KING MISSILE III
Failure (Shimmy Disc)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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Always willing to go where no man with a microphone has gone, John S. Hall continues to push the spoken word with a melody envelope. After a couple of excellent major label releases bouncing to great rock riffage, King Missile is back full circle on the Shimmy label, offering more talk, less rock. The infectious, dance inducing numbers like "Detachable Penis" and "The Way To Salvation" from days gone give way to a more word oriented stream flowing from Hall's mouth. The poet turned rocker turns back to poet. Replacing the beat with intricate playing gives clearer focus to the words, and for that you should be thankful. It gives his surrealistic stories much needed space to roam, and sets up the odd vent ("Up My Ass") perfectly. A philosopher for no time, Hall muses stream of consciousness to hilarious results ("I wonder if I could make a monk spit chocolate milk through his nose"). Yet there is always a disturbing angle, even in the seemingly innocuous ditties that make this material stick. It is an odd dichotomy, not knowing exactly where Hall is coming from, or where he's going, and that friends, is a very powerful weapon.

© 2001 - John Sekerka