A Review of "The Brain Surgeons- Piece of Work"

A quick glance at the cover of the 1999 BRAIN SURGEONS release "Piece of Work" shows a laughing man with 2 right hands. I find this appropriate in many ways because when compared to mainstream music of the 90's, the sound this band can generate is weird and unique enough to seem as if it came from someone with two right hands. Make that two very talented right hands that is. Two right hands of sheer genius.

"Piece of Work" is the fifth album from this distinctive band from New York, and with 22 songs covering two CD's, it's their most ambitious undertaking yet. With the first CD labeled simply "Piece" and the second, naturally, called "Work", Albert Bouchard and company once again pull together a sound like no other band can. "Piece of Work" is produced by drummer/vocalist Albert Bouchard and vocalist Deborah Frost, with additional production and mix by Paul Special, the same evenly meshed set of gears that brought us the 1996 Brain Surgeons release "Box of Hammers" (this reviewer's favorite Brain Surgeons album........ so far).

The album kicks off with "Biloxi", an acappella tune that immediately brings to mind the band's cover of "Love Potion #9" off their first album, "Eponymous", from 1994. In fact, the quirky and offbeat "Eponymous" album is what "Piece of Work" reminds me of the most. Over the years the band has touched upon many different musical styles, proving that they can cover the full music spectrum and twist any particular sound to fit the Brain Surgeons sound, and on "Piece of Work" they make this clearer yet. Upon its ending, "Biloxi" gives way to "Rain, Rain", a Frost vocaled song with a laid back feel, and some simply excellent bass playing by bassist David Hirschberg.

As with most albums by this band, there really seems to be no duplication and rehashing of sound. Where some bands unfortunately sound like they take track one and rearrange a few chords to make track two and so on, to the point where it all starts to sound the same, the Brain Surgeons always give us the impression that once they manipulate a particular sound and make it work brilliantly for them, that they are hungry to attempt something new. "Pink Roses" with its eerie tones and whisper-like hiss of Deb Frost vocals, sounds like something that might sound at home in the dream sequence of a David Lynch movie, and "Madame X Factor" has Albert Bouchard coming across like a bizarre cross between a sophisticated socialite and a James Bond villain. "On the Road (again)", a song co-penned by Richard Meltzer, features a killer sax and some funky keyboards, both integrated flawlessly with a driving guitar riff. Groundbreaking stuff from this band, as they prove once again that there is no convenient category for them to be filed under.

So how's the guitar work on "Piece of Work"? Well, as with most Brain Surgeons albums, it is top shelf. Guitarists Peter Bohovesky and Billy Hilfiger show us that while there are some unusual sounds to be found on the album, that the guitar is the core of the Brain Surgeons sound. The ballad "More Than Truth" features a haunting and memorable guitar lead, and the carefree and amusing tune "Hot dog Man" features a bluesy guitar set to a fun and bouncy beat. "Swamp Thing" has the band experimenting with a style that puts me in mind of the southern band "Blackfoot", and "Last Angry Woman" (which could easily be the best track on the album, in my humble opinion of course) has Deb Frost showing why she loans out her voice on weekends to peel wallpaper. Frost sounds tough and snarly, which adds to the feel of this cool and crunchy song. Fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd will recognize the opening chords of their classic "Simple Man", but aside from the brilliant and moving guitar work, all similarities end there. While musically the cover is fairly straight forward, it's the unique presence of Bouchard/Frost vocals that turn this song 180 degrees, making it sound like nothing that could ever have come out of a Van Zant brother.

But that is just scratching the surface, making this a damn difficult review to write. Nothing short of sitting someone in a chair and just PLAYING each and every track for them would suffice as a review for this magnum opus of an album. Do you like drum solos? "Prince Albert in the Cans" has one. Do you like screechy guitars that push your stereo tweeters to the edge? "Rock and Roll is Dead" is just what you've ordered. Acoustic strumming? "Billy's song". A driving beat, and a jamming solo? "Victory Boulevard". No matter what order you place, the Brain Surgeons deliver it piping hot to your ravenous eardrums.

The album closes with a much different version of "Lady of the Harbor", a song that originally appeared in acoustic form on the band's limited (VERY limited) cassette called "Pull the plug", which is a nice closing to the album. The song eventually goes into a replay of the opening track "Biloxi", yet sounding as if it's being played back on an old scratched and tinny vinyl recording with very little sound depth, and deeply worn grooves. The album goes full circle, and in the end the Surgeons have impressed the hell right out of me, once again.

As the decade known as the 90s draws to a rapid close, one can only wonder what kind of music will typify the decade that is rushing up to meet us. New sounds and new styles (the two seem to go hand in hand in these MTV dominated times) will almost certainly rise and fall. Some will have staying power, some will be flashes in the pan, and others will simply make us shake our heads and make us ask the eternal question, "Why?".

But the Brain Surgeons will continue painting masterpieces, with 2 right hands.

Robert "Torgo" Sedler

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