Vol. 1: I
No. Title Length
1. "Track 1" 0:54
2. "Track 2" 14:51
3. "Track 3" 2:58
4. "Track 4" 2:31
5. "Track 5" 0:41
6. "Track 6" 15:02
7. "Track 7" 1:44
8. "Track 8" 5:33
Total length:
44:19
Track 1, given the cheery nickname "Sonic Slaughter", is a welcome to the next 9.5 hours. If you've reached your breaking point already, thanks for playing and try again next time. If you've made it past the first minute, track 2, "Pollywogs Dancing on a Quilt of Faces" , is the true welcome to your experience with the set.
Funky rhythms, soul-searching guitar squeals, and a beautiful melody that transforms over the next 14 minutes... this is your first keeper. Put a star next to this one. You will want to revisit this jam with your children someday. With delicate sweeps and Jimi dives around the 5:00 marker, my pants are creamed and I'm having a cigarette. Tears of joy start soon after. And don't think you'll escape from the weirdness and the shreddy because he's flashing back to "For Mom". This is all wrapped up together. You get the good with the great.
11:15-12:12 Aw damn what the hell IS this awesomeness he wails? And it hardly takes but 30 seconds downtime before Buck is ready to go full-bore whacko for the outro. 30 seconds left? Oh yea, let's calm back down for a moment.... ahhh.....
Track 3, "Jengamoose" is something like a flanger heavy, electronic, heaven versus hell showdown. Couple that with some slick, quick licks from the Buck and some snazzy jazziness and this makes for a fairly fun track when you're feeling like being a goofball. More cowbell as well. It only adds to the fun. So Buck takes it away with a melancholy riff to end 'er.
"Appenzel Pointed Hood Hen"" is Buckethead dicking around. Especially so. It's got a couple fun licks, and it does seem to tell the story of the hen from the title. In bleeps and bloops from Buck that sound like a bagpiped army. And dramatic overtones. This is a weird one.
and "Trail of Misconception" is a bland, hardly noticeable 45 second interlude which only serves as a stopper to prepare for the onslaught that is:
"Sourced Autonomy". This track is an aural assault. There are two tracks to pay attention to. One is the overbearingly shreddy side and the other is playing strange pinch harmonics and chords, and generally a slower counterpoint to his own shredding. Sometimes he meets up with himself and he shreds it side by side with himself. But it's most interesting hearing the shred half juxtaposed with his slower side. The drums are nothing to argue with about at all, as well. It is up to you to decide if you love this track or hate it, but I must warn, this isn't your typical throwaway shred jam. Yes, Buck. does make those. No, this isn't it. But, I do understand how in-your-face this track comes. Check the clock. He's not even halfway done. Is this done in one take? Is he setting a Guiness World Record for most notes played in 15 minutes? I give this a 4.5/5 for being unpresentable to sane people. I play it by myself all the time, but I know many folks who would be ripping eyeballs out by 7:30 (mine or their own...well, they'd take their ears out). When the shred gets overbearing, remind yourself you can block that out (it's so incessant) and focus on the drums and alternate guitar work. Which is what I recommend anyway, because it's quirky. Ears... bleeding... Somebody give Buckethead a damn trophy already.
"Transmission Miscommunication" is a personal outro from the 15 minutes of shred. And it's weird enough to send those too weak to go on, packing. Very interesting piece, though, as an interlude. With headphones, it brings to mind images of being assaulted by monkeys in a research facility ... coupled with screaming!
and our first volume of thirteen comes to a close with a nice piece called "Angiobanjiplasti". There's a lot going on here. And you're never sure why, and I doubt you could guess what insane angle they will throw in to make your expectations for the song worthless as it progresses. I'll tell ya the guitar solo took me by surprise, but that warbling can't be messed with. His tone is something straight from a basement water heater closet. This one track crosses into many territories. It's sort of a ... "Here's what else we have up our sleeves over the next 8.5 hours...
Instrumental avant-garde storytelling. Insanity. Guitar solo. Back to scenescaping.
Tell me how you'd describe this track. I mean I can't really put it to words very well...that's why Buck tells the story with music
but I enjoy being invited into such a strange world, don't you?
Hang on, this is just the beginning!