Description
Browbeats presents: Wither Wing is a multi-artist project released on KMG Records in 1998. It can be seen as the follow-up to the Alarma Records release Brow Beat: Unplugged Alternative from 1993. The compilation was produced and mixed by Gene Eugene of Adam Again and Michael Knott of Lifesavers Underground, with most of the songs either written or co-written by Knott. Also playing in the house band are Andy Prickett, Eric Campuzano and Wayne Everett of The Prayer Chain fame, Andrew Carter and Chuck Cummings of the Michael Knott fronted band project Aunt Bettys, as well as drummer Ed Benrock who has work with bands like Starflyer 59, Mortal and Acoustic Shack. Cover art by Michael Knott. (This project could be considered a kind of refuge for some of our favorite alternative Christian rockers, the way The Swirling Eddies came to be for Daniel Amos alumni and their friends, allowing them to front a mixed band of their peers.)
The entire record features some of the more talented, yet underappreciated members of the modern Christian music community. Starting out this disc with EDL’s Tedd Cookerley, and having former members of bands like Plankeye and the Prayer Chain, as well as SF59 (Jason Martin) were wise choices, as they help to reinvent the vibe of this series (or compilation, or whatever it is), and serve to let folks know this isn’t the Browbeats of the past. But like the former, Mike Knott appears here, doing everything from guitar/bass to singing and screaming – especially alongside Scott Silletta in «Getting Normal». Also a staple is Gene Eugene, especially with his stellar voice on the rootsy «Out of Time». It was cool to hear the memorable «Ricki Racer», and its remix, featuring Knott, and then an unnamed female singer, respectively. Also included here is a “rock version” of the Aunt Bettys’ «Tattoo». Jason Martin’s performance («Just Wanna Be You») is a little more energetic guitar-wise than you’d find on a Starflyer record, and his vocals are less distinguishable, but heck, he does a nice job. In fact, I don’t think there’s a dud on the CD. [BVM, HM Magazine, September/October 1998]
Five years ago an album called Brow Beat – Unplugged Alternative featured some of the best Christian alternative bands around doing acoustic originals. They were (still are) some of the coolest songs I’ve ever heard. Now, Michael Knott has resurrected the name for a sequel, while changing the concept quite a bit. This time we are treated to a number of the best Christian alternative personalities fronting songs almost entirely written by Knott and played by an all-star cast of musicians (The Prayer Chain minus Tim Taber, LSU/Lifesavers members, Gene Eugene, and Knott himself).
Not all of the songs are new material from Knott. Two of them are Aunt Bettys tunes from Ford Supersonic, including a weak remake of «Getting Normal» and two versions of «Ricki Racer». The first version seems no different from the original, while «Ricki Racer II» is done with smooth female vocals and a funky bass-line and drumbeat. «Tattoo» from Strip Cycle is also remade, with a slightly rockier feel than the original.
From the first few seconds of ‘Wither Wing’ you know this sure isn’t like the first Browbeat album, as a white-boy-does-hip-hop voice immediately claims that “You ain’t got a hold on what I’m sayin’, ya know what I’m sayin’?” Thankfully, the cheesy posturing is over soon, and Ted Cookerly of Every Day Life kicks into the first song, «Stonergirl». It’s a great tune that showcases a more melodic, pop direction for the EDL rapcore vocalist (a trend also found on EDL’s song on the RIM-v.beta compilation).
Following Cookerly are notables like Scott Silletta (Plankeye), Gene Eugene (Adam Again), Terry Taylor (DA), Jason Martin (Starflyer 59), and Wayne Everett (The Prayer Chain) taking turns fronting songs penned by Knott (except for one co-written by Taylor). All of the featured personalities have powerful enough styles to cast their own personas onto these songs, and thus please their respective fans; however, it is Knott’s musical heart that beats throughout the project. Though his sound can always be detected, sometimes his influence is more noticeable and overpowering than at other times. Due to this, and the more electric rather than acoustic nature of most of these songs, comparing this to the original ‘Brow Beat’ is hard. That album was such an eye-opener to me, simultaneously introducing my ears to good acoustic music as well as to Michael Knott, LSU, The Choir, and others. Their quiet rebuking of legalism and dogma was a turning point in my spiritual life that I can quite clearly point to today. ‘Wither Wing’ just doesn’t have the same effect. The tone is way more upbeat and playful, the poetic messages of truth (if any) go unheard and unread (no lyric sheet), and the music is void of any emotional impact. The only exception might be the title track, a slow Beatlesque song sung by Everett and moved along by Eugene’s retro-mellow keyboards.
