Sunday 12 March 2017

The Shrubs ‎– "Full Steam Into The Brainstorm" (Ron Johnson Records ‎– ZRON 10) 1986


Now, musically, The Shrubs were fine exponents of the Captain Beefheart dueling guitars in challenging time signatures method of composition.
But, unlike the Magic Band, they didn't have a singer to match the music.Former Henry Cow manager, Nick Hobbs had the microphone, and he irritates the fuck out of me! His over enthusiastic forced warbling outstays its welcome very quickly; as does his obvious desire to sound as weird and unusual as he thinks he is, which sounds as contrived as Don Van Vliet but without the artists sense of the Abstract that the late Beefheart obviously had.
Formerly called The Kevin Staples Band(despite not having anyone called Kevin Staples in the group!), they changed their name to the forgettable Shrubs'' moniker  before they released this debut EP on Ron Johnson Records. And, the 'EP' format definitely suits them, to limit the listeners exposure to the grossly annoying Nick Hobbs, File under annoying lead singers, alongside Steve "Shirley" Solomar of The Spherical Objects, and Alan Jenkins of The Deep Freeze Mice.

Tracklist:
A1 Carbreaker 3:38
A2 Dead Teachers 2:55
A3 Warm Sea 3:20
B1 Black Saloons 3:33
B2 The Dealer 4:42
B3 Bullfighter 3:45


3 comments:

rev.b said...

I know Nick Hobbs from The Work who I like a lot more than this band. Care to post any of theirs?

Jonny Zchivago said...

Close.....that was Mick Hobbs not Nick Hobbs...they may be related i think?
He was in Work related band 'The Momes' ,who i posted the album of here:
https://dieordiy2.blogspot.fr/2014/09/the-momes-spiralling-woof-records-woof.html

And there's a few things by The Work here:

https://dieordiy2.blogspot.fr/search/label/The%20Work

Jonathan said...

"His over enthusiastic forced warbling outstays its welcome very quickly"

It certainly does. I'm getting to the end of the EP now and am completely "just shut the fuck up!!"