Soul Coughing Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Of the five "authorized bootleg" Soul Coughing albums released in 2007 by the Kufala label, this one is the most frustrating. For one thing, it's considerably shorter than the others at about 60 minutes spread over two discs. But since the list price is $12.00, that's a minor quibble. More important is the disconnection between musical quality and sonic quality. Although all of the Kufala discs sound substantially better than most actual bootleg recordings, this one is more muffled and distant than the others, and that's especially frustrating because so many of the performances at this concert were ferociously good. The band's version of "Bus to Beelzebub," usually a solid winner in a live setting, is positively blistering here, and this rendition of "Sugar Free Jazz" squashes the studio version like a grape. "Blue Eyed Devil" (another song that tends to thrive on-stage) is given a rollicking performance that incorporates gleefully snide quotes from "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" and "I Will Always Love You." Perhaps best of all, though, is a swinging and extra-funky arrangement of "Uh, Zoom Zip" near the end of the set. "The Woolly Imbibe" is a nice surprise, a non-album track that seems to have come out of nowhere. If the sound were sharper and fuller, this would qualify on its own as one of Soul Coughing's finest albums. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On the fourth of five "authorized bootleg" live recordings released on the Kufala label, Soul Coughing are documented in an 85-minute set at an unidentified Manhattan location. You almost wonder if they were coming to the end of a long tour and were happy to be home, because frontman Mike Doughty sounds almost giddy -- the between-song banter is as whimsical and ironic as you'd expect, but there's something that sounds like an undercurrent of real joy beneath his patter, and several songs turn into whirlwinds of funky energy: on a brilliant version of "Idiot Kings" the band creates a groove that is denser and fuller than that on the studio version, and "Blue Eyed Devil" (one of their finest moments on disc) is given an equally powerful rendition. There's not much they can do to redeem the always tedious and plodding "Maybe I'll Come Down," but keyboardist/sampler Mark de Gli Antoni brings a new batch of found sounds to their performance of "Miss the Girl" and he wields them masterfully; the band barely stays earthbound on an intense and crazy version of "Super Bon Bon." Doughty also has the taste and graciousness to acknowledge the presence of Tony Maimone in the audience -- and on this excellent live album it sounds a bit like one whimsical pop genius saluting another. Excellent. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
By calling this series of live recordings "authorized bootlegs," the folks at Kufala Records wisely keep the aural expectations nice and low, and therefore likely to be exceeded. And indeed, the sound quality is better than you might expect: these recordings were all made at the mixing board, and if the sound on this particular set (the Berlin disc mainly) is just a little bit dry and distant and the bass is mixed just a bit too low, it does sound really quite good at high volume. The performances are generally top-notch as well. Soul Coughing's unique brand of jazzy, snotty, scratchy funk poetry didn't always translate well live, but on these two 1997 recordings the bandmembers are all in top form. "Disseminated" and "Lazy Bones" are the class of the Berlin disc, and the sly insertions of excerpts from Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" are a nice addition to a sharp and snarling rendition of "Down to This." But the (disappointingly brief) Amsterdam set is even better, with an excellent version of "The Incumbent" and a hard-driving instrumental take on "Miss the Girl" leading into a snaky rendition of "4 Out of 5." None of these performances supplant the studio versions, but most are well worth hearing and will be welcomed by fans. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Live Tokyo, Japan 03.02.97'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 17
Label Kufala
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
One approaches this album with trepidation. Can they really do it again? Can the band that single-handedly defined postmodern white-boy funk poetry in 1994 with Ruby Vroom and dodged the sophomore slump with deceptive ease two years later come up with something just as good that isn't simply rehash? The answer is a qualified yes, and they do it by leaving the skeleton -- bare-bones funky drums, big string bass, scratchy guitar -- mostly the same, while fleshing out the vocals a bit and yoking the pointillistic samples to the wagon of the song, at least part of the time. Thus, on "Circles," the album's first single, you have overdubbed harmonies (!) and a bleeping synth that supports the chorus rhythmically. And you could actually sing along with "Blame." That's not to say that this stuff is exactly tuneful -- poetry and groove are still the whole point. But it's nice to hear M. Doughty hauling off and singing every so often. Nothing here packs quite the same revelatory wallop as "Blue-Eyed Devil" or "Casiotone Nation" did, but then, the revelation has already been received. That doesn't make it any less valuable. Or any less funky. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Irresistible Bliss'
Release Date 5/14/1996
Tracks 12
Label Slash/Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ruby Vroom was one of the great debut albums of the '90s. It was an invigorating, refreshing blend of relentlessly funky beats and downtown beatnik hipster and jazz sensibilities that came around when grunge was the order of the day. Despite the hip-hop/funk heroics of the rhythm section (Sebastian Steinberg on upright bass and Yuval Gabay on drums), M. Doughty's funky white-boy pose came less from hip-hop than the rhythms and cadences of the performance poetry scene. He can be introspective and yearning, as in "True Dreams of Wichita" or "Janine," and has a feel for cinematic description, but more often delivers with the sly wink of a real smart ass. Also, his performance-poetry background means his phrasing and timing are impeccable. Doughty's guitar playing is quite spare, but careful listening will reveal more buried in the mix. The secret weapon of the band, and what really sets them apart is the keyboard/sampler playing of Mark de Gli Antoni. He not only set the bar for sampler players in the pop world, but in the decade since Ruby Vroom was released, no one has even come close to his mixture of inventiveness and musicality. Everything from creaking doors, buses, and sampled trombone solos to Raymond Scott and Tori Amos (!) provide elements and atmosphere, not to mention the genius pairing of Howlin' Wolf and the Andrews Sisters on "Down to This." He can also lay in jazzy piano chords and musically punctuates Doughty's musings with wonderful, unplaceable sounds. Production is clean and crisp, with rich, deep bass and taut drum sounds, while de Gli Antoni's samples often make the band seem much larger than it really is (the band had no problem duplicating the sound live, by the way). There isn't a bad song on here; it's their best album top to bottom, and it still sounds fresh ten years down the road. Excellent. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
