Search - Volcano Suns :: The Bright Orange Years

Great reissue of solid debut

ifutureman | NJ | 01/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Better late than never, the first two Volcano Suns albums have finally been released on CD!



Fans of Mission of Burma were in for a bit of a surprise when "The Bright Orange Years" was released in 1985. Drummer/vocalist Peter Prescott's most recognizable contributions to M.O.B.'s sound were his chaotic drumming style and his spirited bellowing. Prescott only wrote a handful of tunes in Mission of Burma, and these songs offered little in the way of hooks or melodies. Once he formed the Volcano Suns (where he doubled as drummer and lead singer/songwriter), Prescott began churning out one catchy song after another. Flanked by guitarist Jon Williams and bassist Jeff Wiegand, Prescott refined his still formidable holler by allowing himself to actually sing in between his trademark bouts of yelling. The result was a brawny, rugged sound that was equal parts grunge (before that whole genre even developed), psychedelia and sensitivity.



"Jak" and especially "Balancing Act" reveal the tender side of the Volcano Suns. Meanwhile, tracks like "Silvertone" and "The Mouth That Roared" show that this trio knew how to deliver a good riff. Elsewhere, the band cuts loose with some musical freakouts that point towards the future.



Unfortunately, even the outstanding remastering job by Bob Weston (who ended up joining the Suns after their second album) can only do so much to bring life to a low-budget recording. Prescott's drums in particular sound a bit muddy throughout.



On the other hand, the bonus tracks are real treats. Not only is the live staple "Greasy Spine" finally available, there are several early versions of songs that would later appear on the "Bumper Crop" and "Farced" albums (which are sadly out of print at this time), as well as a killer live version of "Testify."



I've always suspected that the main reason the Volcano Suns never really hit it big was a combination of timing (they would have been huge if they'd been part of the early 90's Seattle Sub-Pop scene) and the fact that the drummer was the lead singer. Image wise, that's always been a tough sell. It was nice for a guy like me who got to see them in little clubs in Boston, but a shame for the rest of the world. Now is everyone's chance to check out what they've been missing!"

Don't buy this...

Jeffrey Weigand | 02/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't buy this record....we would spend the extra cash on crystal meth and political influence donations...so just please stay away..."

A predecessor of lo-fi, a successor to post-punk: indie rock

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first LP, reissued with bonus tracks, continues Mission of Burma's intense, postpunk assault. It eases up, with drummer Peter Prescott, through levity. The liner notes insert the band for "Evel Knievel" as a potted biography! The songs chatter about cornfields, malaise, and lassitude. They combine a subtle intelligence with a good-natured prickliness.



This album, when I heard it on vinyl way back, captured the early-80s college rock scene for me. Listening to it on the Bob Weston-remastered version, it sounds muddier than I remembered. It surely was originally recorded on the cheap, and indie music does belong in the less-than-pristine audiophile category! Yet, compared to the successor, "All-Night Lotus Party," (also reviewed by me) what it lacks in punch it adds in consistency.



Most listeners favor the follow-up VS LP, but for me the début controls the mood a bit better. The tracks do tend towards a churning, shifting, but sonic sameness, a feature also of some MoB and Prescott's later Kustomized. The best song, the third, is an instrumental that strongly recalls MoB; the vocals lack the clarity of the second LP, but as I tend not to find these as the band's strong point, this may not be a drawback. The mix is not as crisp as "Lotus Party," but again this probably can be accounted for by the source and the equipment. Pavement and 90s Matador Records lo-fi fans may find their bands' own inspiration here, by the way! All in all, if you're wanting to hear an accurate record of how alternative, non-mainstream rock sounded in Reagan's first administration, this is a good choice.



I'd been waiting a long time for this on CD. It works today for me as background tone more than foreground music to fill a space. This may have not been the intention of the band when they made it a quarter-century ago, but it does serve to show how a bright bunch of Bostonians can combine the intelligence of MoB with the more shambling, small-town affability that Prescott's lineups have emphasized. And, the addition of many bonus songs, culminating with Prince's then-far-off paean to "1999," does keep the party spirit alive for the more rockin' eggheads and brainiacs."