No Guilty Pleasures #3: Electric Six's 'Senor Smoke'
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Written by Alec Chillingworth
Everybody knows Danger! High Voltage and everybody knows Gay Bar. They are two songs that have been rubber stamped as pop culture curios thanks to radio overkill, bad karaoke and those music videos. What most people haven’t noticed, though, is that since releasing 'Fire' back in 2003, Electric Six have bashed out a further nine (yes, nine) studio albums.
Since album two, 'Señor Smoke', these loveable Detroit dickheads have been savagely ignored by the music press. That time around, any semblance of mainstream support upped and left, along with four members of the 'Fire' line-up, leaving singer Dick Valentine and keyboard player Tait Nucleus? as the sole original players.
Giving the record a spin nine years later, it's almost incomprehensible that this band were denied a shot at glory. No follow-up was ever going to match the hit-laden, MTV-smashing 'Fire', but this, despite the unbridled rage with which it was greeted back in 2005, is by no means a stinker.
Rock And Roll Evacuation condenses Electric Six's mission statement: chunky riffs, ridiculously over-the-top synth-lines and a bit of honky-tonk piano thrown in for good measure. The band have never been suckers for genre, and 'Señor Smoke' is further proof. There's disco, there's classic rock and even a unique take on heavy metal guitar during Be My Dark Angel.
There's no 'hit' as such, but you’ve still got a plethora of twerkable tunes. Both Future Boys and Dance Epidemic are anthemic, taking the template laid down on 'Fire' and adding more synth.
Electric Six has always been considered Valentine's baby, and 'Señor Smoke' has his signature, push-up powered silliness all over it. “The Jacksons are reuniting and going on tour!' he yelps on Be My Dark Angel, before telling us, in no uncertain terms, 'I'm a man, not a disco ball!' on Future Is The Future. His lines are delivered with bravado and iron-clad self-belief, the man preaching nonsensical rock 'n' roll excess like a cheeseburger-obsessed Mighty Boosh Tom Jones.
Many have a gripe with the band's cover version of Radio Ga Ga. Label pressure or not, it ain't that bad. There are way worse Queen covers out there. Plus, the video is hilarious.
'Señor Smoke' is by no means perfect – the Pleasing Interlude tracks are, in all honesty, utter horseshit - but remove those duds and you have yourself a well-rounded, more than acceptable follow up to the greatest debut album ever recorded [according to Alec - Ed]. Throw away any reservations you may have. Sit back, relax and give in to 'Señor Smoke'. You might like it.
Electric Six Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed November 26 2014 - MANCHESTER Gorilla
Thu November 27 2014 - EDINBURGH Liquid Room
Fri November 28 2014 - BELFAST Limelight
Tue December 02 2014 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Wed December 03 2014 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Thu December 04 2014 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Fri December 05 2014 - LONDON O2 Academy Islington
Sat December 06 2014 - BRIGHTON Concorde 2
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