741. Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy (1993)

Track Listing

1. Shining Hour
2. Jupiter And Teardrop
3. Fuzzy
4. Wish You Well
5. Hook
6. Soft Wolf Tread
7. Stars 'n' Stripes
8. Dixie Drugstore
9. America Snoring
10. Grace
11. You Just Have To Be Crazy


Review

This is one of those rare acquired taste albums. I had read some stuff about Grant Lee Buffalo before but had never heard it, I knew Fuzzy to be particularly mythical with all the celebrity endorsements and stuff. At first I did not get why Michael Stipe would love them so much... but that is exactly why I don't just listen to the albums once... some times they are subtle little things.

So this has now grown steadily into a great album with repeated listening. As you start noticing the lyrics more carefully, as the songs become familiar, as you notice the things he does, it starts to dawn on your just how good it is.

There is something of a country element to the album, although I would hardly call it country music... It is reminiscent of Neil Young at times, other times The Waterboys but it is unlike anything exactly. One of the great highlights are the lyrics, however, complex, narrative and beautiful. Recommended.

Track Highlights

1. Stars 'n' Stripes
2. America Snoring
3. The Hook
4. Dixie Drug Store

Final Grade

9/10


Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Grant Lee Buffalo had an Americana tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music, and often tackled political and social issues in their lyrics (for example, “Lone Star Song” from Mighty Joe Moon references the infamous Waco siege and “Homespun“ from Copperopolis is a critical assessment of modern American society). They toured with major bands of the early-to-mid 1990s such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.

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