Search - Red Krayola :: God Bless the Red Krayola & All Who Sail With It

Post-punk ten years before punk was born!

N. Wilson | Dallas TX | 03/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow. My mind has just been blown.



In this album, recorded in 1968, you can directly hear the impact the Red Krayola has had on numerous important bands of the future, from the Pixies to Pere Ubu to the Fall to Pavement to Sonic Youth to... I could go on forever. "The Jewels of Madonna" is probably the coolest song ever, especially of the 1960s. This brief slice of brilliance simultaneously recalls Pere Ubu at their peak and the Pixies' "Debaser." If you love those bands you will probably lose your s***. "Say Hello to Jamie Jones" has this really punchy Gang of Four-esque beat (a la "Anthrax").



"Victory Garden" is (in my opinion) better than anything the Velvet Underground ever made, and it is the only love song I've ever heard written to Adolf Hitler in the voice of his wife. It was later covered by Galaxie 500. Occasionally some Beefheart even seeps into the mix. "Dairymaid's Lament" resembles a rawer, more stripped down post-punk era Beefheart meets, at times Olivia Tremor Control. "Free Piece" is a great free jazz guitar-bass-drums workout. "Leejol" is really raw and punky



"Ravi Shankar: Parachutist" is very strange psychedelia, and recalls some of the actual song parts on "The Parable of Arable Land," without the layers of free form noise. This is much quieter than "Parable", but also much better, more consistent and no less quirky. It's actually something you LIKE to listen to, whereas "Parable" is something you SAY you like to listen to. For real music fans, this album will blow your mind. Have fun seeing the next 40 years of independent music and beyond birthed by one album."