It surprised me a lot when I first heard this album; so I presume it surprised others as well. Released around the same time as the Surfers' Pioughd, which was by far the most 'inoffensive' of the band's albums to that date, Leary's album seemed even calmer; even more sedate, even discussing political and environmental issues!
And lo-fi it certainly isn't.
There's some pretty slick stuff here. I mean Steve Vai it ain't, but there's some mighty fine chops on display.
It's a Mike Oldfield kind of affair, with Leary playing everything, providing all the vocals, engineering it and producing it, too - he probably even rolled his own spliffs.
And it's certainly more of a stoner album
than a total onslaught on the ears. This is no PCPEP.
than a total onslaught on the ears. This is no PCPEP.
Leary cannot sing, but he manages by adopting funny voices, mainly a double-tracked eerie falsetto, which sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does!
There's some wonderful arrangements here, 'Indians Storm the Government' and 'Too Many People' being the strangest, with the latter sounding like a psychedelic, Vegas, Tiller Girl, Busby Berkeley style mash-up. Great stuff!
As for the environmental aspect, I remember my young son on hearing the track 'How Much Longer', which features the couplet: 'How much longer/Till the Earth gets blown up?', becoming quite concerned, and quizzing me as to when this would happen. I'm sure environmental awareness became part of his life from that moment. Not something one would expect from listening to an album by the Butthole Surfers' guitar player.
Paul Leary - The History of Dogs
Tracks:
The Birds are Dying
Apollo One
Dalhart Down the road
How Much Longer
He's Working Overtime
Indians Storm the Government
Is it Mikey
Too Many People
The City
Fine Home
Cassette rip.
Thanks to GD for artwork.
The next one's for you.
