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Sept. 8 - 15, 2000

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*** Bobby Gaylor

FUZZATONIC SCREAM

(Atlantic)

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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