An essential eulogy to the band (i.e.,
Adam Goren
and his sequencer) for the legions of cult fans,
Hair: Debatable
is the final, rocking nail in the
Atom & His Package
coffin: a recording of
Goren
's last live show. The favorites are here, and there are lots of them -- tributes to the metric system (
"[Lord It's Hard to Be Happy When You're Not] Using the Metric System"
),
Enya
(
"Pumping Iron for Enya"
), and evil
black metal
bands (
"Me and My Black Metal Friends"
), hilarious narratives like the '80s
new wave
of
"Snowshoe BBQ"
and the mocking pseudo-cover
power
rock
tune
"Shopping Spree,"
and political rants on stupid punks (
"Anarchy Means I Litter"
) and racist sports team names (
"If You Own the Washington Redskins You're a Cock"
). Then there are the priceless covers, from
I Hate You
's 30-second
"Bloody Lip"
to the send-up of
Brutal Truth
's
"Collateral Damage"
and the awesome
electro
rendition of
Fugazi
"Waiting Room."
It's all too cute and
's nasal voice should be as annoying as heck, but that's the beauty of it -- it's
punk rock
by being overly quirky, obnoxiously catchy, and goofily in your face. The bonus DVD is priceless, with two hours of live footage, videos, and documentaries. Probably alienating for nonfans, it's a necessity for
followers. ~ Charles Spano