Eek-A-Mouse Albums (14)
What The Critics Say
To call Eek-A-Mouse reggae's most beloved weirdo is not to take anything away from Lee "Scratch" Perry, who is, if anything, weirder but who is probably more respected than beloved at this point. Eek-A-Mouse has all of Perry's goofiness without any of the latter's tendency towards actual physical mayhem or his off-putting tendency to do things like drink gasoline and pray to bananas. Instead, Eek has satisfied himself with inventing a "bing-bing-boing" school of reggae scatting whose sounds continue to echo in the dancehall, and with projecting and perfecting a happy but inscrutable persona in a musical marketplace that doesn't generally know what to do with anyone who isn't either a glowering locksman or a chest-beating, chain-wearing dancehall don. He's never delivered the goods with any particular consistency, but when Eek-A-Mouse hits his groove the results can be explosive. Even within the scope of this particular album, you'll quickly notice the difference in quality between "Press a Button" (on which Eek's laid-back delivery washes up on the rocky shore of Anthony B's manic chatting) and "I Love Weed" (on which he repeats himself endlessly and foolishly over a lame mambo rhythm). Luckily, the moments of brilliance outnumber those of lameness by about two to one, thanks in part to the often top-notch rhythms provided by producer Blacka Dread. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
If Eek-A-Mouse still conjures up a vision of a six-foot Jamaican in a mouse costume squeaking in infectious and anthemic gibberish, then Mouse Gone Wild will come as a shock. The rodent scampered off the scene many years ago, and has apparently been living large in Bel Air ever since, as he explains on "American Dream." He is out of sight and out of his mind, or so he seems on the disturbing "Schizophrenic," a maniac who joins "Hannibal the Cannibal" at the dinner table. However, Eek is a mouse with rich tastes, an "Uptown Dread" with wads of cash, enthralled by the sexy "American Girl" who knows how to "Wine" on the dancefloor. And he knows how to wine and dine the rich and famous, chatting up every "Diva" in the land, coming to the defense of Martha Stewart and even attempts to entice Hillary Clinton into his mouse hole on one of the most amusing numbers on the set. By the time Eek sends out the booty call of "Pussy and the Mouse," the faint of heart will be grabbing a broom to swat this seductive ball of fur back into his box. But Eek wasn't born in a gilded cage, and he well remembers how hard life was in the "Ghetto." His anger at the injustices and violence visited upon its denizens and himself remains raw, as he snaps out a list of casualties, all of whom he scathingly lays at the door of the police. The lyrics of "Ghetto" provide the background for the set opener "Police Chase" while also acting as the backdrop for "Lick Shot," where the gun-toting mouse revisits his past, and as the magnums ring out, Kingston's ghettos dissolve into ghost towns. The death and despair found there are just one of the bonds that tie yardie life to hip-hop culture, and why everyone now wants to talk "Jamaicanese." Within, Eek name checks the current crop of rappers jumping on the bashment bandwagon, then teaches hip-hop a history lesson about the true originators. Seething rhythms and moody atmospheres wash across the set, all laid down by Ayoola Daramola, who provides the perfect backing for the newly revitalized Eek, with Tricky offering up two fabulous remixes. The Wild Mouse is not the cuddly rodent of old, but a smart, world-wise mouse still entertaining, still amusing, but with salient opinions on contemporary climes and times to the fore. A dramatic return, and a much welcomed one. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The younger generation of hardcore fans may grind their teeth, but unfortunately market considerations rule, and Eek-A-Mouse admirers should really be grateful that the RAS label continues to make much of his back catalog available. And so, even though it wasn't economically viable to keep both the Assassinator and King & I albums on the shelves, most of the sets are found here in one convenient set. The two were very different albums. Assassinator was a thoroughly Jamaican album, overseen by Anthony and Ronald Welch and backed by the Roots Radics; King & I took the Mouse to London, where producer Cliff Carnegie nudged him toward a more crossover sound. However, the arrangement and production vagaries are less pronounced than the tone of the two sets. Assassinator was a decidedly downbeat affair, a melancholy survey of society, heavy with cultural numbers; in contrast, King was brighter and boasted a clutch of love songs. Mouse-A-Mania emphasizes these divisions, yet by intermixing the tracks creates an arguably more satisfying whole than its independent parts. Thus, RAS gives listeners the complete Mouse, encompassing the silly, the serious, the lover man, the party rat, and the personal. The cultural numbers are particularly strong, with "Gun Shot a Cry" and "Assassinator" of special note among a string of excellent numbers, but who could imagine the soulful depths of emotion hidden in the rodent's heart, now laid bare on "De Di Doo" and "Now I Know"? Equally extraordinary is "Penni-Walli," an inspired and inspiring number where Mouse meets motorcycle, while party pieces like "Mi Brethren Roach" and "I Like Them All" come close to the high watermark of Eek's classic "Wa-Do-Dem." Mouse fever needs a cure and Mouse-A-Mania provides the perfect antidote. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the 1980s, Eek-A-Mouse (a quirky, eccentric toaster/singer) made significant contributions to dubwise, which evolved into the more abrasive dancehall style associated with Shabba Ranks, Nardo Ranks and Lt. Stitchie. Essentially, toasters like Mouse are reggae's equivalent of rappers, although dub was around long before hip-hop emerged in the late '70s. U-Neek finds the distinctive Mouse incorporating hip-hop touches here and there without becoming as forceful as the dancehall artists he influenced. Most of this CD -- which ranges "Gangster Chronicles" (a number that finds him adding lyrics to the theme from The Godfather) and the troubling "Rude Boys a Foreign" to a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Dyer Maker" -- is fairly melodic. Despite the presence of rappers Daddy-O and D-Nice, U-Neek isn't a radical departure from the Jamaican's earlier recordings. Highly recommended. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Crossover success at last, and who would ever have imagined that a quirky DJ with a penchant for nonsense syllables, a high-pitched nasal voice, a bizarre if unique style, and a love of mouse ears would find an international audience. But eight years on from his breakout in Jamaica, Eek-A-Mouse cemented his success with Eek-A-Nomics. The opening track did the honors: Yep, Eek was back again and undeniably the biggest freak in sight. The brilliant "The Freak" stormed through the discos and clubs, trailing Gothic horror and musical chaos behind it. Nothing could equal it, and wisely the Mouse didn't try, filling the rest of the album with a solid set of songs that tear up borders and musical boundaries with a fabulous crossover sound built to appeal to the dancehalls, discos, and college rock crowds. It was a breathtaking achievement, one that owes much to the stellar arrangements and productions, the former the work of drummer Noel Alphonso and bassist/pianist Paul Henton, the latter overseen by Alphonso, RAS label head Doctor Dread, and the Mouse himself. The musicianship of all is superb, with Ronald Butler's guitar work providing sheer exhilaration, his searing rock guitar leads crucial to the album's sound. Henton is equally adept, his sinuous, high-stepping basslines driving the tracks, while his piano riffs are a pure delight, with Alphonso's expert rhythms underpinning the entire set. Eek, meanwhile, proves himself the most versatile of stars. From the threat of "The Freak," with its bonus dance mix appended on CD, to the romance-minded lover man of "Champagne" and "Do Me," across the roots man of "Whatever Me Ago Do" to the tongue-twisting toaster of "Glamity" and the goofiness of "Goon-A-Goon," this Mouse is master of all he surveys. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
