Accident/ Capsule Reviews

FACTORY

Accident/ Capsule Reviews

Well, this year has turned out to be as crappy as last year. Calamity has struck the Zayas Clan once again in the form of a dumb accident. Two Saturdays ago, I was on my way home from an evening out dancing at The Pipeline with two buddies. I was asleep in the back seat when some numb nuts ran a red light and smashed into our car. One moment I was dreaming about runny eggs, and the next, I was being rescued by the “Jaws of Life”. How dramatic!

The results were a broken femur and a ton of sympathy. The doctors say I might be able to walk unaided by May. But will I be able to slam dance?

Until my bad luck streak ends, I will continue to reminisce about the great musical releases of 1991. Now that I have a lot of time on my hands, I have been revisiting some of my favorite musical moments of this past year.

Welcome to My Dream – M.C. 900ft Jesus. Perfect follow up to their 1989 debut Hell with the Lid Off. Whereas that album was composed using mostly electronic sounds and samples, Welcome to My Dream features more organic and acoustic sounds. There are horns on several tracks and some even sound downright jazzy. It’s a fine and very musical album; But where is DJ Zero? My favorite tracks: “The City Sleeps”, “Killer Inside Me”, and “Adventures in Failure”. 

Death Certificate- Ice Cube. This is Cube’s post-Muslim conversion “concept” album. The negative and positive sides of life are represented by the “Death” and “Life” sides of the disc. Staring with the “Death” side and ending with the “Life” side, ultimately leaves us with a hopeful outlook on life. It sounds like we are witnessing his rebirth through his new-found faith. Don’t get me wrong, Ice Cube still sounds like he will kick your ass. But does he still drink St. Ides? Fave trax: “Giving Up the Nappy Dug Out”, “True to the Game”, and “No Vaseline”. 

Big Electric Metal Base Face – Die Warzau. Die Warzau’s follow up to their amazing 1989 debut Disco Rigido, is about as funky as industrial music can get. Taking obvious musical inspiration from Parliament and Meat Beat Manifesto, they go off into politically charged lyrical territories with interesting results. That title is a bit of a mouthful, though.  Fave trax: “Funkopolis”, “Coming Down”, and “Brand New Convertible Car”. 

Shepherd Moons – Enya. The prettiest Celtic Princess is back. Calm, soothing, and magical, Enya’s music is perfection. Her ethereal voice takes us on mystical journeys to far away lands across the astral planes. I would kill to hear a duet between Enya and fellow visionary chanteuse Kate Bush. Fave trax: “Caribbean Blue”, “Lothlorien”, and “Book of Days”. 

The Mix – Kraftwerk. A “best of” collection from the innovators of electronic music. All of their greatest songs have been remixed, but not ruined. Fave trax: “The Robots”, “Pocket Calculator”, and “Home Computer”.

We Can’t Be Stopped – Geto Boys. This masterful rap trio has come a long way from “Read these Nikes”, but they haven’t changed a bit. Not even Bushwick Bill getting his eye shot out, could stop them. “My Mind’s Playing Tricks on Me” gets my vote for single of the year. Other faves: “I’m Not a Gentleman” and “I Ain’t With Being Broke”.

En-Tact – The Shamen. This surprise duo came out of nowhere and not only conquered the dance floor “Move Any Mountain” but also conquered my heart. One of my favorite electronic albums of the year. Other noteworthy songs: “666” and “Hyperreal Orbit”.

Why Do Birds Sing? – Violent Femmes. The triumphant return of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s’ favorite sons. This album feels like a grab bag of different sounds from the talented trio. Their new songs stand side by side with three old, unreleased tracks. This allows you to see how far they have come, while still retaining the edge of their prior releases. My fave trax: “American Music”, “Girl Trouble”, and “More Money Tonight”.

These releases are but a few of the wonderful albums I have been revisiting during my stay at the hospital. I truly believe in the healing power of music and all these songs make me want to go out dancing again. 

Funny, my mom always said I was going to break my leg slam dancing. I assured her it was impossible. Turns out, she was right.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank George Shroepfer for all the help he has provided in getting my schooling together this semester. Both he and Syd Krueger have allowed to take their classes externally while I am laid up. I also want to thank everyone who has provided support through this accident, as well as all of you who came to visit me at the hospital. You are very important people in my life, and I love each one of you. Ok, enough mushiness.