If the only thing that you know about Buckethead is that he was one of the guitar players that replaced Slash in Axl Rose's version of Guns N' Roses, then you are in for a surprise. The KFC bucket wearing guitarist is about to give you an education on himself. This release, From The Coup (Avabella Productions) is the first recorded works of Buckethead and dates back to 1988, when he (or it) sent a demo tape of sorts to Guitar Player magazine editor, Jas Obrecht. The rest I guess is history, as they say. Obrecht was obviously so mesmerized by the chicken winged wonder, that he even produced this CD of those collected first demo tapes.
Recorded on a portable multi-track recorder in 1988, the talents of this man-chicken wunderkind are simply unreal. To say that Buckethead is a freak is putting it mildly! The guy is a freakin' monster! Yes, I meant on the guitar!! From The Coop is 19 tracks of absolutely sick shredding, off the wall wackiness and just plain jaw dropping guitar pyrotechnics. Seriously, how can a Chicken man be this good? But damn, he is amazing!
Now this isn't your typical CD. Remember these are Instrumental demo tracks from 1988 and this IS Buckethead! There is a lot of what is called on this CD as "Excerpts", which range from quirky sound effect riffing, to flat out shredding phrases. There are also the Classical guitar interludes called "La Grima" and "Malaguena" the graceful flamenco piece, as well as a couple of cool electronica non shred funky songs, "Funk Time" and "Funkin' Theme". That's the thing; Buckethead is NOT a one trick pony. If any of you have heard any of his later work, you find a very Jazz Fusion Jeff Beck-ish soulful and tasty player. Shredding is a part of his repertoire, but Buckethead can do anything on the guitar and well! Check out the hoe down and (pardon the pun) chicken pickin' of "Hog Bitch Stomp" (the full song). Tracks like the fun "Return Of Agustus Gloop", with it's almost Miami Vice electronic backbeat, also works quite well.
Straight up, Buckethead is a masterful guitar player, not just a shredder, but From The Coop is more for the Buckethead devotee. 19 tracks of wacky sounds and 30 second clips of rip roaring shredding may bore some people, and the overall production of these songs that were made on a multi-track recorder may also bug some. It's really not bad sonically, but it was recorded in 1988 on a cassette, so it's not of the iPod/digital world we live in today, but that's not really the point either. This is the unleashing of a maniac's 1st early recordings. If you were able to find some early recordings of Eddie Van Halen from 1976 that were made on a cassette and mastered into CD quality, wouldn't you buy it? I know I already have mine, haha.
Buckethead is just sikk!
Track Listing
1. Disembodied Part 1
2. Disembodied Part 2
3. Hog Bitch
4. Malaguena
5. Space Mountain
6. Excerpt #1
7. Excerpt #2
8. Excerpt #3
9. Excerpt #4
10.Eraserhead
11.La Grima
12.Funk Tune
13.Funkin' Time
14.Hog Bitch Stomp
15.Return Of Agustus Gloop
16.Malaguena
17.Lunartics
18.Scapel Sled
19.Scraps
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
