Rags in Skull by George Brigman

Brigman’s unusual approach is on full display here as his tunes here display elements of classic heavy 70s rock, screaming psychedelia, heavy metal, jazz and further sonic experimentation. George’s distinctive vibe is all his own, and though his roots are in the heavy blues based rock of bands like Blue Cheer and the Groundhogs, that is but one element of his web of sound. Lively uptempo instros are followed by wistful ballads in turn followed by firey, bottom-heavy rockers. The heavy ghetto vibe that George staked out and claimed for his own with his debut Jungle Rot LP is still here. The weariness of life’s struggle, two faced friends, and cracking up are just a few of the topics covered and driven home in finely crafted fashion as George sings about being “on the borderline”.

Always on the borderline and outside the mainstream, George has been labeled by some as “outsider music” mainly due to his DIY attitude, though, truly, George is no longer an outsider. His recordings have been praised, cherished, and sadly bootlegged for years, and now after a career of ups and downs with numerous records both in the US and Europe, Brigman’s day in the sun has arrived.. Rags in Skull is the long overdue piece of the puzzle where the music world has finally caught up with George and he has served up a tasty platter, yet another intoxicating witches brew of sonic wizardry!

Take for example “Some of My Best Friends Are Snakes” a swirling pounding tune about betrayal—“if not for you, I never would have known...”—that features more of the slashing, spiraling distorted guitar George is noted for. This time the full frontal attack thunders through the speakers with raw fury! That track is followed by the riff heavy rave up “Goin to Pieces” a crunching proto-metal tune whose heaviness is offset by George’s soft vocals giving the tune about cracking up an unusual sinewy feel. The riffs fly out of George’s guitar like st elmo’s fire and you suddenly realize that George’s muse must be innate and his guitar may be possessed! Brigman’s tunes shine and his guitar playing soars over all. His rapid fire licks continue to amaze and burn as bright as ever now.

Another rocker “So This Is Life” features George reflecting on the emptiness of life while his guitar wails and the drums pound relentlessly in direct contrast to the weary lyrics. The stunning tune is yet more proof Brigman has grown wiser and has channeled his efforts into a flowing , powerful sound filled with depth and beauty. Although George still has his defiant attitude, Brigman is no longer the angry teenager who recorded Jungle Rot . Now a seasoned musician who has aged like fine wine, Brigman fulfills his early promise by delivering another rich work that will stand the test of time. George Brigman is taking you for a trip where music is unpredictable and fresh, and Rags in Skull is but the latest chapter in an incredible career that started back in 1975 and is still going strong! Yes, it is a great thing that George Brigman is still doing it–now more than ever!

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Review from yourfleshmag.com: Legendary guitarist George Brigman returns with his first new LP in 25 years, and it quite remarkably picks up exactly where his oft-bootlegged boogie-psych classic Jungle Rot leaves off. On each of these eleven tunes, Brigman retains the artless approach to virtuosic guitar playing that is his trademark, but his songs have a decidedly nastier feel this time around, perhaps owing to the years he spent getting mercilessly ripped off by unscrupulous labels. But while the general mood of the album is bitter and uncompromising, lighter moments like the breezy instrumentals “Donna Leigh” and “No More Humans” are welcome respites and showcase Brigman’s playing, which has only improved over the years. His Fred Cole-like dedication to an aesthetic would be noble enough even if the album didn’t rock so mightily, but rock it does. In short, Rags in Skull is everything The Stooges’ bogus ‘reunion’ album should have been but wasn’t, and very near the top of a relatively short list of essential 2007 releases thus far. [Bona Fide]

-James Jackson Toth

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