STICK MEN, THE Insatiable
Description
In the early '80s, The Stick Men ruled the Philadelphia new/no wave scene. Reminiscent of James Chance and the Contortions with more hyperkinetic energy (!!), they created a frenzied psycho-funk-punk sound that featured gut-wrenching timing, extraordinary charm, personality with a plus, and tons of good humor. At the core of The Stick Men experience were Peter L. Baker (guitar, lead vocals) and B.A.L. Stack (Acetone & Farfisa organs, clavinet, trumpet, vocals). On top of Baker and Stack's hard driving jam, Jim Meneses (drums) and Billy Bradfield (bass) provided an erupting, solid groove rhythm section. Charles Mattern, Jr.'s vocals, sax and trumpet playing accentuated the hypercondensed brew. In 1982, the Stick Men released their debut LP 'This Is The Master Brew'. Their second release, 'Get on Board The Stick Men', came out the following year after intensive U.S. touring. With stage manners as manic as their sound, the Stick Men magnetized and maintained a loyal fan base for their live shows. The press also loved them. In the mid 80's the group disbanded. It would be an understatement to say that The Stick Men experience had been intense. In 1994, Peter Baker died. He had been The Stick Men's frontman, the focal point around which performances revolved, and band members began to discuss ways to commemorate his contribution. This CD, Insatiable -- which contains the The Stick Men's entire recorded output as well as rare tracks from live radio broadcasts -- is the result. Also included is bonus CDRom material: a 20 minute Quick Time video of the band, playable on both PC and Mac computers taken from some of the only live video footage of The Stick Men in existence, the video reveals the explosive energy that characterized the band's live shows. The band remains an incomparable phenomenon to this day.
Titles
1. Legend of the Stick Men (1:39)
2. Master Brew (1:51)
3. Joy Toy (1:07)
4. Mystery Party (1:34)
5. Bone Shadow (1:35)
6. Action Man (1:43)
7. Level Head (1:12)
8. Set Back (1:40)
9. Caged Sex (1:59)
10. Tall Dragger (2:11)
11. Ha Ha Hell [live] (2:30)
12. Paralyzer (1:40)
13. Jampire (1:16)
14. Funky Hayride (4:54)
15. Crash My Dome (1:47)
16. Hearts in Tempo [live] (1:26)
17. Double Checker (1:06)
18. Duraflame Dog (1:38)
19. Personality Pollination (1:43)
20. Do Get Down (4:35)
21. Discophonic Walk [live] (3:00)
22. Insatiable (4:57)
Press
Shoot Me Again (FR · Fred · 30/07/2008)
Originaire de Philadelphie, THE STICK MEN ont existé durant les années 80. Acteurs de la scène post-punk no wave de l’époque, leur style épileptique est à rapprocher d’un TALKING HEADS plus psycho et funky. Insatiable n’est pas un album come-back. Un come-back d’ailleurs devenu plus qu’improbable avec le décès de son leader-frontman, Peter Baker en 1994. Ce disque reprend la discographie du groupe, complétée par quelques lives et une séquence vidéo de 20 minutes.
Les disques de THE STICK MEN ont beau être sortis aux débuts des années 80, le témoignage que nous laisse Insatiable, prouve que ce mélange free-jazz, trompette, saxo, guitares funky et rythmiques contorsionnistes n’a pas vieilli. La musique présentée ici sonne encore moderne et actuelle, même en 2008.
De prime abord Insatiable se destine donc plus à un public ayant vécu le phénomène de l’époque. Mais en définitive, on se rend compte que THE STICK MEN sont encore capables aujourd’hui de séduire un public plus contemporain grâce à leur musique groovy et avant-gardiste.
