U.S. MAPLE

After 'Acre Thrills' the bands drummer Pat Samson left the band and Adam Vida joined in his place. If I hadn't known it, I wouldn't have noticed it, because Adam seemed to embrace Pat's a-rhythmic style perfectly. This album was recorded by multi-instrumentalist John McEntire and musician Jeremy Lemons, when all the band members took the producer duties. The soundworld is as 'produced' as it's in 'Acre Thrills'. Anyway bands is still very live sounding and no overdubs seemed not make. Wikipedia says this album has more conventional song structures, instrumentation and singing. Well, it's partly true, but this is really long away from conventional still. More about album describes Al's comment that 'band intend to make an album of love songs, but their intention went unnoticed'.

'My Lil Shocker' starts album with melodic, but weird guitar, soon there comes drums with straighforward beat and Al's typical asthmatic vocals. The beginning reminds little bit Trumans Water, but in the middle the song structure breaks in very typical U.S. Maple way. 'Sweet & Center' is the most melodic U.S. Maple song. But it also has a great complexity. 'Oh Below' takes the album into very weird blues direction. 'I'm Just a Bag' comes back to the earlier, quite chaotic direction. But in 'Dumb In the Wings' 'blues'-mood comes back. It starts with dark, strumling guitar, but intensity rises in the middle of the song. Vinyl b-side starts with 'Favors Are Weird' that is again more aggressive, earlier style song. But 'Whoopee Invander' brings back more serene, melodic line. Have to say it has also some Beefheart and is one the greatest songs in this album. Then comes almost conventional version of Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay', but in very U.S. Maple way it sounds like it will break any moment. 'Tan Loves Blue' is also the highlights of this album in very great Beefheart-style rhythms and guitar- chords. 'Touch Me Judge' ends album really great way with it's strumming rhythm and melodic guitars. Also banjo in it sounds just fine.

This album is musically somewhere between 'Talker' and 'Acre Thrills'. With 'Long Hair In Three Stages' and 'Acre Thrills' it's the greatest albums of this very extraordinary band! But I can't say it's still a masterpiece, as also bands other albums it's still missing something, although also this album will open more with more listenings. After this album band went into hiatus and we haven't heard nothing about it. Really shame, there are not many these kind of bands in today.

— First review of this album —

After making great debut U.S. Maple was a little bit lost in it's next two albums. But in this their fourth album they really found the 'clue'. In this album they went much more melodic direction, maybe also little bit more math direction. This album was produced by Brian Paulson, who has produced albums from the eighties, but probably is mostly known from Wilco's albums. This is the most produced from these four first albums, there is even echo used in some vocal tracks. But I believe it's still played live in the studio.

'Ma, Digital' has very melodic guitars, but very typical chaotic drums. Al is almost singing. Towards the end drums start to play rhythm. In 'Babe' there is rhythm almost the whole song, guitars are quite tickling but have also melodies. 'Rice Ain't Afraid Of Nothing' is really melodic, drums just hit simple hits. In previous album there was one 'Untitled' song, here's is two. First one is really Beefheart style, quite melodic instrumental with amp noise ending. 'Obey Your Concert' reminds really much Beefhearts 'Ice Cream for Crow'-album. 'Total Fruit Warning' continues in very same mood, but has also some Hendrix-style guitar playing. 'Open a Rose' has really great tom-tom drumplaying, but other guitar is really disturbing in this while other is again melodic. In 'Make Your Bedroom Great' direction goes calmer. 'Chang, You're Attractive' it's even calmer, it's kind of love song in U.S: Maple, don't really know was Chang impressed. 'Troop & Trouple' has marching drums and really great melodic guitars again. Another 'Untitled' has amp noise in the beginning, but changes into quite math instumental.

If Beefheart had sung this album, it would have been he's last album after 'Ice Cream for Crow'. This album is really good starter, if you want to listen U.S. Maple. It's MUST to all Beefheart-fans, but I believe all RIO/Avant fans will like this! I think at the moment this is their best album, but anyway I don't think it's masterpiece. Really wait to hear their final album!

— First review of this album —

In 1998 U.S. Maple was in tours, but also changed it label to Drag City at least partly from the influence of their former producer Jim O`Rourke. But Jim didn't produce their next album in 1999, it was Michael Gira, the leader of the post-industrial rock band Swans. Anyway he's influence wasn't as big as I thought, this album is sounding still very organic and live, as bands two earlier albums. It had said to be darker and sparser comparing their earlier records. Well those earlier are not also very cheerful albums, but I think this is all the way quieter album. I don't think this album also was a huge seller when it came, but anyway I found much more reviews from it in the internet than from the second album.

