King Missile Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Theoretically, King Missile's goofy, bizarre, highly self-indulgent avant rock/spoken word should have grown tiresome a long time ago. But that isn't the case. After all these years, Missile founder John S. Hall still commands attention -- and that can be attributed to the fact that Hall, for all his self-indulgence, is genuinely clever. Hall's work is full of artistic masturbation, but overall, it's good artistic masturbation. Released in 2004, Royal Lunch finds Hall continuing to hold one's interest 17 years after he founded Missile's original 1987 lineup. Parts of this album are very political; Hall blasts the policies of President George W. Bush and his administration on "Suggested Response to the Coming Crisis," "Another Political Poem," and "America Kicks Ass," and he humorously expresses his disdain for the Christian Right on "The God." In the hands of other left-leaning artists -- Rage Against the Machine, KRS-One, Jello Biafra, or Gil Scott-Heron, for example -- political rants can become quite angry. But Hall's lovably dorky monotone and his overall goofiness have a way of softening the blows. Hall comes up with so many nutty, irreverently absurd references that he becomes disarming -- references that range from a vegan god wanting to eat horse meat to a suggestion that people in the S&M/fetish scene use lobsters as nipple clamps. Even when Hall is telling listeners how much he despises Attorney General John Ashcroft and Vice President Dick Cheney, he comes across as more of an eccentric than an agitator. Not everything on Royal Lunch is great; there are a few weak tracks here and there. But more often than not, Royal Lunch is a memorable effort that underscores King Missile's durability and lets you know that Hall has yet to run out of ideas. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'The Psychopathology of Everyday Life'
Release Date 1/21/2003
Tracks 18
Label Instinct
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With The Psychopathology of Everyday Life, the merry pranksters of King Missile continue with the formula established over ten years before on the classic Mystical Shit. It's simple, really. Vocalist John S. Hall recites his acerbic, often perverse narratives in a nasal monotone that suggests the know-it-all sitting behind you on the bus. While King Missile's actual music has assumed numerous forms over the years, Psychopathology finds Hall, Sasha Forte, and Bradford Reed sticking mainly to piano, samples, fiddle, and percussion, though the faux metal of "Chickens" harkens to their heavier past. Highlights include "JLH," in which Hall commends Jennifer Love Hewitt for not speaking out against war, politics, or 9/11. "Eating People" sets up the classic King Missile paradox, in which the listener is at once repulsed with Hall's logic, while being impressed that he's so convincing. And a running gag called "Pain Series" extends over five tracks, with Hall introducing the snippets as "poems," when they are, in fact, hilarious essays on how much stupid-fun swearing is. Not sure whether you'll get the joke? King Missile supplies the punch line on "Psychopathology"'s front cover: "WARNING! Contains lots of curses: Do Not Buy!" ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The eponymous final release by the second version of King Missile features the same witty and hilarious John S. Hall lyrical and spoken word moments alongside the lacklustre pop filler that padded out their previous five albums. Two highlights include "Love Is ...," the "Detachable Penis" of this album, and "Socks," an over-the-top parody of grunge, with Hall screaming, "Why do I have so many socks?" as if all of his cathartic rage hinged upon this conundrum. The most convincing genre exercises on the album are grunge-inflected "Lies" and the throwaway jingles "The Commercial" and "Happy Note." Misfires include "Delores" and "The Dishwasher," which are both performed with an artsy lack of conviction. In the end, King Missile proves to be a tuneful, yet hardly earth-shattering affair. ~ Brian Flota, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
King Missile's They is remarkably accomplished for an album with such a warped sense of humor. Singer John S. Hall delivers lyrics like a poet clown, as Dogbowl and Kramer's lazy psychedelic music charms. Kramer outdoes himself as a producer here, turning songs with ridiculous titles ("Leather Clown" and "The Bunny Song" are two prime examples) and even more ridiculous lyrics into quaint, obscure gems. "Mr. Johnson," written by David Keener, is particularly touching, as Hall recounts an angry older man who doesn't want the hippie protagonist and his friends on his property; the protagonist sings, "Hey, Mr. Johnson, won't you wear this flower in your hair." Similar peaceful yet anarchistic motifs run throughout many of the songs, though the final song is so crass, one has to chuckle. They is filled with potent, dark humor, but its gentle spirit and artistic puns make for a compelling listen. It's liable to surprise fans of the band's later, more fractured musical style with its fine acoustic sound. More lo-fi than later King Missile releases, but infused with atmosphere, They is a funny, melodic ride. