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March 07, 2006
Dustin Hoffman Contemplates Bathtub Eating Past as Of Montreal Re-issue is Released
I'm definitely a fan of weird music. Eccentric, sure. Hell, even crazy is pretty OK in my book. But one adjective I will not give comfort to is wacky. Blueberry Boat yes, Rehearsing My Choir no. And please folks, if you value our friendship, do not even mention Zappa.
So with my wacky allergy fully stated, its no surprise that I've never been a big Of Montreal fan. His album length pagents about old-timey parades and mischevious birds or whatever, just strike me as over-produced and nauseatingly saccharine. As hard as it is for me to take the goofery in general, it's even more frustrating in the case of Of Montreal because I sense that somewhere under all that candy colored blustery whatnot, songwriter Kevin Barnes is a talented guy. This was confirmed by only a brief listen to his earliest, most stripped down work, 2001's demo compilation the Early Four Track Recordings.
Thinking back on it fondly, I recently scoured the internet to obtain a copy. It took a journey to the dangerously exotic Amazon.co.uk to track down a disc that had gone unloved by the Of Montreal fanbase who deemed it too minimal and pretty much ignored by everyone else, slipping into near immediate out of print status. Luckily for others (Grrrr), a month later Polyvinyl Records swoops in and re-issues the thing, along with a couple other languishing Of Montreal albums (The Bedside Drama: a Petite Tragedy, The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower). They should hit the racks today.
Despite being a series of completely unrelated, self contained songs, Barnes' whimsy addiction kicks in by fashioning the ...Four Track titles into a baffling story about Dustin Hoffman's hygiene and irrational desire to eat his own bathtub. Sigh.
Of Montreal - "Dirty Dustin Hoffman Needs a Bath"
Hamstrung by basic recording equipment and stripped of all his bells and whistles (which in this case might actually be doorbells and slide whistles) Kev's song-writing is the star. With a slightly nasal and faintly southern voice and an earnest pop enthusiasm, Barnes comes across like a bedroom Buddy Holly. Classic pop filtered through the Elephant 6 roster's lo-fi surrealism.
Of Montreal - "Dustin Hoffman Offers Lame Possible Explanation For Missing Bathtub"
Here, we get more straight forward lyrics and a background keyboard embellishment or two, but nothing wildly annoying or distratcing. The focus is where it belongs: Guitar, voice, and melody. Don't let the gimmicky Dustin Hoffman stuff put you off.
However, if someone out there wants to make an epic rock opera about Straw Dogs, I'm all ears.
Tags: Of Montreal, Dustin Hoffman, lo fi,
Posted by Jeff Klingman at March 7, 2006 11:52 AM
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Comments
That picture is going to give me nightmares.
Posted by: Merry Swankster at March 7, 2006 04:57 PM
