Name: Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand
Brand: Alternative Tentacles
SKU: 780589
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand

Rating

Album: Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Miscue 911
2)	United We Scam
3)	Flogging the Infidels
4)	Honey, I Blew Up the World
5)	Big Ka-Boom, The
6)	Pied Piper and the Damage Done, The
7)	Truth Is Stranger Than Hype
8)	Terror of Tinytown, The
1)	Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand
2)	Great Betrayal, The
3)	Martyr That Would Not Die, The
4)	Propane and Propane Accessories
5)	Faith-Based Initiatives
6)	Fight Terror - Resist Corporations
7)	Be Patriotic - Fight the Government
8)	Beat Around the Burning Bush
9)	Fight Crime - Make Mischief
1)	Cowboy Cornholio and the Sunshine State
2)	...And Gore Made Us Want to Ralph
3)	Rolling Blackout Revue, The
4)	12 Steps to Corporate-Free Sobriety
5)	Joey Ramone

Album: Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Miscue 911
2)	United We Scam
3)	Flogging the Infidels
4)	Honey, I Blew Up the World
5)	Big Ka-Boom, The
6)	Pied Piper and the Damage Done, The
7)	Truth Is Stranger Than Hype
8)	Terror of Tinytown, The
1)	Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand
2)	Great Betrayal, The
3)	Martyr That Would Not Die, The
4)	Propane and Propane Accessories
5)	Faith-Based Initiatives
6)	Fight Terror - Resist Corporations
7)	Be Patriotic - Fight the Government
8)	Beat Around the Burning Bush
9)	Fight Crime - Make Mischief
1)	Cowboy Cornholio and the Sunshine State
2)	...And Gore Made Us Want to Ralph
3)	Rolling Blackout Revue, The
4)	12 Steps to Corporate-Free Sobriety
5)	Joey Ramone

Performer Notes

Solo performer: Jello Biafra (spoken vocals).
Recording information: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (08/03/2002); New Daisy Theater, Memphis, TN (08/03/2002); Ogden Theater, Denver, CO (08/03/2002); Ruby Diamond Auditorium, Florida State University, Tall (08/03/2002); Warehouse, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (08/03/2002).
Editor: Matt Kelley.
This three-disc spoken word album features material recorded during Jello Biafra's live performances in 2000-2002. It expands on his comments on the war on terrorism offered in The Big Ka-Boom, Pt. 1 and provides remarks on other topics including California's energy crisis, Florida's voting problems, and Joey Ramone. It's not particularly mystifying that this album lasts for over three hours, since Biafra has plenty of strong opinions and sometimes seems like he could continue talking indefinitely. The question, however, is who would want to listen to the entirety of these three discs, particularly considering the topical nature of some of his comments. In addition to die-hard fans who want to hear all of his recordings, the likely candidates include kindred spirits who want to hear someone express a mostly left-wing view of current events with both conviction and humor. Biafra is an enthusiastic speaker and he seems to have done his homework. He makes several observations about global affairs and public policy that are trenchant, if not necessarily original, and sometimes expresses opinions that don't conform to the stereotypical view of him as a punk anarchist (e.g., he is in favor of placing police officers on airplanes to ensure their safety). He also expresses some paranoid theories that conform to this stereotype, has a tendency to make snide remarks that are neither elucidating nor particularly funny, and gets overly didactic at times (particularly considering that he is probably preaching to the converted at most of his live appearances). Furthermore, he's not very good at impersonating voices, although he manages to get some mileage out of a Norwegian accent (in one of the few routines on this album that is more straightforward comedy than a political rant). But at least he has something to say and encourages people to learn more for themselves. ~ Todd Kristel