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The goofy magic of King Missile may have never been showcased better than on Mystical Shit. The music jumps from genre to genre with no concern for a specific "sound," just as long as singer John S. Hall has a platform for his hilarious yet thoughtful rants. "Rock-N-Roll Will Never Die" is a hilarious tirade both condemning and celebrating the state of rock music at the time. The bizarre story of "Gary and Melissa" also stands out as a quirky tribute to the power of sex. At this time in the band's career, Hall had not quite made the transition from his thin indie pop singing to the spoken vocals that became his trademark a few years later. So some of the tracks with singing suffer from the weak vocals, making songs like "How to Remember Your Dreams" more repetitive and droning than interesting. In the face of such strong tracks as "Jesus Was Way Cool" and "Take Stuff From Work," those are minor complaints. Hall's jagged view of the world meshes nicely with the hard rock of his backing band. Unlike their previous independent efforts, it seems as though the band had finally found its strengths with only occasional steps back into their previous sound. Anyone who enjoys oddball alternative rock from They Might Be Giants to the Residents will probably find something to like about this uneven but underappreciated album. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With this King Missile found themselves with a fluke hit, thanks to the knowingly idiotic "Detachable Penis." It's not quite the "My Ding-a-Ling" of its time, but it did get airplay, MTV coverage, and the like, Hall telling a sad tale of waking up in the morning, finding the titular organ missing, and then having to search for it, all while pondering the benefits and flaws of having a detachable penis in the first place. Thanks to a catchy arrangement via Rick's clipped, stuttered guitar riff and the sweetly sung title phrase in the background, the result is giddy left-field nonsense. Due in part to the return of Kramer to production -- or in this case co-production -- duties, along with a slew of more immediately memorable songs, Happy Hour trumps The Way to Salvation as the peak of the band's high-profile days, an inspired collection of tunes ranging from deranged pop to full-on epic metal stomp. It's the blessed liveliness of the whole album -- at a premium in the days of full-on grunge when it came out, still rare enough years later -- that makes it stand up so well. "Martin Scorcese," an on-the-edge celebration of the director in question, has Hall threatening him with physical violence, so appreciative a fan is he, the music snaking along with a psych/new wave bite (no, really!). Highlights of Hall's vocal turns this time out: from "It's Saturday," "I want to be different/Like everyone else"; from the mock classic rock love anthem "Take Me Home," "You're the one who knows my whole life is a pathetic sham." In all, the merry feeling of the songs, spiked with the solid playing of the individual members, proves again to be King Missile's ace in the hole, making Happy Hour -- which is indeed literally an hour long -- the entertaining listen it is. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
'The Way to Salvation'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 17
Label Atlantic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
King Missile's initial stab at the world of major labeldom was fair if not great -- lacking absolute standout numbers like Mystical Shit's genius "Jesus Was Way Cool" and "Gary & Melissa," The Way to Salvation is enjoyable enough but lacks a final killer touch. Having Lou Giordano on production instead of Kramer is also a bit disconcerting -- he's a great producer, of course, but the crisp focus that he brings takes away from the warmer feel of Kramer's work on the earlier records. Still, much of the core fun that King Missile brings to the table stays intact: Hall's blissfully funny lyrics and shaggy-dog stories, the group's collective hops and skips through a variety of musical styles, and a generally upbeat vibe. David Ramirez from Hypnolovewheel, presumably brought in part since Giordano also produced them, does a fine job holding down the drumming while Xefos and Rick make all the right noise as needed. Hall's spoken-word approach comes to bear most fully on the two-part "The Boy Who Ate Lasagna and Could Jump Over a Church," which rather unsurprisingly details the activities of that very individual. Other weird winners include "Willy," the story of how one regular guy spends the day of the Apocalypse; "I Wish," for the combination of Hall's wishes and the descending-chord glam-punk music; and the slow-building album-ender "To Walk Among the Pigs," an almost gentle reflection on the simpler things in the world, at least through porcine eyes. "Life," which starts by praising "exhilarating smells" and then moves on through a concise vision of the universe and its biological ways, somehow sums it all up -- loud, rocking, not quite normal but not quite anything else either. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
