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Penisgeek Chrestomathy: The Essential Cubicle Nosepicker
v1. 2/7/00
Penisgeek Reviews
At this time (2/7/00) no copies of Penisgeek have been sent to the press for review. The first was submitted by Austrian novelist Gerhard Moser, and now another from Jurriaan Hage's "Axciom of Choice" progressive music web site (based in the Netherlands).
Summary of history:
The project continues. Every single time, a new line up with some new and some
old faces. Next time, I hope, the titles will be shorter.
The album:
The album opens with some playful chamber orchestra music. Bouncy percussive
piano playing accompanies this duet. The lyrics are about dissatisfaction with
the life of work that the man leads. At the end, the vocals are more
intertwined. Drawer Of Knives continues the piano dominated music. I like the
male vocal part here, sung as a chorus with a good vocal melody, contrasting
with the piping vocals of the birds. Everything Seems Clear is sung as if
acted, in fact, much of the vocal parts here sound more like this is a musical
than an album. The fact there is a screenplay involved makes this impression
stronger. Quite playful this track. The Dreams Of Buried Children is a sad
monologue (not surprising with this kind of title) with the dramatic vocals of
David Grant. The clear and subtle vocals of Michelle Graf of She Made A Simile
contrast well with these vocals. The chorus is sung by Grant in a drunk/pompous
way with hasty piano on the background.
Demystified, disenchanted, but still stirringly delusional (with the great
subtitle I'm bigger than atmospheric pressure, larger than weather could be),
is a an angelically sung piece. A bit more free form than the others.
The music continues in similar style: lots of piano, musical styled vocal
melodies, some violin and such and alternation between playful, bouncy pieces,
avant-garde pieces and more slow melodic pieces. Striking features yet
to be encountered are the more complex sound of Failure For Dummies with
grating vocals, the anthemic quality of the desperate Black Cloud Over
Charlestown.
Conclusion:
Again, not very proggy, in the strict sense, but I think the music on this
album is worthwhile. The story is interesting and life-like, the singers are
excellent and much of the vocal melodic material is also very good. The lack
of "rock" is compensated for by the intensity of the vocal performances.
Jurriaan Hage,
"Axciom of choice"
In Jeff's own words Penisgeek Chrestomathy: The Essential Cubicle
Nosepicker, TASM Lab's latest effort to conquer the world, is a simple
collection of songs about dreading work, leaving love,and running to the
sea. That's right to the point.
The album starts off beautifully with such a "simple" song, introducing the
two main characters Ruby and Dick sung by Michelle Graf and David Grant who
both do a great job in interpreting the sometimes desperate, sometimes
hilarious lyrics. Talking about words: one finds many great lines on this
album always packed into seductive melodies you want to sing to instantly.
Listen to "the boys" sing: Who has heard a discouraging word, that has not
put the men to work? Who has heard a discouraging word, that could not drive
the women to go out shopping tomorrow, we'll lose some weight and buy a
dress. Jeff certainly knows how to make words last.
The songs, however, work on their own, too, without the context of the story
of Ruby and Dick. There are some great ones on this one, like the cheerful
and pompous Drawer of Knives, the bitter The Dreams of Buried Children
("...and I can take it, another bullet, another punch to my jaw and
shine."), the simply beautiful America's Lear, or the desperate Failure For
Dummies. But the Nosepicker's highlight (and one of 2000's early highlights,
too, I'd like to add) definitely is She Made A Simile which combines all the
great aspects of Jeff's music in one song: there are the great vocal
performances of Michelle Graf and David Grant; the haunting melodies; the
clever variations of the chorus; the pace and mood shifts; and and and.
Thing & Nothing was a great record, the Nosepicker is a lot better. It's
much more focused, both lyrically and musically, the songs are stipped to
all they need, not a superfluous note, not a superfluous word. Jeff likens
this record to Tori Amos and Elvis Costello, well, whatever it sounds like,
it sounds great to me. Go get your own nosepicker.
- Gerhard Moser
Get the CD
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