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Fatso Jetson | Cruel & Delicious

The Mojave Desert's own army of scum.
CD, Rekords/Konkurrent

Tekst: Xander van Aart

Publicatiedatum: 26 november 2002

You never know what to expect in the lower Mojave Desert. On some days you might be whooping it up with the millionaires on the seventh hole of the Woodhaven Country Club and drink gin with the major, while on other days you might find yourself dead numb, snorting speed, and knocking down benzene in some trailer park in La Quinta. The social standards vary a lot in the desert. Palm Springs, California is a hide-out for successful businessmen and other kinds of people that made it all the way up the ladder of status, and that attracts bored Southern Californians, and unemployed scum from towns like Toledo and Moab, and lazy Mexicans and these losers make sure that the wealthy can do whatever they want, whenever they want. And if they fail in doing that, there is always the road to nowhere. Or, in most cases, a future as a full-time caliber-.357-carrier and speed junkie. Due to the high temperatures and the open space that surrounds Palm Springs and its neighboring towns, the rhythm of life is slow. The Mojave Desert breeds its own army of scum, and its wealthy residents throw 10 Dollar bills around like they are going out of fashion, while the unemployed only seem to ditch the clock. The rich and famous make sure none of that scum can be seen in bright daylight, and off course, the police sees to that, too. These unqualified and hopeless people often work as waiters or parking attendants or cooks or garbage men, and a huge percentage of them speak no English, and the ones that fail in getting a decent job are sent out on the road to nowhere: unemployment and drug addiction. Some people like being there. Like me. It is the mixture of people who certainly don't HAVE to work and people who don't really WANT to work that makes this town special. Palm Springs is a hell hole full of rich elderly and begging low-lives, which has its charm.

Fatso Jetson is one of the lesser known exponents of the Mojave desert music crew. They have come a long way and always stayed behind in popularity. But they played a major role in the birth of the so-called desert rock movement, because they were one of the first to play out in the open at the so-called generator parties, where they made a huge impact on the young Josh Homme and the other members of what later became Kyuss. Drummer Tony Tornay, guitarist Jessie Hughes, guitarist/vocalist Mario Lalli, and bass player Larry Lalli create a world of their own on their new album, Cruel & Delicious, released on Josh Homme's (now QOTSA) Rekords label. Their blues-like sound is often enlarged by jazzy, instrumental intermezzos and psychedelic rhythms, while slide guitars and horns can be heard on several songs on this album, too.

The record starts off with the groovy 'Pleasure Bent' and the short and stunning 'Drinking Mode,' which is altered by Vince Meghrouni's horns. 'Set Yourself on Fire' is the second highlight. A song in the vain of the old Screaming Trees; possessed and dark, yet catchy, and fed with the right kind of energy. 'Heavenly Hearse' might be even better. It has everything in it that made guitarist Mario Lalli famous in the underground, inspiring musicians such as Homme and Brant Bjork, who had Mario Lalli playing on his latest solo album. Lalli's psychedelic rhythm guitar seems to twirl around the drum beat, and that significant feature adds new ground to today's rock music.

Cruel & Delicious also captures some fine moments of southern rock and jamming. After a neat and friendly version of Devo's 'Tone Of Luv' and the experimental, sax-fueled instrumental jam that is 'Pig Hat Smoke,' follows the bluesy 'Superfrown.' In some way, this tune reminds me of the slower Five Horse Johnson material. And therefore, the hillbilly influences of the band come through on this track. Actually, this record is a tribute to the blues that once were. Fatso Jetson sings about the low-life trash that came and got stuck in the desert, and that results in lyrics about broken marriages and broken homes and broken hearts and failed whores. In the punky 'Party Pig,' one can hear the roots of QOTSA bass player Nick Oliveri and the impact Fatso Jetson's music made on him. Listening to this album not only shows which stage of their career this band is at, but it also is a desert rock, roots record. Yet Fatso Jetson are more than only of historical importance. The way the band combines southern rock, jazz, blues, and punk rock simply leaves all competition behind.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/fatso-jetson/cruel-delicious/2088/
Meer Fatso Jetson op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/fatso-jetson