Search - Biafra, Nomeansno :: Sky Is Falling & I Want My Mommy

An easy listening classic

Andrew Urquhart | West Japan | 12/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jello Biafra has not put out that much in the way of dud material, and this cd is definitely one of his better releases. For some reason, people are harsher about this than his overrated 'Prairie Home Invasion'. (Sorry, I'm a big fan of Jello, as much as Mojo Nixon, but that was not such a great album).



This is much as you would expect of a Jello Biafra album - fruit-loop vocals, heavy pile-driver punk riffs and more parandoid rants than your average David Hasselhoff compilation.



Standout tracks are; 'the Flume', 'the Myth is real, let's Eat' and 'Chew'. The latter being a heartwarming account of mutant super-rats taking over the city subway and feasting on hapless commuters.



To think poor old Jello got beaten up in Frisco for being a 'punk sellout' - who says Americans don't understand the concept of irony . . ."

Awesome, Ugly Math-Rock-Politico-baby-thing

Worgelm | United States | 03/16/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"(4.5 stars) Steaming along at a touch over half an hour, this record feels more epic than it is - probably due to the sequencing of the three longest tracks towards the end. As far as backing musicians, what NoMeansNo may lack in sheer power over previous collaborators D.O.A. they make up in spades with quirky energy and airtight musicianship. Even considering the (relatively speaking) complex epics of _Frankenchrist_ this is the best and tightest group of musicians Mr. Biafra has ever had at his command. And while Jello really isn't stretching himself too much here, spouting off the same paranoid absurdist dystopian scenarios and sociopolitical critiques from the far, far, left, he's adapted his manic vocal delivery enough to match the herky-jerky frantic noodling of NMN. Other than the appropriately-titled "Bad" (credited to the Ramones-worshipping alter-egos of NMN "The Hanson Brothers") all of the tracks are pretty much outstanding. "Bruce's Diary", with its faux Average White Band keyboard horn section and a driving, funky loping beat, is my favorite track, with the slashing, almost King Crimson-esque attack of "Sharks In The Gene Pool" taking a close second. But most of the record is good clean fun, whether its the spare, eerie tale of sewer rat vs. human "Chew" (great chorus, Jello) or the silly but raging log flume tribute "Ride The Flume." The flat raspy production, combined with NMN's ultra-treble aggro guitar tones, adds a perhaps unnecessary harhnesss to some of the record - but you can only contain this energy so much. Highly recommended."