Description
The Midget, the Speck and the Molecule is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock combo The Swirling Eddies, independently released on the band’s own label Stunt Records in July 2007. The album was recorded and mixed by Derry Air at the Neverland Studios in Franklin, Tennessee; with Camarillo Eddy and the band producing for Stunt Productions.
Three years ago a small group of dweebs, dorks and general social misfits (this author included) got excited when it was announced that a loose musical collective known as The Swirling Eddies was going to record its first album in over 10 years. Pre-orders were taken and edges of seats were promptly occupied. However, the lead songwriter was busy with another band as well as writing incidental music for the Nickelodeon cartoon “Catscratch,” so the fans waited. And waited. Three years and a few chat-room name-calling spats later, The Midget, The Speck & The Molecule has finally arrived.
As in past releases, silliness abounds, but not without a judicial amount of introspection, retrospection and verbal vivisection. «It All Depends» challenges our view points with lines such as “Razor wire and iron bars/ Or three hots and a cot” and “One more dirty whistle blower/ Or a conscience coming clean” before kicking in with massive guitars and a bass full of feedback. Halcyon days are invoked in «Giants In The Land» with trash can drums, buzzing bass and a rambling, lighthearted beat playing a song about either their band or every garage band that ever existed: “All they wanted was a tour and a rental van.” It has been proclaimed by Congress that no one can listen to «My Cardboard Box» and not smile. Never before has such a romantic song been written about the homeless, finding the protagonist trying to woo his beloved back with promises of “little paper dishes” washed “in a photo of a sink.” «Snow In A Can» is a humorous laundry list of the artificial things the modern world takes for real, taking shots at everything from Duraflame logs to implants to apple scented shampoo to credit cards to “sex in a pill.”
«Medley Of Our Hit» is a rambunctious retelling of the events surrounding the aforementioned three-year wait, promising that they’ve cranked out the best songs just for their fans. The odd «Tremolo» is full of shimmering Western guitars and haunted percussion, while «A Humble Man Rises (To A New Low)» is built around an amazingly twisty fuzzed-out bass. The final track, «This Is The Title», is a meta-song about writing this song, opening with “I’ve only come up with a few lines/ These are the lines” before launching into a chorus of “Well, I could always write a love song” and a second verse of “I’ve just about completed this one song/ I’ve even changed the chords and tacked a bridge on.” All this and great music to boot!
All the humor would be for naught if the music was subpar, but the laughs are built on a bedrock foundation of songwriting prowess forged through 30 years in the trenches. Wry smiles abound, but there is a sprinkling of insight and layered wordplay that keeps the sucker from sinking into the quagmire of a mere novelty album devoid of replay value. To that end, I still have no idea what the album’s title track means, but I’m sure it’s deep and marbled with meaning. Marbled like a ham and well worth the wait. [Jason Hoffman, Whatzup, 2007]
Carol Ann said it best in the promo for the film Poltergeist 2, “They’re back”! After a ten year sabbatical the band that won’t go away is back, and thank God for that. The band has changed personnel somewhat. This time around original members Camarillo Eddy, Berger Roy Al & the enigma that is Spot are joined by Picky Swelly, Judy Ism, Derry Air & Newt York Newt York with a special guest appearance by Eddie DeGarmo. Although Hort, Arthur, Gene & Prickly are naturally missed this incarnation of the band may very well be the strongest to date.
Once again the band has turned to that old sausage master named Terry Scott Taylor for the tunes that appear here. The relationship between Camarillo & Terry is still somewhat of a mystery and cannot be fully delved into here for fear that small children may be scared away and run screaming into the night. What can be said with the utmost confidence though is that the eleven songs on this album are perfect rock n roll from a seemingly perfect band. The production, the playing, the vocals, everything about this album smacks of, as Dr. Tony Shore would say, total professionalism.
As I sit here listening to this album I am reminded of just what a really great band the “Eddies” are. The decade since their last release has only whetted my appetite for music of this caliber, it is top notch all the way around. For more information on the band check out their web site [Chris MacIntosh aka Grandfather Rock, The Phantom Tollbooth, 2008]
Fans of The Swirling Eddies have been waiting 10 years for this follow-up to 1997’s ‘Sacred Cows‘, an album which took a satirical side-swipe at the CCM industry. Brainchild of frontman, singer and Daniel Amos legend Terry Scott Taylor, working here as Wilbury-esque alias Eddy Camarillo, this 11-song set has been well worth waiting for. It is not an album of faith-by-numbers Christian platitudes, but an exploration of what it means to be fully human, with humour and some very, very good music. The start of the opening track «It All Depends» (probably the best of the bunch here) seems to promise a bit of prog-rock, but soon calms down into a track which is musically very mature and lyrically brilliant. «Cardboard Box», the tale of a homeless man trying to give his wife the best he can manage, runs it a close second for quality, but there are no bad tracks on this album. Camarillo/Taylor pokes gentle fun at himself in «Medley Of Our Hit» and «Giants In The Land» explores what it means to be an old rocker in an age desperate for innovation and youthful energy. The whole album was a delight on the first listen through, but gets even better on repeated listening. Discerning music fans should search this one out. [Ian Hayter, Cross Rhythms, April 2008]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-midget-the-speck-and-the-molecule/390662057)
CD tracklist:
01. It All Depends – 5:31
02. The Midget, The Speck And The Molecule – 3:48
03. Madonna Inn – 3:31
04. Giants In The Land – 3:20
05. Salton Sea – 4:16
06. My Cardboard Box – 3:23
07. Snow In A Can – 4:16
08. Medley Of Our Hit – 3:57
09. Tremolo – 3:35
10. A Humble Man Rises – 3:47
11. This Is The Title / The Old Hitchhiker – 5:00
Note: Available at Bandcamp: https://terryscotttaylor.bandcamp.com/album/the-midget-the-speck-the-molecule
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