614. Fishbone - Truth And Soul (1988)

















Track Listing

1. Freddie's Dead
2. Ma and Pa
3. Question of Life
4. Pouring Rain
5. Deep Inside
6. Mighty Long Way
7. Bonin' in the Boneyard
8. One Day
9. Subliminal Fascism
10. Slow Bus Movin' (Howard Beach Party)
11. Ghetto Soundwave
12. Change

Review

Fishbone are a slightly interesting band. There's a lot of mix going on here, Funk, R&B, Metal, Rock, Jazz, Ska etc. But in the end it is less than the sum of its parts. That said it is still a precursor of bands like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

But the album does kind of disappoint, it is never taken to the level that it could. It sounds very promising indeed, but the promise is never fulfilled. Some tracks do almost do it for me, but in the end it doesn't really happen.

So, if you are interested in the development of the east coast scene, or you want that rare thing, an African-American rock band, you should give this a go, but other than that... eh.

Track Highlights

1. Ma and Pa
2. Ghetto Soundwave
3. Frankie's Dead
4. Subliminal Fascism

Final Grade

7/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The album begins with a hard rock version of Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly classic "Freddie's Dead".

The title is derived from the ad agency in Robert Downey Sr.'s film Putney Swope.

Ma and Pa: