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FOR COMING CLEAN (GARY LUCAS & GODS AND MONSTERS):
"A BAND OF NEW WAVE ALL-STARS IN THE TRADITION OF HIS LEGENDARY GROUP
WITH JEFF BUCKLEY...Unlike most axe wizards, the eclectic Lucas doesn't
allow his guitar pyrotechnics—which range from Leo Kottke-Jerry
Garcia-style bluegrass vamping on songs like "Fata Morgana" and the
dobro-esque delta strum in his cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Ain't Got
You" to the searing solo in the title track or the spot-on British
Invasion psychedelia of "Land's End"—to get in the way of his lush
melodies. One of the music world's best-kept secrets. He may have
Ivy-league credentials but Gary Lucas isn't afraid to get down and
dirty."
"THIS CD IS A KEEPER. On "Coming Clean" Gary Lucas dives into both the
singer and the songwriter role and does a masterful job waving in and
out of various genres from the mellow 'Follow' to the heavy reverb
rockabilly cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Ain't Got You' to the full on
blues of 'Under My Wing'. Phish fans should dig 'Hurly Burly' while the
vocals of Richard Barone give 'Land's End' a major hook which should
grab on first listen. Another notable track is 'One Man's Meat', which
features New York Dolls vocalist David Johansen and has a saxophone
freakout that would win solid marks from John Zorn."
| EAST COAST ROMPER BLOG, 2/2007 |
"GARY LUCAS & GODS AND MONSTERS OFFERS ROOTSY, HARD-GROOVIN' ROCK GOOSED BY THE LEADER'S ECLECTIC GUITAR VIRTUOSITY. THE BAND'S LATEST, 'COMING CLEAN' (MIGHTY QUINN) FEATURES THE USUAL ART-ROCK ALL-STARS—MODERN LOVERS BASSIST ERNIE BROOKS, SWANS DRUMMER JONATHAN KANE, AND TELEVISION'S BILLY FICCA—PLUS PLENTY OF LUCAS'S SMOKY CROONING AND FIERY STRUMS."
| TIME OUT NEW YORK, 1/2007 |
"GARY LUCAS IS ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST ORIGINAL
GUITARISTS IN AMERICA—A MASTER SYNTHESIST OF DEEP BLUES, AVANT-ROCK
AND MADRIGAL-LIKE FOLK WHO WAS A VITAL MEMBER OF CAPTAIN BEEFHEART'S
LATE-PERIOD MAGIC BAND AND AN EARLY MUSICAL PARTNER OF THE LATE JEFF
BUCKLEY. LUCAS IS ALSO A SONGWRITER OF ESTABLISHED INVENTION—HE
CO-WROTE BUCKLEY'S SIGNATURE SONGS 'GRACE' AND 'MOJO PIN'—AND HIS
LATEST ALBUM 'COMING CLEAN' MADE WITH HIS BAND GODS AND MONSTERS IS
AN ACTION-PACKED INTEGRATION OF HIS GIFTS. HE PLAYS ASTOUNDING GUITAR
THROUGHOUT, BUT ALWAYS FOR THE SAKE OF THE SONG."
| ROLLING STONE, 11/16/2006 |
"4 STARS—LUCAS' SONGS CARRY HIS CHARACTERISTIC
WARMTH AND WIT...AND THE BAND—WHICH FEATURES BILLY FICCA FROM
TELEVISION ON DRUMS, EX-MODERN LOVER ERNIE BROOKS' BASS, AND
ONE-TIME TALKING HEAD JERRY HARRISON ON PRODUCTION DUTIES—ARE A
FORMIDABLE UNIT. HIS GUITAR PLAYING IS SUPERB THROUGHOUT—WHEN HE
LETS FLY IT'S BREATHTAKING."
"4 STARS—HIS PLAYING CAN BARELY BE CONTAINED, SPEEDING AND BURNING
WITH INTENSITY AT ALL TIMES."
"4 STARS—RISK-TAKING HAS LONG BEEN A FULL TIME
JOB FOR GARY LUCAS. GODS AND MONSTERS ARE A SUPERGROUP FROM THE NEW
YORK UNDERGROUND IN MUCH MORE THAN NAME. 'COMING CLEAN' TREATS ALL
WHO VENTURE ITS WAY TO AN UNSETTLING RIDE THROUGH A LANDSCAPE OF
EXPRESSIONISTIC BLUES CREATIONS, ART-ROCK, AND BURSTS OF RAMPANT
PSYCHEDELIA. REVELATORY IS THE WORD."
| RECORD COLLECTOR (UK), 12/2006 |
"Lucas' compositions are crazy and Zappa-esque and will especially
excite guitar fans with a sound spectrum ranging from raw acoustic
playing to Cinemascope."
Music: 7
Sounds: 7
| STEREOPLAY (Germany), 2/2008 |
Psychedelic Singer/Songwriter-Artrock
Gary Lucas & Gods and Monsters
Coming Clean
"Eclectic psychedelic art rock with singer/songwriter moments is
what to expect with Innovator Gary Lucas (very multi-faceted as a
guitarist and much in demand as a special guest!) No wonder, with
associates from the ranks of Television, the Modern Lovers and the
Swans, not to mention Jerry Harrison as producer. "
"With songs like 'One Man's Meat,' we think that any candidate for
suicide could be dissuaded from killing himself. And all
nostalgics dissuaded from their lamenting."
5 out of 5
| WOM MAGAZIN (Germany), 2/2008 |
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