This release complies two John Lurie film scores from the mid-'80s; the first for the Jim Jarmusch indie classic Down By Law and the second for Bette Gordon's lesser-known Variety. Listeners familiar with Lurie's flagship project, the Lounge Lizards, or other groups from the downtown New York scene of the day should find the seedy, avant-noir vibe of Down By Law immediately familiar. This should come as no surprise as a number of musicians from that project (guitarists Marc Ribot and Arto Lindsay, percussionist E.J. Rodriguez, etc.) are also represented here.
' One of Bill Laswell's many projects, Deadline is a collaboration with drummer Phillip Wilson. "Down By Law" is an interesting blend of industrial DMX beats and live percussion, African influences and Western funk. Saxophonist Manu Dibango pops up on half of the tracks and invokes memories of his Laswell-produced album "Electric Africa". The killer track on this album is the ten-minute-plus "Makossa Rock," which combines clever, funky rhythms, an irresistible synth bassline, Steve Turre's haunting didgeridoo, scratching-like sounds by Laswell and Robert Musso, plus solos by Dibango, bluesman Paul Butterfield on harmonica, and bass legend Jaco Pastorius. Actually, this track is so good it could play forever. The other tracks, including the abstract, percussive pieces "Gammatron" and "Doo Rot," never let go of their fierce rhythmic edge either. While "Makossa Rock" may be worth the price of the album alone, the other tracks should not be neglected. ' Christian Genzel at AMG