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FOR OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY:
"4 STARS—THIS FOLLOW-UP TO THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED 'EDGE OF
HEAVEN' SHOWS LUCAS ATTACKING EVERYTHING FROM PUNK TO FOLK...often
referred to as a 'former collaborator' of the Three B's (Beefheart,
Bernstein and Buckley), this compilation should help finally put him in
the spotlight...confirms him as the psychedelic guitarist for the
post-modern set...the perfect introduction."
"4 STARS—THERE'S ONLY ONE MEMBER OF THE GARY LUCAS SCHOOL OF GUITAR
HISTRIONICS: GARY LUCAS. Sylistically dissimilar but equally bonkers
mavericks might include Dave Fiucynski, Roy Buchanan, Vinni Reilly, but
even they'd be hard pressed to match the 'Man with a Thousand
Ideas'....this collection features Lucas in even more pyrotechnic,
psychedelic mode. This is not Lucas in sideman guise—not that Lucas ever
was really a sideman: he just put on his own show alongside the likes of
the good Captain or the equally unique Mary Margaret O'Hara...the man
can't be beat: he's a brain-box axe man in excelsis, Page, Beck, Roy
Harper and Blind Willie Johnson rolled into one. If you want
virtuosity, passion and the downright weird speared to a righteous anger,
'Operators are Standing By' is for you."
"EVIDENCE THAT LUCAS, DESPITE HIS PAST WORK WITH BEEFHEART, BUCKLEY AND
JOAN OSBORNE, IS NOBODY'S SIDEMAN. It's also proof that he's got a sense
of humor. His playing speaks volumes whether through a calming sea of
loops and delayed tones, raw distortion, or his speedy and elegant slide
playing. There's a killer version of Pink Floyd's 'Astronomy Domine,' where
Lucas builds a wall of feedback, splitting the difference between Syd
Barrett amd Jimi Hendrix. And 'Theme from East Enders' plays canny games
with vibrato and intonation to make his guitar's sound – which is always
big and focused – shimmy. A very good introduction to the solo work of
this underrated player and songwriter. 3 STARS."
| Boston Phoenix and Portland Phoenix, 5/2003 |
"SMART COLLECTION OF THE FORMER CAPTAIN BEEFHEART GUITARIST'S SETS."
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