On the whole, Browbeats Presents Wither Wing is a great concept of strong interest to any fan of alternative music, especially of these featured musicians. The songs are well-made and catchy, drawing on recognizable classic and modern rock sounds which are kept far from staleness by the dynamic personalities of the players. Just don’t expect the original’s same sense of spiritual searching. [Josh Spencer, The Phantom Tollbooth, 9/13/98]
For fans of the previous Browbeats collection, this new album is a rude awakening. The more gentle, acoustic vibes of the previous collection have been mostly shoved aside for Michael Knott’s signature brand of LSU-style rock’n’ roll here. In fact, this collection sounds and feels most like the brash rock of an Aunt Betty’s album, particularly their last one, Ford Supersonic, which continued their 1990s version of alternative tunes awash with more classic rock underpinnings. Not coincidently, Knott wrote or co-wrote all these songs; four are repeats from the Ford Supersonic collection (the difference being primarily that Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos and Scott Siletta of PlankEye guest on vocals for these versions). There are some shades of Michael Knott’s solo work from Strip Cycle, too, and again another repeat, this time with «Tatoo» getting the full-throttle rock treatment and actually improving on the original’s energy.
The Browbeats band is primarily a mix of former Aunt Betty’s and Prayer Chain members, so the alterna-rock playing is decidedly solid throughout, without quite reaching the heights either of those bands have taken us to on their own. You also cannot go wrong with the guest vocalists, which include Adam Again’s Gene Eugene on an appropriately plaintive yet peppy tune, Jason Martin from Starflyer 59 on a suitably dreamy rock number, and Every Day Life’s Ted Cookerly starring as a guest rapper on the opening track, «Stonergirl». In particular Eugene’s take on «Out of Time» is a rare mellower moment and an album highlight due to his respectable melancholic delivery. He also played the album’s keyboard parts. Naturally, Michael Knott himself sings a handful of these songs, including the quirky «Herb’s Garage» and «Ricki Racer». The sum of these eclectic parts is an enjoyable 40 minutes of trademark Knott and friends fun.
Michael Knott is prolific; in fact, he is more prolific than most songwriters (with VOL’s Bill Mallonee and DA’s Terry Taylor being noted competitors for the coveted “Most Prolific” title). Given Knott’s ability to pen a tune at the drop of a high-hat, this collection curiously offers more retreaded material than most of his projects. Without questioning Knott’s motives about whether this collection was truly conceived as an entity unto itself, it certainly serves as a means of marketing his music to a larger audience by including a gaggle of guest vocalists. Perhaps his decision to include former material was made for artistic reasons, or simply to provide better access to songs from the Aunt Betty’s harder to find Ford Supersonic album, or both. Maybe Knott just liked the idea of hearing friends like Terry Taylor sing his songs (and I quite agree). Regardless, Knott’s music deserves to be heard in any form, and the sheer cheer of this rollicking set will have you exceeding the speed limit if you’re not careful. [Steven Stuart Baldwin, The Phantom Tollbooth, 3/8/99]
PROMO, LP/CD Re-issue, Retroactive Records 2024
Browbeats is not a group, but the name provides a convenient reference point to list two of the best Christian albums ever made. It is unclear just how related the two are (the first is actually attributed to Brow Beat—two words), except that some of the same artists (notably Michael Knott and Gene Eugene) are involved in production and songwriting. In the late ’90s, having written more great songs than he could possibly record with his various projects (Aunt Bettys, LSU, Bomb Bay Babies), Michael Knott assembled an all-star studio band to back various vocalists in recording a few of them. Sort of like engineering your own tribute album—except that most of the songs were new and many cried out for a different voice and style than Knott would have given them. The result is an album that sounds like a compilation, but with more internal coherence than such projects generally have. Plus, again, most of these songs could not be found anywhere else. The tone of the second album, Wither Wing departs from the heaviness of life by being way more upbeat, rocking and gleefully playful than the debut (Unplugged Alternative). Wither Wing departs from the upbeat, playful tone with one exception – the title track – which is a slow Beatlesque song sung by Everett (Prayer Chain/Violet Burning) and moved along by Eugene’s retro-mellow emotive keyboards.
