Take a bow Al Jourgensen - but mission not accomplished yet Ding-a-ding-dang-my-dang-a-long-ling-dong. Ministry have a new album out! Only without Paul Barker, he’s left to pursue other things. Hmmmm… I wonder? Sad news for those of us who still hold a candle for this great band. Obvious news to those who used to report of friction between he and Al. I met Paul last year backstage at the TBMC in Dublin and although drunk, he did seem hugely pissed off with the whole thing. Getting backstage was quite a hoot as it happened, Big Al Jourgensen’s wife allowed four of us in and we immediately commandeered the fridge, minding the beer for the band of course…
Where was I? The album is not as good as their finest moment (for me anyway) - 1996’s “Filth Pig” - but it’s a stomper of a return to their fast-paced roots and those of you who enjoyed their breakthrough album “Psalm 69” will absolutely love it. So, the good news then is that it is rather good - darn good in fact - and is easily the best thing they’ve done since “Filth Pig”. It’s certainly far superior to 1998’s “Dark Side of the Spoon” and last year’s disappointing “Animositisomina”.
It’s Quickdraw McGraw title is “Houses of the Mole” - mole-ay, a none too comical pun on Led Zepps “Houses of the Holy”. What is very nice about it is that Al is back to being pissed off about something other than drugs (the last two albums, although I gave up on Animositisomina" fairly early in the day) and he’s returned to his political roots. Bush is a prime target for Al’s ire and the Monkey President is sampled throughout, with the famous “Go home and die” message for the Iraqi people, a cut-up from [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://downloads.warprecords.com/bushwhacked2_vs_Osymyso_slushalodmix.mp3>”][#006400]Osymyso[/#006400] making an appearance on the excellent [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://www.joymode.org/Music/Ministry-Houses_of_the_Mole-2004-FNT/04-ministry-wrong-fnt.mp3>”][#006400]Wrong[/#006400]. (More Bush cut up’s can be sourced via: [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://gybo.proboards4.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&num=1084921259&start=0>”][#006400]this thread[/#006400] on GYBO)
Al’s Anger with Georgie boy is blatant from the titles. The opening track "No “W” sets the tone and every track that follows (including the secret tracks pinned onto the end) starts with a ‘W’. The opener isn’t great but “Waiting” gets things going. Then we have “Worthless”, “Wrong”, “Warp City”, “WTV”, “World”, “WKYJ”, “Worm”, “Walrus” etc. You get the picture. “There’s a Republican in the White House,” Jourgensen says on the official website, “and I only write good records when that’s happening.” In a way he’s right.
I say the opener is not great, but maybe that’s down to the hacking effects. “No W” is a NWO style collage of ironic Bush samples mashed with 200mph guitars and Orff’s “Carmina Burana”. It rocks like a mutha.
Jesus, not heard on a Ministry record since “Psalm 69”, makes his comeback for “Waiting” - a song that wouldn’t be out of place on the “Psalm 69” album, only this time Al’s waiting for bodies to return and gets Christ instead. Or something. Yeah, sounds a little Boys Own, and it is. But wonderfully so. The world needs good metal right now and people like Al and System of a Down are the men to provide it. Not the likes of Linkin Park or the Chris Cornell-RATM vanity project Rage Against the Garden or whatever they were called.
“WTV” is another addition to the Ministry TV series, and is similar to the others, from “Psalm 69” and a rake of b-sides. Fast, furious, psychotic and full of samples, it’s a treat. ( A rare live rehearsal take from the Psalm 69 tour can be found [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://www.bobmcnulty.com:8080/music/Ministry/Jesus%20Built%20My%20Hotrod/Ministry%20-%20Jesus%20Built%20My%20Hotrod%20-20-%20TV%20Song.mp3>”][#556b2f]here[/#556b2f] ).
