Search - The Mekons :: The Curse of the Mekons/F.U.N. '90

They were alt-country when alt-country wasn't cool . . .

J. Greg Clark | Atlanta, GA United States | 04/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Magic, fear and superstition, this is the curse of the Mekons." So begins this stellar 1991 follow-up to the brilliant, but doomed-to-obscurity "The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll." Here, the band slows the tempo while losing none of their hard-won cynicism about the music business. Gems abound: the accordion/guitar driven "The Curse," Sally Timms' galactic cowgirl turns on "Wild & Blue," the lovely sneer called "Brutal." If you don't know them, please turn in your credentials as a hipster and enjoy your Dave Matthews CDs. Comes with the fun "Fun '90" EP, complete with weird vocal by Lester Bangs and heartfelt Band cover."

Bizarre and brilliant

David Hovemeyer | College Park, MD USA | 07/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mekons tell it like it is. The bleak message of Curse of the Mekons is not the snide cynicism of so much of the "alternative" music of recent years. Rather, it's a ringing condemnation of the erosion of human values as the capitalist and technological machine of modern life marches onwards. The Mekons must have tapped a very raw nerve indeed to make this record. I think the mood is summarized best on "Sorcerer": "miraculous and magical / his world is also demonic / terrifying, swinging / wildly out of control".Musically, this is one of their best efforts. "Wild and Blue" is beautiful and poignant. "Secrets" and "Nocturne" are dark and enigmatic. "Lyric" is incredibly anguished. "100% Song" is irreverant and witty. Strains of country and folk are much in evidence.This edition also contains the EP "Fun '90": although almost impossible to categorize, it somehow makes a fitting companion to Curse."

(sigh) yet another rave review of the Mekons

Daniel Plonsey | El Cerrito, California | 08/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Part of the Mekons mythology is that despite being a band beloved by critics, they nevertheless fail to achieve commercial or popular success. This is an incredible album. (Why? Great voices (Tom, Sally), guitars, cynical political lyrics, a good range of style, creaky instruments in the background which add humor, depth and humanity to the foreground clash of stadium rock with punk). Presumably me saying so only dooms them to greater failure. Somehow, although I can assure you that this is one of the great rock records of all time, you, in reading this, will be convinced not to purchase it, although you had been leaning towards doing so. This is the theory of the Curse of the Mekons. But is it the Mekons who are cursed or cursing?"