Ant Farm

Combining nu-metal with serious pop polish and structure, Alien Ant Farm always felt like a band that lived in two worlds: not quite heavy enough to be metal, but a little too fast-paced for the pop set. And while Alien Ant Farm's genre might be unclear, their entry in the 20th Century Masters series gives fans a bird's-eye view of their career and another opportunity to try nailing down what these guys were up to. Given the musicianship on tracks like "Movies" and their cover of the Michael Jackson classic "Smooth Criminal," while it might be hard to describe, it sure did work.

Phillip Johnston's Big Trouble - Flood at the Ant Farm (1996) {Black Saint 120182-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 330 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 148 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 33 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1996 Black Saint | 120182-2
Jazz / Progressive Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Modern Creative / Post Bop / Saxophone

The second CD by Philip Johnston's Big Trouble is jazz mixing great musicianship with a touch of madness. He treats Steve Lacy's "Hemline" as if it were penned by Raymond Scott (whose music was adapted for classic Looney Tunes cartoons) and "Bone" sounds like a wild improvisation on a childhood chant. Pianist Joe Ruddick's "Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken" has a nifty calypso beat with an intense cacophony of reeds and brass. Johnston is also a gifted composer; his "Pontius Pilate Polka" blends folk dances with swinging Dixieland interludes. "Mr. Crocodile" is a light samba with a touch of reggae. Highly recommended for fans of the great melting pot of jazz.