Still Stuck In Your Throat  

This album seems much more inspired than recent releases. Some of the themes are similar to prior Fishbone tunes, but much of it seems more avant-garde to me, almost jazzy.

I visited the Fishbone website for lyrics, and noticed images from somebody named Chibian. Did a search on Chibian to see some more of his work and was knocked out by it. (I don't know if the images he created stoked the creative flames of the band or not).

This latest incarnation of Fishbone is amazing, and this is a great 4.5 star album. I was blessed to see the band twice in April this year, and they are still the best live band on the planet! Let the shopping mall record buying public think it's the Peppers.

Just when you think that FISHBONE has sailed off into musical oblivion, they hit you in the face with a gem. This albumn represents Fishbone's finest body of work in almost a decade. Production failures prevent this albumn from reaching it's full potential, but the songs cannot be denied by bad mixing. Angelo Moore is at the top of his game as witnessed by an audience that was fortunate enought to catch his performance at the Pearl Room in Mokena IL, on May 11th 2007. The horn section sounded better than it has in a long time and Rocky played ax like a young prodigy with what appeared to be a cast on his picking hand. Norwood (actually seemed sober) kept the bottom heavy and frantic all night. The young guy (dre) is really finding his identity on the keys and bit part voacls. The albumn is good, but if you really want to capture FISHBONE, do yourself a favor and go take in one of America's last authentic treasures. FISHBONE LIVEON STAGE.

If you thought Fishbone was dead, think again! This album is just insane!!! More horns, more craziness than ever! And most of all, the energy is back! This album really captures the band's sound, as if in a live setting. As a long time 'bone fan, I have been waiting a long time for a new studio LP. I figured I'd be disappointed. My expectations were somewhat low. The result: I was just blown away. This album serves as a better follow up to Reality, than Monkey did. go buy it. and go see them live.

'Still Stuck In Your Throat'is as musically diverse as any classic Fishbone album however, only a handful of tracks could be considered classic tunes. One gets the feeling that the band were still adjusting and familiarising themselves to the recent personel that is now Fishbone.

It is an album with at least one song for everyone, whether you like the fratic punk metal, soul driven funk or the upbeat happy ska, Fishbone still know how to mix it up like the masters they are. The standout tracks are: 'Behind Closed Doors', 'We Just Lose Our Minds', 'Party With Saddam'and 'Forever Moore' with each and everyone of these pearlers ranking with the best Fishbone songs of the past. Apart from the quality of the songwriting on these tunes, it is the production that makes them shine. A tight and precise clearity within the mix allows all the members to stand out but it is the superb vocals of Angelo Moore and the new supersized horn section that also rates them up with classic tunes from the vast Fishbone back catalogue.

Unfortunately the production of the album is extremely inconsistant and nothing is more obvious to outline this fact when the beautiful rich production of 'Behind Closed Doors' is followed by a limp and mirky 'Premadawnutt'. The latter sounds like a cheap live bootleg demo when it really should have deserved more attention from the engineer. Unlike previous Fishbone albums, the balance of the guitar has been reduced making it one of the weaker Fishbone axe albums. It's a shame because Rocky George is cutting some fine work on the disk it's just the mix makes you have to really work hard to hear his skill. Another downer is the almost after-thought drum sound on about a third of the material on the album. The snare is buried and drummer John Steward is proficent enough behind the kit to also deserve more.

Some of the tracks such as the ragga metal dancehall punk song 'Let Dem Hoes Fight'display a band that hasn't softened or lost potencey in their latter years of playing. Their pursuit of energy and heavy power is still very much present. It's just that the production again takes away from such fine moments.

'Skank 'N Go Nuttz'is an older track revisited, as is 'Premadawnutt' but the energy of past demos or live recordings isn't captured and the guitars lack the bite it did with previous guitarist Spacey.T, mainly because of the lower guitar mix.

Something that Fishbone have never really achieved in the studio through out their 25 year career is their extra explosive live energy that makes them still one of the most exciting and visually stimulating bands to see on stage. This was reinforced after witnessing the band over Easter 2007 and can I tell you the talent and tightness of this current line up just isn't captured on 'Still Still Stuck In Your Throat'. All the songs that sound "alright" on the record came to life on stage. If only they had caught that energy when recording this album!!

Sadly Fishbone's latest album is not the record to bring Fishbone back into the consciousness of a mainstream rock audience like they were back in the late 1980's and early 90's with masterpieces such as 'The Reality Of My Surroundings' however, there is some pure Fishbone magic in and amoungst the songs of 'Still Stuck In Your Throat'.

Q: Does it rate with 'The Reality Of My Surroundings' or 'Give A Monkey A Brain'?

A: No, not really but it would take something absolutely divine to compete with those jems.

Q: Is Fishbone still relevent?

A: Hell yeah! See these brothers live any opportunity you can because the the band hasn't been this tight for more than a decade.

With the positive vibes of the current line up and the way they are gelling together personally and musically, the next release should be spectacular.