Umphrey’s McGee Cram 32 Songs into a Dozen Tracks on ‘Zonkey!’
Okay, to say we weren’t just a little giddy with anticipation for the release of “Zonkey” would be an understatement! After catching a couple of the impending tracks live during the past year, I knew that this was going to be something special… and special it is!!
One thing that Umphrey’s Mcgee can’t ever be accused of is “half-assing” of anything they undertake. When they set out to melt faces, you will wade through the remnants… trust me. There are hundreds of bands out there who are good at covers, but when UM busts one out, it’s not merely played, it’s SLAYED!! Wanee 2015 is just one testament to that.
Now I’m not sure where the “mashup” concept was born, but in my analog mind I harken back to The Grateful Dead and “Help On the Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower” and the seamless blending of one tune into the next as one piece. However, the mashup in its current form involves more of a ‘layering’ of several different melodies/lyrics/nuances of different songs to create a ‘musical lasagna’ of sorts. Let’s take a look:
Track One: “National Loser Anthem” is a combination of “National Anthem” (Radiohead), “Loser” (Beck), and “In The Air Tonight” (Phil Collins). This is perhaps the flagship track, because it really showcases the complexity, creativity and seamless nature of what’s to follow. I mean, really… Beck riffs complementing Radiohead?? And if that’s not enough, let’s throw in some Phil Collins to keep things interesting. But the true magic comes when all three tunes crescendo into a finale that sounds as if the songs were meant to be played together!
Track Two: “Life During Exodus” does a great job not getting lost in the brilliance of the previous track and is perhaps more impressive in both conception and execution. Here we have four layers consisting of “Life During Wartime” (Talking Heads), “Exodus” (Bob Marley), “City of Tiny Lites” (Frank Zappa), and “25 or 6 to 4” (Chicago). While the opening may seem like a mundane homage to Bob Marley, what happens next will make you go ‘wait, what??’ (’80s enthusiasts will HAVE to have this entire album just to catch the same reactions from their friends!!) But the REAL fun begins with the teasing bassline and subsequent Jake shred-fest from Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4.” REALLY??? Not done yet. Zappa’s “City of Tiny Lites”?? Are you kidding me? With Kris Myers killing the vocals AND drums throughout. 8:41 of pure WOW!
Track Three: “Can’t Rock My Dream Face” starts off with Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You,” which is so tight you’d think it was sampled, but then Jake’s vocals kick in, and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” layers over the previous melody. It’s a cool tune that goes back & forth with The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” again with a seamless quality that accentuates the sextet’s versatility and musical prowess.
Track Four: “Sad Clint Eastwood” combines Metallica’s “Sad But True” and Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” for a surreal dichotomy of Metal and a retro-’40s whimsical melody. Myers once again shows his vocal skills with a dead-on James Hatfield!! (Kris is an accomplished impressionist as well!)
Skipping to Track Ten, which is perhaps my favorite track maybe because they KILLED it at Wanee!! “Frankie Zombie” is a mashup of White Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss ’65,” Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar.” Once again, the “Relax” intro is spot-on and eventually gives way to Jake’s galloping rhythm guitar on “Thunder Kiss.” After a bit of back-and-forth, the unmistakable four notes that we all know from “Have a Cigar” give way to a fast-paced race-to-the-finish with all three tunes complementing each other nicely!
I’m sure that many reading this have already heard/purchased this new collection, but if you haven’t, it’s a must-have. There really isn’t a weak link anywhere in the dozen tracks! Full track listing below:
“National Loser Anthem”
“National Anthem” (Radiohead) + “Loser” (Beck) + “In The Air Tonight” (Phil Collins)
“Life During Exodus”
“Life During Wartime” (Talking Heads) + “Exodus” (Bob Marley) + “City of Tiny Lites” (Frank Zappa) + “25 or 6 to 4” (Chicago)
“Can’t Rock My Dream Face”
“Rock With You” (Michael Jackson) + “Can’t Feel My Face” (The Weeknd) + “Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac)
“Sad Clint Eastwood”
“Sad But True” (Metallica) + “Clint Eastwood” (Gorillaz)
“Electric Avenue To Hell”
“Highway To Hell” (AC/DC) + “Electric Avenue” (Eddy Grant) + “The Triple Wide” (Umphrey’s McGee)
“Ace Of Long Nights”
“Ace of Spades” (Motörhead) + “It’s Gonna Be a Long Night” (Ween)
“Sweet Sunglasses”
“Sweet Dreams” (Eurythmics) + “Sunglasses at Night” (Corey Hart) + “Electric Feel” (MGMT)
“Strangletage”
“Stranglehold” (Ted Nugent) + “Sabotage” (Beastie Boys)
“Come As Your Kids”
“Kids” (MGMT) + “Come As You Are” (Nirvana) + “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” (Dead or Alive)
“Frankie Zombie”
“Thunder Kiss ’65” (White Zombie) + “Relax” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) + “Have a Cigar” (Pink Floyd)
“Bulls On The Bus”
“Bulls On Parade” (Rage Against the Machine) + “Mark On the Bus” (Beastie Boys)
“Bittersweet Haj”
“Hajimemashite” (Umphrey’s McGee) + “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (The Verve)