TERRY BOZZIO & BILLY SHEEHAN
Nine Short Films (Magna Carta)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Terry Bozzio and Billy Sheehan on drums and bass is like having the Blue Angels and Tony Hawk on planes and skateboards. They have the ability to get so tricky that it takes the average listener ten minutes to realize what he heard them do, and frankly, that kind of thing bores me to tears. I'm pleasantly surprised by Nine Short Films because they use their super powers for good and not for eee-vil. If you pick the tracks apart, you'll find that Bozzio is indeed all over the skins, and Sheehan is somehow using 16 fingers on the bass strings, but the thing that sets this album apart is that Bozzio's produced it all to serve the songs. Each piece feels like a strange journey, with atmospheric, reverbed guitars, some of them synthesized, and Bozzio's gritty yet almost whispered vocals. I don't necessarily feel as if I experienced nine short films (there are ten songs anyway), but I did soak up some eerie atmosphere and gain a lot of respect for both musicians, who handled every instrument on the album and recorded much of it in their homes. It was a lesson in not judging a book by its cover. I saw the names and expected a "lookie what I can do" wankfest. Perhaps that was just how it was in days gone by. Don't look for particularly strong song structures here. Look for loose, chilling atmospheric pieces most notable, surprisingly enough, for the spooky voice of Terry Bozzio.

© 2002 - DJ Johnson