This live CD-R (recorded who knows where) is yet another powerful example of how the Sunburned bunch turn potential chaos into coherent jams. The word ‘shambles’ seems to lazily follow this collective around for some reason, but they always spend more time being melodious than they do rambling.
"A Soft Bed" opens the three-track disc on a meandering instrumental Western theme: a countrified twanger without the clichéd twang. Slowly this begins to transmogrify into a low-slung piece that’s gravid with a film noir menace. There are no obvious signals or moments of obvious change; the players seem to slowly seep from one frame of mind to another unconsciously molding the sound. This kind of shift is probably best examined on disc, as live the combination of theatrics and energy makes it difficult to resist being carried along.
The nervous tour energy vigour of "Heavy Rescue" carries itself on the dragging of amphetamine worn feet and a jazzy swing. In hands of less accomplished musicians (and they have to be to turn their hand to so many mashed-up styles) the double dutching bass and humpbacked Peppers itchy funk would sound like TV advert music-lite. Here they can empty out ridiculously deep spoken word vocal and overloaded FX on top, and still lock onto a groove. A solid beat picks up, making a bed for a wrenching solo that then imperceptibly sets off a moogy clanking percussive extended breakdown. Instead of ending in a smashing of drum kits or an extended blast of noise its lifted back to daylight by creeping bones popping percussion and another smoky spotlight solo.
The conclusion takes off into replicated digital territory with "Murder Yourself" taking the mantle of most out-there track on this release. Sky-scraping loops from the treble end of the spectrum are scratched into solids as the bass begins precision Morse code assault and battery. This might be enough for some bands: to rip along with a groove that forces wood and nylon into electronic shapes. There are few people who’d think to add a throat cancer Beefheart rant on top; that’s what makes Sunburned Hand of the Man’s live releases worth scouting out.
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