Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Surgery - Shimmer


Label: Atlantic
Year: 1994

Ah yes, the "sellout" album. Like every card carrying member of the Church Of Tim Yohannon, I too was not willing to allow my heroes a chance at financial stability. So when Surgery decided to jump from Amphetamine Reptile to Atlantic Records...well, that just wouldn't do. It was an outrageous, treasonous act that surely marked the coming Apocalypse, and could not be tolerated. I called for an all-out boycott.
Until a copy of the album showed up at the radio station I was working in...
It wouldn't hurt to take it home and give it a covert listen under the cover of dark right? I mean, Steve Albini couldn't be everywhere at once could he? No one would be the wiser. And hey, it's not like I supported the corporate death machine by purchasing the record now did I (and no, the irony of it being posted here is not lost on me)?
So the bottom line...it sounded like Surgery 75% of the time, and sounded like 90's alternative rock the other 25%. I shelved it, and did not check back in on "Shimmer" for many years to come.
I am retarded.
This is a good record. Not great, but still really good. Surgery is a great band who had a knack for catchy songs that were heavy and dirty. This record is mostly that sound, in fact there's even a version of their classic jam "D-Nice" on here. I will say there are a couple songs that aren't too hot, but mostly, this is well worth your time. Especially if you ever liked Surgery in the first place. 
So at the risk of losing your entry to the Maximum Rocknroll Old Folks Home, give this one a shot.

5 comments:

pinto said...

I had this at one time and I totally forgot about it until recently. It's funny I was just thinking about it the other day for some reason. Maybe it was your "Trim, 9th Ward" post that got me thinking about it. I was checking my records and couldn't find it. I sold lots of records back in my being broke days and it's probably been long gone. So thanks. By the way would you have "Nationwide" that you could post at some point? That's another one that's now been long gone from my collection and I remember really liking it. I can get you back with a couple of their singles (Feedback and Little Debbie) that I was planning on posting on my blog anyways once I got around to ripping it.

Gray said...

i have nationwide on vinyl, but i'll have to check to see if i have a cd. i should...somewhere. when i find it i'll post it for sure.
keep the good shit coming over at cod-music...now that you're ripping your vinyl, the site has been better than ever!

Anonymous said...

Greetings from Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK ! Came across your Blog when I was looking for a download of the Fluid's Roadmouth LP to save my vinyl copy and was glad to find so much more !

Big Cam

pinto said...

It's a pretty rockin album for a bunch of sell-outs I must say.

Some Dude said...

You rule. Been looking for this for ages. Sellout, schmellout. Off The A-List and Gulf Coast Score make up for any mediocreness.

 
Designed by mln3 designs & etc.