BABES IN TOYLAND: PAINKILLERS (1993)
1) He's My Thing; 2) Laredo;
3) Istigkeit; 4) Ragweed; 5) Angel Hair; 6) Fontanellette.
The album cover explicitly suggests some trashy
immediate link to Fontanelle, which
there is: nominally, this is an EP consisting of outtakes from the Fontanelle sessions (so the two relate
to each other just like Spanking Machine
related To Mother, pardon the
involuntary rhyming), except that they also tack on a mini-live session —
ʽFontanelletteʼ, recorded at CBGB's in April 1992, contains ten selections from
Fontanelle squeezed inside one
34-minute track on the CD. Altogether, that makes up for a 50-minute listening
experience, so the real meaning of the «EP» tag in this particular case is «Extra
Pay» (for something quite superfluous).
The «original outtakes» are a rather confused
bunch. There is a re-recording of ʽHe's My Thingʼ with somewhat better
production than on the original, and with the same wildness level, but without
any particularly reasonable point. There is ʽLaredoʼ, a fairly punchy
riff-rocker with a fun «surf-grunge» lead line throughout; it could have made a
good addition to Fontanelle, replacing
one of its slower, more boring numbers. ʽIstigkeitʼ, however, is one of those slow, boring numbers,
whose ethereal falsetto harmonies are just enough out of tune to confirm that
Bjelland should firmly stick to roaring, never «cooing». ʽAngel Hairʼ is a
bunch of unmemorable noise, as uninspired and generic as they come.
Biggest surprise of the bunch is the obligatory
Lori Barbero vocal spotlight — as usual, I was prepared for the worst, but ʽRagweedʼ
is actually a surprise: alternating broken strings of notes and percussion
blasts, over which Barbero, beatnik-style, flings brief recited sequences of
words, followed by a fast-paced psychedelic section with buzzing intertwined
guitars and a femme-fatale style, icy
chorus. Throughout, Lori does not even try to sing, and it works — her spoken-word
«dominatrix» tone is far more
convincing that way. Consequently, ʽRagweedʼ vies for attention with ʽLaredoʼ,
first time in Barbero history.
The live performance boasts decent-quality
recording and, since the songs are all fresh, genuine excitement at being able
to donate the vibe to a small, hip New York crowd. But since the Babes never really
hold it off in the studio, there is not much hope to see them get even wilder
live — and meticulous comparison of the studio Fontanelle with the live ʽFontanelletteʼ is a sport that should be
restricted only for the most loyal admirers of Kat Bjelland. At least they have
the good sense not to play ʽQuiet Roomʼ — the live set omits most of the «moody»
numbers, concentrating on rip-roar. And considering that the Babes would never
have that much rip-roar again, it might seem nice to have this extra souvenir.
Can't wait for your Hole reviews!
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