Review // Bill Orcutt – A Mechanical Joey

Immortality, such a difficult concept to grasp. As one saying goes, most people don’t know what they would do on a weekend, so they don’t need immortality, but, of course, other takes exist…

One such take is offered by Bill Orcutt (ex-Harry Pussy) on this here record entitled “A Mechanical Joey”. Following the fine tradition of Oneida, Steve Fisk and John Oswald, it sees Joey Ramone locked in an endless “1,2,3,4” chant, endlessly feedbacking into himself and his performance (yes, that’s both sides).

Obviously Joey himself is no longer around to comment on this idea, but this record still generates all kinds of interesting questions. Just how punk is the performance consisting of an endless countdown (not to be confused with the final countdown)? Would anyone want to be live forever if it meant that their voice would end up in a locked groove?

Grating/repetitive as it might sound, this record makes you think – which is more than can you say about other records that merely entertain. You can cook your dinner to it, dance to its screwy rhythm or just put on the headphones and let its unreality seep into your brain. How many records accomplish all three feats at once?

h/t Ivan Zoloto