Label: Cuneiform Records RUNE 277
Release Date: 2009

1. Sure Nuff 'n' Yes I Do - (2:22)
2. Trust Us - (7:04)
3. Smithsonian Institute Blues - (3:03)
4. Dropout Boogie - (3:44)
5. You Know You're A Man - (4:32)
6. Well - (4:43)
7. Ice Rose - (4:11)
8. Click Clack/Ice Cream for Crow - (4:14)
9. Woe-Is-Uh-Me-Bop - (4:11)
10. The Blimp - (1:41)
11. The Past Sure Is Tense - (4:44)
12. Blabber 'n' Smoke - (4:00)
13. China Pig - (3:53)

Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11 arranged by Philip Johnston
Tracks 1, 8, 13 arranged by Gary Lucas
Tracks 5, 7, 12 arranged by Joe Fiedler
All guitar arrangements by Gary Lucas

• Gary Lucas: electric guitar, National steel guitar, FX
• Jesse Krakow: bass
• Richard Dworkin: drums
• Rob Henke: trumpet
• Phillip Johnston: alto saxophone
• Joe Fiedler: trombone
• Dave Sewelson: baritone saxophone

  Guest vocalist: Robyn Hitchcock on China Pig
  

As with their first album Fast 'n' Bulbous take on a fascinating selection of songs from the Beefheart songbook covering albums from Safe As Milk through to Ice Cream For Crow.

The familiar tunes are redefined for a brass section and Don's voice is echoed by horns as the band grapple with the mysteries of the Beefheart rhythm and add their own compelling improvised embellishments taking the songs to a new place. And it's all done with an obvious love of the music and a sense of fun.

The opening track is an evocative solo rendition of Sure Nuff played by Gary on his National Steel. It immediately conjures up images of 1920s and 30s blues ... wrong-footing you for the rest of the album!

Trust Us which follows is a tour de force, a tight pounding version which has the band chanting 'let the lyin lie, let the dyin die' in chorus like an other-worldly Glenn Miller Orchestra singing 'Pennsylvania 6-5000'.

Smithsonian Institute Blues seems to hang on a thread, a musical Jenga on the point of collapse but never doing so. An amazing balancing act keeping all the musical plates spinning. Dig it.

Well is another highlight ... an instrumental version of a poem! Now that's chutzpah. A delight.

Having played this live during the 2006 tour and for some reason not included on the first album Click Clack/Ice Cream for Crow is an interesting combination and it gives Gary chance to let rip with some heavy riffage (not surprising as he gets arranging credit here) ... images of the wonderful Ice Cream For Crow video are conjured up.

There's not a bad track on the album, although some work better than others - The Past Sure is Tense seems to lose its way at one point - but the standard is high throughout.

The only track that seems out of place is The Blimp as it's done as a straight cover complete with vocal (although in a less manic fashion than Jeff Cotton's marvellous original). There is one other song that has a vocal and that's China Pig and is listed as a 'bonus track'. Recorded at the 'Beefheart at the Knitting Factory' event in April 2008 it's sung by Robyn Hitchcock, accompanied by Gary on his National Steel again. However, it does cleverly bookend the album with a blues vibe.

If you enjoyed the band's first album Pork Chop Blue Around The Rind then you'll certainly love this one too. It's more of the same, played with the same energy and flair and giving us that invigoratingly slightly different view of Don's amazing music.

If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.