Hopefully, you've read the review we got in Florida Xposure magazine by now. That was a good review, but, hey, everyone's a critic, right? This review of 3 = 4 is not nearly as complimentary, and it appears here for the sake of editorial balance. Apparently, the appropriately-named writer Rex Havok (known among local musicians as not liking much of anything) bought into the prevailing wisdom that all keyboards were evil. This only strengthened our resolve to use them. We featured the term "inappropriate keyboards" as a selling point in our next flyer, and Patman had this motto put on a shirt worn at many shows. This review appeared in the March 5, 1993 issue of Jam Entertainment News. What follows is the complete, unedited review.
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THE VIEW Well, this one starts out with a bad cover of the old Star Trek theme and, sadly, doesn't exactly go where no man has gone before. Where no man wants to, maybe, but certainly not where no man has. The packaging suggest a concern for quality (there's even a sticker), but the recording shows that despite whatever good intentions the band had when making this music, something went horribly awry. The most annoying thing about the collection, particularly on the cuts "Why Can't the Future Be Now," "The Wildest Ride," and "Confusion Reigns," is the blatant misuse of synthesizer. Either Patman or Rick Hines is the guilty party (both play keyboards), throwing unmelodic synth runs in wherever there's space. On the other hand, "The Guitars Cry," a fifties-ish punk ditty, is better: it has no real noticeable synth, featuring Hines' raw fuzz guitar. "Another Day, Another Way" is enjoyable for its rebel rock wail. "Slut Bitch From Hell" is easily the band's shining moment. The humorous quality is perfectly matched to the raw three-chord assault and the song is a lot of fun. I'd say this is the direction the band should go in. "Inner Space" opens side two with more synth, though it isn't too bad. Not great, but not intolerable. The production is pretty weak, but at least the hook is there. The instrumental "Jade" is something of an aural exercise highlighting John Hager's drumming ability. He shows some fine work here, and thankfully there are no vocals. "The Invisible Man" returns to rock and rouse, and "Feel," "So Tired" and "Sittin' On Top Of The World" feature more of that inappropriate synth (have I mentioned that?). Write 'em at PO Box 576, Orlando, FL 32802-0576. |
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