Archive Series No. 1 Live In Iceland

Album Review

A somewhat severe muscle cramp in Violent Femmes release of new recordings seems to have been worked out, with the new Archive Series heralding a welcome period of much-needed, high-quality documentation of a road adventure that in at least some details recalls the demented social activism of both the Spike Jones and Sun Ra outfits, although neither of these great artists felt motivated to sing about a lack of sex. Playing time isn't particularly generous on Archive Series No. 1: Live In Iceland, a bit of a bummer in proportion to the generous sets the Violent Femmes usually come up with, and a further drawback considering that the concert portions that are featured include on-stage patter. The chatter may have some appeal to fanatic fans, but listeners into just plain good music will be much more enthusiastic about the magic that happens when, as happens to be something of a routine with this band, local players hop on-stage to jam. Okay, some of them don't hop, but the important thing is that this improvisational interaction, sometimes with real weirdos, is a commendable aspect of the Violent Femmes. Here they are in Iceland, a mythological place to begin such a series of archive recordings for sure. The half-dozen tracks comprise five of the songs in which guest horn players and percussionists might normally be spotlighted, and included is the less-often set listed comical arrogance of "More Money Tonight." The most immediate excitement arises from a saxophone combination of tenor man Oskar Godjonnson and Jarrod Olman on alto. Between them, "Confessions" certainly swings harder than a quarter hour with a Catholic priest, evoking both Pharoah Sanders and the "booting it" Kansas City jazz of Booker Ervin. Both the latter track and "Black Girls" have nice percussion sections, Victor de Lorenzo working smoothly with dynamics in tandem with guest percussionist Matthew M.D. Hemstock, as well as contributing an extended roll with the finesse of British virtuoso Eddie Prevost. It is John Cipollina that Gordon Gano brings to mind as an extended "Add It Up" brings the CD to a close, hitting on an extended anthem in the high register and carefully coloring the climax that follows. What seemed like a courageously anarchistic new rhythm guitar part for "Add It Up" was unfortunately contributed by a teenage girl practicing electric guitar upstairs and won't be available to anyone else who buys this CD.