Review: Big and Lonely by Psychic Dog

The no-title instrumental opening track blitzes in at 2 minutes and 23 seconds with what we hope is rainwater in the rehearsal space and the onslaught that follows about 45 seconds in, the actual song more like 1:13 in, a riff that barks along with the drums sliding into “So,” the second track. The same riff for another minute and thirty seven seconds, rife with the “f” word it splashes out with feedback, straight into a minute and forty two of “E.”

“E” is a more conventional spy novel guitar with Beastie Boys-styled attitude, something that would have fit nicely on the bill with early Alice Cooper. “Cactus of Love” is country rock gone scat, Steve Tyler’s “Walk This Way” on 78 RPM instead of 45. “Toyota” also blasts along with a reprieve on Rippinanativehearts – a sluggish ballad with sludge and lament. Things brighten up with “Two Beer Minimum,” fun and short and sweet like Richie Parsons’ “Mix Tape” off of his Honey and Tears CD. Parsons own Unnatural Axe would give short punk bursts like Psychic Dog, though their mission was celebrating 50’s science fiction through the chainsaw while Psychic Dog ‘s psychosis flies all over the underground rock map.

Thirty four seconds of “She Like Me” as zany as the conclusion of Scott Daamgard’s new CD Leaving Hyannis with its hidden thirteenth track. “TV Head” might be the lost sequel to Iggy Pop’s “TV Eye” – crunching along with a few afterthought bursts prior to the haunting sounds that create a nice distraction to conclude it. “Long Night” is track 10 on this fifteen title excursion, its military like strike pounding away with its catchy “ready to go, rock and roll” chant. “60 Days” takes you inside the labyrinth of the Psychic Dog mentality (or practice space,) yearning guitar leads under the framework.

“Digital Perm” is clever, something for Mott The Hoople’s Ian Hunter to consider if he ever does a sequel to the Short Back n Sides lp. Great descending guitar line that adds an emphasis to the catchy riff. “Goodhello” – like many tracks on this disc, circles in at 2:32 – under three minutes – and is not Martin Scorsese’s Good Fellows, nor is track 14, “Ends.” Everything on the Big and Lonely CD comes in well under three minutes except for final track, “Psychic Dog,” perhaps the group’s theme song and best on the disc. The howling primal scream with Black Sabbath inspired riffs – the song “Black Sabbath” by the band Black Sabbath – deep inside the halfway point of the song “Psychic Dog” by the band Psychic Dog.

Check out Big and Lonely by Psychic Dog on Bandcamp.com

 

Joe Viglione is the Chief Film Critic at TMRZoo.com. He has written thousands of reviews and biographies for AllMovie.com, Allmusic.com, Gatehouse Media, Al Aronowitz’s The Blacklisted Journal, and a variety of other media outlets. Joe also produces and hosts Visual Radio, a seventeen year old variety show on cable TV which has interviewed Jodie Foster, director/screenwriter David Koepp, Michael Moore, John Cena, comics/actors Margaret Cho, Gilbert Gottfried, Gallagher, musicians Mark Farner and Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad, Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, political commentator Bill Press and hundreds of other personalities.