Kim Fowley - Outrageous

In my last post, I referenced Los Angeles freak-rocker Kim Fowley - specifically that Mudhoney vocalist Mark Arm's delivery was reminiscent of Fowley's. I figured it would be cruel of me to mention him and not expand further upon his work.

Kim Fowley came out of the same eclectic Los Angeles scene that gave us the likes of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Wild Man Fischer. Along with his aforementioned LA contemporaries, he shared a fascination with popular culture and an affinity for the absurd. Fowley spent much of the early 60s producing a string of cult 45s (some of which, unlike Zappa's early production work, actually did fairly well - the Hollywood Argyles' "Alley Oop" charted at #1, for example). In 1965, he released what would be one of the first singles ever to reference LSD, "The Trip/Big Sur." Later, he would move briefly to the UK, where he would continue producing (most notably the Soft Machine B-side, "Feelin' Reelin Squeelin'").

Upon his return to the West Coast, Fowley's solo career further blossomed with 1967's Love is Alive and Well. The album has not aged very well - aside from the often-bizarre lyrics, there is little to grasp on to from a musical or production perspective. It is a rather tongue-in-cheek take on the hippie culture (and music) of the time, though it is more staid than, say, Zappa's Freak Out (1966). "Flower City," for example, features a very standard rock arrangement backing Fowley as he drops stereotypical hippie lingo ("flowers," "love") to the tune of "Ode to Joy." Interesting stuff, but by no means essential.

When Outrageous was released just a year later in 1968, "freak rock" - hell, rock in general - had already gotten quite a bit freakier. Fowley's new album would reflect such a trend. Most notably, he had ditched the more melodic singing for a paranoid "bark." Furthermore, the arrangements were transformed from gentle West Coast psychedelic to trashy white blues/soul. Over the madness, Fowley ranted psychotically about everything from arson ("Wildfire") to getting busted by the cops ("Chinese Water Torture"), filling the spaces between with sexualized moans and heavy breathing. The absurdity was a recipe for poor sales and cult status. Today's post is the first track on the record, "Animal Man." It's notable for the groove (which sounds like something you'd expect from a more coherent Captain Beefheart) and for Fowley freaking the fuck out. This, my friends, is the way to kick off your Monday.

Aptly titled.

Animal Man