I’d recommend you have a Campari & Soda and stick this on at your next fondue party, swingers.
zZz – Running with the Beast
http://www.excelsior-recordings.com/ www.myspace.com/zzz
Shedloads of fun to be had with this screamathon of an album. zZz are really something else. Drawing from a wide range of influences to create some slightly bizarre party music, zZz don’t half remind me of Arthur Brown at times. Everything is slightly unhinged, despite some infectious riffs and melodies. And there’s something incongruous (but also incredibly inspiring) about a high gloss pop LP being crafted by two hirsute gentlemen of ‘a certain age’.
At times they veer between the ridiculous and sublime, never more so than with their brilliant opening track, Lover, a track which has seemingly digested the ‘Manual of Popular Song According to Billy Mackenzie’ in its entirety. Elsewhere there are nods to Barry Adamson (Running with the Beast) the Damned or even Billy Idol (Amanda) and the Teardrop Explodes (the circular riff of Spoil the Party is patent 80-81 Teardrops). Angel is a fabulous slice of futuristic Jean Michel Jarre style Goth camp, whereas the Movies is a brilliant easy listening pastiche.
zZz have a certain roguish charm, they obviously like making breakneck sleazy dance records and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’d recommend you have a Campari & Soda and stick this on at your next fondue party, swingers.
Words: Richard Foster