The album kicks off with «Stonergirl» sung (or rapped) by Ted Cookerly of EDL with a hip-hop intro by Dax. As such, the song sounds like nothing ever heard from Knott before; it might appeal to fans of the P.O.D./Limp Bizkit style, but takes the listener by surprise on this particular album. «Getting Normal» is an Aunt Bettys song (from Ford Supersonic) remade with vocals by Scott Silletta of PlankEye and Fanmail. Gene Eugene sings «Out of Time», which was written by Knott but now sounds like a long lost Adam Again outtake. Two versions of the Aunt Bettys’ rollicking «Rikki Racer» follow, one by Knott himself, and another by a mystery female vocalist. Terry Taylor sings two songs; «Happy Old Man», which he cowrote with Knott, hearkens back to the glory days of Daniel Amos when they were recording tunes like «Ain’t Gonna Fight It» and «Father’s Arms» for Maranatha. «Just Wanna Be with You» is a great slow rocker, played and sung by one of Christian music’s best guitarists, Jason Martin of Starflyer 59. «Herb’s Garage» is one of Knott’s best ballads; it is sung here by an anonymous guest who sounds like David Lowery of Cracker but is probably Knott himself. Then, after a new rocking version of «Tattoo» that represents one of LSU’s finest recorded moments, Wayne Everett of The Prayer Chain sings the gorgeous lullaby that serves as the album’s closing title track.
All of the featured personalities have powerful enough styles to cast their own personas onto these songs, and thus please their respective fans; however, it is Knott’s musical heart that beats throughout the project. Both of these albums reveal the secular side of Christian alternative rock. The mood of the first, however, is serious and quietly spiritual. The second is more of a party album, with an upbeat, playful quality and narry a hint of religion. The 2024 Retroactive Records reissue comes on red vinyl, mastered for vinyl by Rob Colwell, and includes a 12×12 lyrics insert. Limited to just 200 copies.
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/browbeats-wither-wing/390322369)
CD tracklist:
01. Ted Cookerly of Every Day Life (feat. a hip-hop intro by Dax) – Stonergirl – 3:25
02. Scott Sillette of Plankeye – Getting Normal – 3:38
03. Gene Eugene of Adam Again – Out Of Time – 3:05
04. Michael Knott of L.S.U. – Ricki Racer – 3:50
05. Michael Knott of L.S.U. – Ricki Racer II (Remix Version) – 4:07
06. Terry Scott Taylor of Daniel Amos – Happy Old Man – 3:36
07. Terry Scott Taylor of Daniel Amos – Allison – 4:33
08. Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 – Just Wanna Be You – 4:09
09. Michael Knott of L.S.U. – Herb’s Garage – 4:05
10. Michael Knott of L.S.U. – Tattoo (Rock Version) – 3:30
11. Wayne Everett of The Prayer Chain – Wither Wing – 3:22
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by KMG Records. Remastered by Rob Colwell and re-issued on Limited Edition 12-inch vinyl LP by Retroactive Records/Limited Run Vinyl in 2024, pressed on New Orange Vinyl (Limited to 200 copies). Also re-issued on CD (housed in a 6-panel wallet with lyrics, limited to just 300 copies).
Browbeats Presents: Wither Wing, Remastered and pressed on New Orange Vinyl, Retroactive Records, 2024
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