From rfernand@chuma.cas.usf.edu Mon Jul  7 12:55:18 1997
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 12:35:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Fernandez 
To: rfernand@chuma.cas.usf.edu
Subject: getdoc.xp?recnum=1179550&server=db95q4&CONTEXT=868293745.11645&hitnum=7


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  Article 8 of 12

Subject:      [10]Attack!: Crumb: Original Soundtrack
From:         [11]"No guru, no method, no teacher" 
Date:         1995/10/24
Message-Id:   <46hqr1$760@sulla.cyberstore.ca>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.comics.info,rec.arts.comics.other-media,rec.music.review
s
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Attack of the Killer Comix Reviews!             no. 17

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Crumb : Original Soundtrack (Rykodisc)

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Crumb : Original Soundtrack

The first striking thing about this CD is the packaging. It's in a nifty
green tinted jewel box. The disc itself is plain white with only the word
"Crumb" on it in black outlined letters. The cover and notes are on grainy
brown paper and decorated with a Crumb self-portrait with a gun pointed at
the back of his head. (This picture comes on a T-shirt for $15 bucks.) A
photo of Crumb himself (from the movie poster and ads) appears on the back
cover.

So what's on the disc? Pretty much what we hear on the film, and what
Crumb is a huge fan of: jazz, blues, and ragtime music from the late 20s
and early 30s. Near as I can tell, the songs are performed by David
Boeddinghaus and Craig Ventresco. Most of them are classic and obscure
tunes: a few by the likes of Scott Joplin ("Wall Street Rag" and "A Real
Slow Drag") and Jelly Roll Morton ("Frog-I-More Rag"), but most are of
unheard-of artists. Boeddinghaus and Ventresco also perform a few of their
own compositions("Radiator Cap Blues", "Hateful Blues", and "Comic Montage
Stomp").

Terry Zwigoff also included a pair of songs from 1930 by a mysterious
singer named Geechie Wiley: "Skinny Leg Blues" and "Last Kind Word Blues".
They're pulled straight from his ancient 78s, so you can hear the
crackling on the CD - it's like you're listening to it on a turntable
yourself. (Of course, my turntable doesn't even have a setting for 78.)
There's something to be said for the sound of vinyl.

And, for that matter, there's quite a bit to be said for all of the music
on the album. I just don't have the musical vocabulary to express it. Most
of the generic jazz I've heard is so empty compared to this music - music
that's complex, full of energy and, well, just plain fun.

I only have two complaints about this CD. One is that the tracks are not
numbered, so it can be a pain trying to figure out what you're listening
to at a glance.  The second is the near complete lack of any sort of notes
or information about the songs. Zwigoff writes an interesting preface of
sorts, but it's only a couple of paragraphs about the performers and his
feelings about the music. The only credits are listed behind the CD (!),
which makes them a little hard to read, and annoying because you have to
move the disc to read them. The credits themselves mostly list only a name
and occasionally the publisher, but usually it says "publisher unknown".
The impression I get from interviews and strips is that collecting these
old records is an even more harrowing and taxing experience than
collecting alternative comix, and this disc misses an opportunity to
provide an introduction to discovering the more of the music that
fascinates people like Crumb, Zwigoff, and Harvey Pekar. The beginner is
left just as lost as he began, but at least he's got an excellent album to
listen to. (Rykodisc, Shetland Park, 27 Congress St., Salem MA, 01970)


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Attack of the Killer Comix Reviews is posted on rec.arts.comics.misc,
rec.arts.comics.info, and any other appropriate newsgroups whenever I feel
like it. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.

Comics and zines and stuff sent to me will be reviewed here. Send me
e-mail and I'll give you my new address. If you sent me something and
have not received a review or a response, please notify me.

I've started an Attack mailing list. To have these reviews pop up in your
mailbox, simply send me a message asking to be put on the list. The
e-mail address you want them sent to must be in the header of the message.


Robert Fernandez                                  [13]rfernand@chuma.cas.usf.ed
u
Chief Bodhisattva in Dogbert's New Ruling Class
coming soon: 

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