record in the most luxurious studios. But, as with those other albums, it all works, and while Laughing Clowns may be one of those "love 'em or hate 'em" bands, anyone with an open mind and adventurous taste in music will find plenty of fantastic songs and innumerable moments of jaw-dropping wonder.
The only complaint I can make is that this set is not chronological. This doesn't affect the listening experience as such, but makes it difficult to chart the development of the band easily. I suspect there's a "period" in the band's career which I favor, but I haven't got the time to sort it out. At the same time, there are few weak moments here . . . this is an underrated boxed set from an unjustly obscure band."
Experimental, playful, and solid
A. Davis | Berkshires | 01/04/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Love the Saints "Prehistoric Sounds". That was the last Saints album Ed Kuepper played on. Got some later Saints, quickly realized how important Kuepper had been to the success of those albums I like so much. Had a hard time finding Laughing Clowns, his next project; they're not exactly a household name in the States. But, the wonders of the internet made it happen. And it can happen for you, too.
Basically, what Kuepper introduced to himself on "Prehistoric Sounds", and continued to explore with Laughing Clowns, was the concept of a rock band where guitar was not the primary instrument. He's a guitarist/songwriter, but most of the guitar on these discs is rhythm. He hooked up with an excellent drummer, and some really good horn players. The horns usually take the place of lead guitar, but there's no sense thinking of it as simple substitution. All the musicians play well together, share the spotlight, and mostly let the songs flow with unconventional structures, atypical time signatures, lots of vamping. Enough to make people consider this "jazz-punk", though Kuepper insisted it was more soul and blues. I'm inclined to agree. It's just the kind of soul and blues you would make if you had been a founding member of a first-wave Australian punk band, that had cut their teeth playing clubs and parties in hedonistic beach towns. Which makes it MUSIC first of all, and good music at that."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1