“Worthless” continues the hatred of the “Filth Pig” album, and the fantastic “World” continues the 1996 album’s musical theme with some corrosive and typically world-class 100mph percussion driving the message that the time is right for decisions to be made by those who don’t subscribe to the right wing agenda that Bush & Co. so ruthlessly drive. The guitars menace throughout the remainder of the album, and although a little samey at times there’s enough variety to throw you sideways. The ten minutes of “Worm” fly by, with some of the most straight forward guitar playing Ministry have ever committed to tape making it the surprise track on the album. A slow burner, it again recalls the sluggish grace of “Filth Pig”. Add in a dash of sax, mouth organ, Ennio Morricone twangy bits and drifting vocals and you’ve a beautiful, beautiful slice of 21st Century Al and his pissed off life.
The secret tracks are fairly throwaway - a remix of “No W” which is built around a field recording of the American National Anthem and a two and a half minute reprise of the anguished refrain of “Worm”.
All in all, it’s Ministry’s finest album in a long long time, the perfect parallel or companion piece to “Psalm 69”.
Maybe Barker’s departure wasn’t so bad after all. If anything it’s kicked Al right up the arse, and he’s gone on the record as saying that without Barker he had to pick up the guitar again instead calving in front of a computer. Barker told MTV at the time that last summer Al was extremely enthusiastic about the possibilities of what the band could do, but he wasn’t as excited. “I thought, ‘What are we going to do and what am I going to get out of it?’ and I realised that now would be the perfect time to bow out.” It’s sad that he chose to bow out while Al’s creative juices at last began to flow, but when we saw them last summer as a live act they were on fire, particularly Al, envigourated by two drummers, three guitarists and a raving drunk Irish crowd.
Speaking to Al afterwards he couldn’t help but express his hatred of Bush. Of course that’s not all we talked about. Sex, drugs and everything else took up much of the evening but whenn we did turn to politics he was a thoughtful and articulate host, backing up his anger with validity. Something quite a few self-professed Bush-haters cannot do.
On MTV.com he says: “With the Bushes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is a very critical election, and these are our protest songs. We ain’t no Dixie Chicks, man. We’re not gonna say, ‘Well, I kinda don’t like Bush’ and then apologise for saying it. We hate this fucker”. Ok, not as articulate as it was back in the TBMC but at least he’s saying it.
For the first time since Lollapalooza the band are to bring their politics on the road. They recently joined forces with Punkvoter.com, and when it tours the U.S. in August it’ll travel with anti-Bush literature and set up a booth with the hope of signing up 100,000 fans to vote. But vote for who? For Kerry? Is he not just more of the same? He hasn’t spoke out (yet) against the re-introduction of the draft and according to [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://pilger.carlton.com/print/133205>”][#006400]John Pilger[/#006400] the differences between the two men are somewhere between slim and none.
Anyway, you have to tip your Stetson at Al, there’s very few bands vocal these days. Here in Ireland, at least acts like Damien Rice and Christy Moore are willing to protest - both headline an Anti-Bush gig in the Point Depot in June - but rock acts willing to stand up and be counted are few and far between. “Where have all the protest songs gone?” asked the Guardian a few weeks back. I dunno, maybe the fact the the record industry is controlled by five companies might have something to do with it… You have to delve deep to find the truth my Grandmother once told me, and MP3 blogs such as those listed on the side bars of the main ones and at Thom’s Blog on [url “http://overheadthealbatross.blogspot.com/<http://www.free-conversant.com/thom/main/2004/05/26>”][#006400]this[/#006400] page are allowing us to do just that.
“I’m doing this because I see the guy still hanging strong in the polls when it’s the most corrupt oligarchy ever to run this country,” Jourgensen concludes. "Bush is really taking the world and throwing it into the toilet, and he’s got his hand on the flusher right now. There comes a time when you just gotta do your part, and if everyone just did a little, there’s no way he would have won the last election. This is a mission, and when I’m done, hopefully I’ll be able to put a banner above us saying, ‘Mission accomplished.’ "
wonder what this is all about: "WTV" is another addition to the Ministry TV series, and is similar to the others, from “Psalm 69” and a rake of b-sides. Fast, furious, psychotic and full of samples, it’s a treat. ( A rare live rehearsal take from the Psalm 69 tour can be found.