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Review: 'Jim Of Seattle'
'Both The Planet Frank and The Chet Lambert Show'   

-  Label: 'Green Monkey Records'
-  Genre: 'Soundtrack' -  Release Date: '21.10.16.'-  Catalogue No: 'GM1038'

Our Rating:
This is Jim Of Seattle's second album and is a concept album that is way out there and then some. As Jim Of Seattle tries to do for Seattle what Tom did for Finland, but rather than being all about heavy leather and S & M Jim believes that Seattle is all about high camp and show tunes so that this album comes across as almost like a soundtrack to a musical.

That Jim plays most of the instruments and sings most of the vocals become something of a surprise when you hear the scope of the sound he produces. From the opening Introduction when he sets out the concept of what happened 27 orbits ago and this piece gets under way properly as a wide-screen science fiction drama for your ears with what sounds almost like a full orchestra we get a word or three from the Elders before he whips up a storm on Bantemazeh.

That breaks away to some quiet reflective classical piano for Our Great Leader Speaks and it's beautiful almost a come down piece and as the lyric sheet attests Translation unavailable so listen and take the message for yourself, it's ok to be camp in Seattle but steer clear of the Leather trousers and whips.

We then get a Mathematics lesson complete with the sort of question and conundrum in the lyrics that normally show up in degree exams for people to fathom a result too and not with weird piano meets xylophone music like it comes from a mutant cartoon as we try to figure out the equations as they unfold.

As you finish scratching your head things get even weirder as what sounds like Talking Heads meets Telex come funkily out of the speakers on a cover of Wichita Lineman that is all casio tones and wonderfully out there that it really needs to be heard.

Travelling (The Battle Of the Tapirs) sounds almost like some sort of weird rumba or Salsa tune only slowed down to a crawl as if you are looking at a long snaking line going who knows where compete with a heavenly choir to speed you along. The entertainment Parade is one of those big show tunes that has a huge dance number to go with it as you build towards the shows climax it also sounds like it has a bit of a Jean Jacques Perrey meets Baz Luhrman feel to it as it's high camp and over the top.

The Planet Frank half of the album then finishes with Great Big Beautiful Day the Intermission song that has the feel of a Richard Stilgoe semi -song as Jim tries to bring some sort of conclusion to the first half of this album with a menu of Jim's hearts desires and no they are not what you'd expect them to be as the credits roll and he wanders off into the sunset.

The concept for the second half of this album is that this is the long lost final episode of the Chet Lambert Show that was cancelled in 1972 and it opens with the show's theme song and an introduction to what is on this variety show complete with radio ads in the typical sponsor's style.

Then the Chet Lambert Singers are introduced before they sing Storm as if they are the embodiment of The King's Singers or a similar vocal group. I'm Gonna Be you Man is a real camp show tune as he tells us what he's going to do to get the Guy or is it Gal as he lets us know he will be our man and the piano twinkles away as he minces across the speaker's .

Shel Goldfarb and his Death Defying Shi Tzus is pure background music for the animal's antics on stage building the suspense and the payoff. Before we get too Superstar that starts off like an old cigar advert but with female vocals that sound a lot like Karen Carpenter making this a mellow and laid back song.

Traveling (The Chet Lambert Dancers) is the soundtrack to some sort of Pan's People type dance event I picture flowing shimmering dresses and all sorts of weird movements especially in the semi classical bits of the music when the dancers show off their ballet training. By Inches is a piano led rumination of how lucky some people are to miss catastrophe by inches. I feel most for the person who survived Billy Graham's visit.

The album closes with its Finale Both that has a sort of carnival barker introduction before they reprise part of We Are The Elders and then go off in a few other directions like an Slimcea ad on acid in parts I was waiting for a hot air balloon to fly by my window.

If this sounds like it's up your Strasse then find out more at www.greenmonkeyrecords.com https://www.facebook.com/Jim-of-Seattle-454542877926947/?fref=ts
  author: simonovitch

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