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The Golden Palominos, Part I

Alan Caylow | USA | 04/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The New York studio collective known as The Golden Palominos were well-known for changing musical styles more frequently then people change their clothes. On their 1983 self-titled debut, drummer & group leader Anton Fier reels into the studio some of New York's most well-known, avant-garde jazz-fusion greats, such as Bill Laswell, Fred Frith, Arto Lindsay, and John Zorn. To sum them up in a single sentence, this 1st incarnation of the group sounds like King Crimson times two. It's a very bizarre, eclectic, progressive-sounding hodgepodge of funk, jazz, strange noises, vocal gibberish, and instrumental noodling. The first time I played this album, I was very perplexed---this wasn't the Palominos group I knew and loved from "Pure" and "This Is How It Feels" (and boy, did I miss Lori Carson's lovely voice). But after several more spins, the album finally grew on me. It's pretty trippy stuff and it's not for everybody, but there's no denying how daring & envelope-pushing this original version of the Palominos were. The best stuff on this disc are the funky jams "Clean Plate," "Monday Night," and "I.D.," featuring solid thump-drumming from Fier, Bill Laswell's fat basslines, and Arto Lindsay's weird, off-kilter vocals, while experimental exercises like "Hot Seat" and "Cookout" are also very intriguing. This album would be the Golden Palominos' only trip down the avant-garde jazz-fusion road, as Anton Fier would bring in a whole new set of musicians & singers for the group's next album, the more accessible "Visions Of Excess," including R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Jack Bruce of Cream, and the Sex Pistol's John Lydon. But it all started here---the Golden Palominos' self-titled debut is a very bold album that pulls no punches, and it won't appeal to everyone. But for those who can handle it, there is much to admire."