*** Bobby Gaylor
FUZZATONIC SCREAM
(Atlantic)
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When former Boston
comedian and Roseanne writer Bobby Gaylor decided late last year he
wanted to do a one-man show, the field seemed too crowded. So Gaylor, now in
LA, recorded Fuzzatonic Scream instead. Scream is a gritty
collection of spoken-word stories and insights set to various funk, rock, and
ambient musical backdrops. "Suicide" is a poignant rant that debates whether
life is really worth living. Gaylor pits your first sexual encounter and
McDonald's French fries against never having to worry about AIDS and missing
the next Mötley Crüe reunion, with surprisingly life-affirming
results. Droning keyboards and sparse piano reflect his oppressively dark mood
on "Out the Window." Chirping birds, an acoustic guitar, and a piano create a
vivid summer scene for "Tommy the Frog Killer," a story about a sadistic
childhood friend: as Tommy gets more cruel, the score follows with a demented
melody and static beat. Not all of Gaylor's observations are as searing as
those on "Suicide" and the nine-minute epic "Business End of a Gun," but he's a
diamond-in-the-rough storyteller, and talented enough as a musician to create
real drama.
-- Nick A. Zaino III
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