Search - Stick Men :: Insatiable

You didn't even have to be there

skip heller | los angeles | 02/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"lots of times, when you were around something you thought was somehow quite special and you try to explain it, the last sentence is "I guess you had to be there". With the Stickmen record, however, you really truly get to hear what made this Philadelphia's most intense band -- something somewhere between Blood Ulmer, the Minutemen, the Contortions, and too much coffee. They were the best local band of the early eighties, and, for my money (what little I had then), theirs was the best indie record to come out of Philadelphia. No Philly made-in-Philly product since has come close for intensity, originality, and plain old greatness. The Stickmen were and are my favorite thing about the good old days."

Stickman Jams

J. Wood | NYC, NY United States | 02/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was nearly 20 years ago. 1982, actually when I first encountered the Stickmen. They were, at the time, one of the hottest bands in the Northeast. What were the Stickmen? Imagine James Brown on speed with a quasi-punk dash here and a spark of what the Red Hot Chili Peppers would discover later- there.Seeing the Stickmen live was a complete experience. They would pack every venue, the Danceteria, the Hot Club, Ease Side Club. You name it- they were shoulder to shoulder to watch Pete Baker, thin as a rail and flaling across the stage doing dance moves that only James Brown could appreciate. Jim Meneses would pound out the rhythm. Beth Stack also sang and created the most interesting sounds that a 1980 syth could generate. Bill "bad claw" Bradfield- one of the best bass players that I have ever seen. And Chuck 'chooman" Mattern on the trumpet. The rhythm was strong and short. The music popped and breaked every few notes. If was funk, it was punk and it was new and inovative.'Insatiable' is the collection of remastered tracks from the previous two Stickmen LPs. All of the songs are from those golden days of music from 1981-1983. With the 22 tracks, including the hits 'Master Brew', 'Mystery Party', 'Level Head', 'Caged Sex' and 'Funky Hayride' this CD comes with a 22 minute Quicktime video which features live footage from three different Stickmen concerts.If you liked the inovativness from the "rock of the 80s", and if you really enjoyed "Yesterday's now music, today", then the Stickmen are a real treat. "Get on board - it's a funky hayride.""