Tripping Daisy - Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (CD)

Daisy's Sonic Masterpiece

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Jun 23, 2000 | 1 out of 1 found this Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb review helpful

Daisy's relationship-gone-bad with Island records is a matter of recorded history. They went into the studio for the first time with no old material to recycle, prepared to build an album from the ground up. Island had given them carte blanche on al...bum content, and Daisy intended to use it to the fullest. Phil Karnats had joined ranks with the band at this point, invited by Tim DeLaughter to augment his and Wes' creative input. Mark Pirro was also still very much a part of the group, but the other half of the rhythm section was in limbo. After drummer Bryan Wakeland had parted ways with the band on friendly terms, a replacement, Brave Combo's Mitch Marine, was instated for a short time. However, he was asked to step down due to creative conflicts before this album was recorded. Shortly after arriving at the studio in Woodstock, NY, Ben Curtis, formerly of UFOFU, was asked to join. Curtis remained the drummer for Tripping Daisy until their breakup just days before the new millineum. The result of these recordings by the new five piece line-up is nothing short of phenomenal. Compared to "Bill," "Jesus Hits" takes longer to soak in, but upon the third listening or so, the genious of the album really becomes apparent. This is very much a listening experience rather than a collection of songs. Like the album's artwork suggests, it is a collage of textures and emotions complimented by five-part harmony for the first time on any Tripping Daisy record! This would become their trademark sound until the demise of the band in 1999. Highlights include "Field Day Jitters," "Waited a Light Year," "Sonic Bloom," "Mechanical Breakdown," "Our Drive to the Sun/Can a Man Mark It?," "Human Contact," and "Tiny Men." The range and depth of these recordings show a band that has matured more in seven years than most bands do over two or three decades. Unfortunately, the decision to release the 7+ minute mini-epic "Waited a Light Year" as the first single coupled with Island Record's total lack of promotional support doomed this record before it was even released. Those who purchased the album most often praise it as one of the best rock albums ever recorded. Rumors surfaced about a movie in the works to support the film, but that fell through when the band was dropped from Island months after the album's release. Read more Less