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Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
 Posted - 11/27/2003 : 03:34:30
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Another review - Frank and the Breeders mentioned:
Various Artists
Wig In A Box
2003 Off Records
Time was, cool people didn't worry about being "metrosexual." They were just sexual (or perhaps "deca-sexual," as described in CREEM’s August 1973 cover story). Hedwig And The Angry Inch recreated those glamtastic days first on the stage and then on the big screen. Now, this charity album features the songs of Hedwig performed by a variety of artists.
Every rocker I know has a part inside that feels small or ugly or otherwise out of place in this world. At its best, rock ’n’ roll culture helps people turn that freaky inside into a flamboyant and beautiful outside. I know Jeffrey Morgan and Richard Riegel might make fun of me when I say that's what I enjoyed about Almost Famous—it reminded me of the transformative power of rock. And that's the thing about Hedwig that has always appealed to me. The beauty of of Hedwig is that it isn't really about sex or queerness or transgender anything. It's about humans trying to connect with each other. It’s about filling spiritual holes, not the other kind.
Wig in a Box transcends the average tribute album because the artists on it get that spiritual dimension. It’s filled with brilliant performances, from the opening Rufus Wainright take on "Origin of Love" to the full-throttle Sleater Kinney/Fred Schneider rendition of "Angry Inch." There’s a blast of Pixie-dust in the middle of the record, as Frank Black does a lascivious version of "Sugar Daddy" and the Breeders offer a tear-jerking version of "Wicked Little Town." The Polyphonic Spree prove that they know what rock opera is all about with their grand, broad take on "Wig in a Box." There’s a even a great cut by trio of fellows I’m generally not fond of—Ben Kweller Ben Folds and Ben Lee (but where’s Ben Dover?).
This disc is chock-full of songs that get stuck in your head, and it’s got emotional content out to there, making it a worthy purchase. Plus, it’s a charity record—proceeds will go to The Hetrick Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk School. For more information, visit the organization's Web site at www.hmi.org.
—Brian J. Bowe
November 2003
No man is an island, unless he is in the bath |
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Erebus
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1834 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2003 : 15:11:33
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here's a positive review from popmatters.com, with a line about Frank's effort.
Wig in a Box: Songs from and Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(Off)
US release date: 28 October 2003
UK release date: 20 October 2003
by Andrew Gilstrap
PopMatters Associate Music Editor
Hedwig and the Angry Inch gained some attention because, first of all, it's a rock musical -- what could be more self-indulgent than that? And sure, it gained attention because of its subject matter: the tale of a kinda post-operative transsexual's rock star dreams. But what kept it in the public eye was the simple fact that the story was fascinating and the songs were good. Underneath all the trappings that people could easily latch onto -- the glam influences, the sight of Hedwig in that wig, the animation of whales with legs -- were powerful songs that effectively conveyed the complexities of Hedwig's story.
With Wig in a Box, some pretty big names pay homage, and for a good cause. All profits from the sale of Wig in a Box go to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which (in its own words) is "the oldest and largest not-for-profit, multi-service agency dedicated to serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth, providing a broad range of vital programming including: Educational services in the Harvey Milk School; individual, group, and family counseling, concrete services and case management for homeless and at-risk teenagers." In the case of this particular record, proceeds shouldn't be a problem: this is one of the liveliest, most vital tribute records in recent memory.
Rufus Wainwright kicks things off with "The Origin of Love", the Hedwig universe's mythological retelling of how the sexes were once combined, before jealous and fearful gods split them apart. Wainwright's sigh of a version is faithful to the original in terms of its keen sense of drama and epic scope. Jonathan Richaman's reprise, which closes the album, favors a more subdued, acoustic delivery. Both work, though; Wainwright's rendition gets you amped up for what's to come, and Richman's mildly celebratory take brings you back down to earth.
In between, you have Sleater-Kinney and the B-52s' Fred Schneider mustering all their vitriol to explain the meaning of "The Angry Inch", an unfettered Frank Black creating a perversely catch mix of country lope and needly, rockabilly guitar in "Sugar Daddy", and the Polyphonic Spree delivering a stately, fairly restrained (for them) take on the show tune stylings of "Wig in a Box". Your enjoyment of Bob Mould's electronica-driven version of "Nailed" probably comes down to whether you enjoyed his last album, but to these ears it holds a groove pretty well with several interesting changes in tempo. Spoon do a fine job of adapting "Tear Me Down" to their ramshackle aesthetic, and the Bens' (Kweller, Folds, and Lee) poppy but plaintive take on "Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version)" complements the Breeders' gentle, understated "(Hedwig Version)" earlier on the record.
An unexpected surprise comes in the form of "Milford Lake", a new track by Hedwig creators Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell. The song starts off as an evocation of small town life, clarifies into thoughts of personal regret (imagery from the town's history of floods gives way to lyrics like "water washes away many things / But I can't come clean" and "We're gonna drown"). The song's a really nice touch that adds a subtle new layer to the Hedwig story.
All in all, there's little to complain about with Wig in a Box. Trask and Mitchell were reportedly working on two new songs for the disc -- "The Water Song" and "U.F.O.'s". "The Water Song" may very well be "Milford Lake", and hopefully any other songs will soon see the light of day. The disc also nearly had Dolly Parton as a participant, and that would have been an interesting listen, to say the least. As it stands, though, Wig in a Box is a worthy tribute to a strong piece of work, one that seems to gain new converts and appreciation each time it's experienced.
— 19 November 2003
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