'Bumbs & Guys' start album with tickling, quiet guitars. But somewhere in the middle comes hard drum beats and guitars also change wilder and Al starts he's very recognizable vocals. Next 'Running From Kabob' starts also quiet and stays that way. 'Go To Bruises' is the first one with clear Beefheart-influences in all instruments. 'More Horror' starts with slow marching style drums with very gloomy guitars, but has noisy & horrified parts. Next 'Apollo, Don't You Crust' has same kind of structure. 'Breeze, It's Your High Schools', 'Stupid Indoors' & 'Untitled' have all quite stormy beginnigs, but really great, calm endings. Last 'So Long Bonus' is the greatest piece in this album including again lots of Beefheart-influences in whole bands playing.

I liked this album much more than their second album, but on the other hand it didn't rise in the level of first album. All the way this album is much more listeneable than the second one, but it also lacks a little bit catchy songs. More listenings will do good and I abslolutely will listen this more! This is higly recommended to those, who want to listen same kind of music that's in the Beefhearts Trout, Lick My Decals, Doc & Ice Cream, although this will not rise into level of those.

— First review of this album —

After getting positive reviews from their first album U.S. Maple went into tour to Europe. In that tour they also recorded a session in the famous John Peel radio show. It was 1997 when they started to record their second album. The producer was again Jim O`Rourke, who is known by the Drag City-label and also as a member of Sonic Youth. To me it sounds both these two albums are recorded live in the studio as their "soulmates" Trumans Water has done their albums. This album sounds many ways the same as their first, but they have gone into even more experimental direction.

In "Coming Back To Dammit" song starts almost like a normal song, but soon drums stop and start again one time, after that the rest song is really freeform. "Songs That Have No Making Out" has at first very stucking beat, then it changes also really freeform. In the end there are just tickling guitars. "La Click" is one of my favourites with stucking beat and very Beefheart-like guitar chord. Al is almost singing (he still has that very lung sickness style in his vocals). "Mountain Top" is really free form piece and my least favourite. "Untitled" is very short, calm piece and gives a little rest to listener. "Missouri Twist" really haven´t got any twist, it´s again very freeform. After only guitars playing it has stucking beats and asthmatic vocals. "Through With Six Six Six" is the most chaotic piece in this very chaotic album. The last "Home It´s Ok" is also my favourites from this album, it has strong hits and also some Beefheart-style guitar chords & playing.

I think in this second album they really succeeed to deconstruct the rock. But that caused it really isn´t as catchy as their first album. This is really demanding album, maybe open to me more with more listenings. Anyway I am not suprised at all I didn´t find lot of earlier reviews from this album. I have understood they changed their musical direction in their next albums and I think that was the only way to them, it´s not possible go further this way and also make intresting music. Anyway I really like to recommend this album to those who says Beefheart ´s Trout Mask is unlistenable, this album is almost too much even for me! I think it´s just good thing this is short. I was thinking to give only two stars to this, but those two really great pieces rises this to three. Anyway this is quite extraordinary piece of music.

For some reason I wasn't totally impressed for this album when listening it first time some years ago. But today after second listening I have to say I really like it! In wiki sites it is said band was formed to 'decontruct rock, only to erase rock`n`roll from collective minds'. I think they may not succeeded that at least fully in this debut album, but anyway their Beefheart/Sonic Youth influenced music is really enjoyable. It's really hard to find any band these days making such a music (glad thing was Trumans Water released an album and was on tour this year). What's the most personal in this band are the vocals. Singer Al Johnson sounds like he has some lung sickness, making some lines with rustling voice and then often making high peaks after those. Also this album demonstrates Beefheart-influenced music doesn't necessary need bass.

'Hey King' tells immediately what's the whole album about. Beefheart style-guitar licks, strolling drum fills, soon guitars go into very high keys and drums stuck into simple beat. Interestingly named 'A Letter to ZZ Top' goes more Sonic Youth direction (don't have no idea about the lyrics, because the pronouncing is really indistinct). So goes the next 'Home Made Stuff'. In the end there are some guitar noise and really distorted drum beats. SY-influenced style continues into next two pieces. 'The State Is Bad' starts with some mysterious piano chords, then starts the beat that reminds SY`s '(I Got a) Catholic Block', but here and there beat just suddenly disappears and comes back. The rest of the album goes more Beefheart direction. 'Aplomado' has some trombone, 'Northwad' is one of the greatest songs in album with it's stucking rhythm and really interesting guitar chords. CD ends into instrumental 'Lady To Bing' that is rhythmically really great! In LP version there is bonus SY-style song 'Found a Place To Have My Kittens'.

It was really great there were Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Trumans Water & U S Maple in the US at the nineties, also same time in Finland there was their 'soulmate' Sweetheart. All those bands were Beefheart influenced, but managed to create personal style. When listening U S Maple first time, I wasn't attracted their other albums at all. But now I'm really going to listen them too! This album is highly recommend to those, who like Beefhearts two last albums and eighties albums of Sonic Youth.