Published on Feb 2, 1999
Before we talk about Chuck E. Weiss, we have to talk about Tom
Waits. Waits is the kind of musician whom you either love or hate;
there really is not much of a middle ground. I still remember being
shocked that his album
Bone Machine won a Grammy – an album I couldn’t stand.
However, to Waits’s defense, the older I get, the more I find
myself able to appreciate his work.
Weiss – whose latest album
Extremely Cool was helped out in many ways by Waits, from
production to vocals to instruments – could well have been an
artist in the same vein. This is his first album in 18 years – and
after just one listen, I found myself asking, “What took you so
long, Chuck?”
This album is a smorgasbord of styles and genres, from nearly
perfect Delta blues to light rockers to the type of alternative
noise that Waits has made a career out of. Thing is, with Weiss and
his motley crew of guest musicians (including Waits and Rick Vito),
it works…
well
.
What makes
Extremely Cool work is that you don’t know just what lies
ahead of you behind the door of the next track. Is it a Cajun-based
party (“Oh Marcy”)? Is it slightly bizarre blues (“Deeply Sorry”)?
Or is it just plain bizarre (“Horseface”, “Pygmy Fund”, “Do You
Know What I Idi Amin”)? Normally, such a jumble would lead me to
distraction, but Weiss’s sly, cock-eyed delivery of the music
conquers all.
Of course, there is a bit of an adjustment period that the
listener goes through when first experiencing
Extremely Cool – but I found that I was into the disc by the
second track. Songs like “Just Don’t Care,” “Roll On Jordan” and
“Sonny Could Lick All Them Cats” just happened to reaffirm my
belief in this disc.
Lowpoints? I only found one – “Do You Know What I Idi Amin”
seems to stretch out far too long, almost like a good joke whose
punchline should have been delivered quickly. Instead of being a
witty little song, Weiss and Waits almost get too caught up in the
track for their own good.
If you’ve been following Waits’s career, then
Extremely Cool will not only be the logical next step for
you, but will be an album you’ll undoubtedly fall in love with
instantly. If you’re not as well schooled in Waits, then Weiss and
his view of the world will take a little getting used to… but
after a while, you may find that the album is appropriately
titled.