Wesley Willis Albums (10)
'Full Heavy Metal Jacket'
Release Date 5/22/2001
Tracks 25
Label Artist Workshop
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Shake Your Piggy Bank'
Release Date 1/16/2001
Tracks 25
Label Coldfront
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
One of the last albums Wesley Willis completed before his career was cut short by the illness that would eventually kill him, 2001's Shake Your Piggy Bank is a collaboration with the new wave-ish Dragnews, meaning that it's a bit more accessibly "musical" than his a-man-and-his-Casio recordings. Not by much, however, as each of these 25 songs follows the same familiar premise: a bit of herky-jerky spoken word stuff followed by about two-and-a-half minutes of repeated, obsessive screaming of a single phrase. This time out, the style is so locked into place that every song is musically almost identical, right down to the fact that all 25 songs are between 2:48 and 2:54 in length. Similar themes reappear in the songs as well, with one subset "about" famous punk rock stars, and another with titles and choruses like "Lick My Doberman's Cock" and "Suck a Jackrabbit's Ass." Dull, phoned-in records like this only prove that Wesley Willis was the Wild Man Fischer of the indie generation, only less endearing and with an even higher "Hey, lookit the freak!" quotient. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Rush Hour'
Release Date 10/10/2000
Tracks 22
Label Alternative Tentacles
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Wesley Willis' first album of new material for Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label (which had already released two Greatest Hits volumes), Rush Hour isn't a significant departure from Willis' previous recordings with a full band. The musical backing still sounds oddly subdued, even canned, and Willis still takes long pauses in between his recitations. Somewhat surprisingly, Rush Hour doesn't have the loopy celebrity tributes Willis became known for; he relies more on his imagination to conjure up lyrical scenarios. Other than that, Rush Hour is pretty much a standard Wesley Willis album, with enough bizarre connections to make it a slightly more amusing listen than some of his other records. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Two months after American Records released Fabian Roadwarrior, the first major-label album by Wesley Willis, they rushed out Feel the Power. Predictably, it sounds exactly the same as its predecessor, as well as the indie albums that preceded it, despite the production of the inventive Dust Brothers -- it's an endless series of short songs that share the same chords and melodies. The only things that change are Willis' subjects. This time, he's written songs for musicians like Alice in Chains and Snoop Doggy Dogg, several people who work at American Records, rock & roll, buses, etc. Sure, it's bizarre, but that's not necessarily a virtue, given Willis' mental illness. With that in mind, it's hard not to feel like the album is exploitive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Fabian Road Warrior'
Release Date 8/13/1996
Tracks 24
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For a short time in music history, Wesley Willis became famous for being the first functioning schizophrenic to carry on a music career. He rambled on aimlessly in interviews and head-butted fans at concerts. American Records honcho Rick Rubin even wrangled Willis into recording an album for his label. But this is a one-joke affair, as every Willis song follows the exact same pattern. They all have the exact same keyboard part (slowed down or sped up to change pitch) with Willis spouting nonsense over each track. Each song even uses sound effects in place of a guitar solo. Most of the lyrics revolve around beating up a celebrity, fawning over a rock band, or plugging his favorite corporations. Occasionally Willis throws in comments about his mental condition, which tend to be sad bursts of reality between all the nonsense. But mostly this is a very repetitive, strange album. What makes it even more bizarre is the moral question that comes with an album like this: Does this album mean to make fun of a schizophrenic or showcase his songwriting skills? Either way, it is only good for a few laughs but gets dull after a few listens. Fans of the bizarre will probably enjoy this; otherwise, this is not something that translates to fans of most other forms of music. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
'Spookydisharmoniousconflicthellride'
Release Date 4/9/1996
Tracks 14
Label ULG
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For those who don't have a problem with Jerry Springer or traffic accidents, there's Spooky, which presents Wesley Willis' "compositions" in a parodic rock setting; tracks include "Pop That Pussy," "Casper the Homosexual Friendly Ghost," "I'm Sorry That I Got Fat," and the Chicago hometown classic "Steve Albini," a juxtaposition of characters whose humor doesn't depend on Willis' presentation as much as on the sheer strangeness of any connection between him and Albini. The sound of Willis' Fiasco records, however, simply isn't as appealing as his "solo" work with a single Casio (he uses the same pre-programmed rhythm and accompaniment for every song), and pretty much one non-Fiasco record should provide your fill of Wesley Willis. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide
'Drag Disharmony Hell Ride'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 22
Label Wesley Willis
See Album Tracklist and Review
