That the first album in a near endless stream would not only not sound very punk at all but would be a downright pleasant listen (thanks to 's electric piano on ) seems perfectly in keeping with 's endlessly contrary mind. His inimitable drawl/moan and general vision of the universe (idiots are everywhere and idiotic things are rampant) similarly sprawl all over the music -- there's no question who this is or whose band it is, either. That said, most of is co-written with , whose guitar work here is noticeably much more inclined to chime and ring instead of brutally scratch away like 's awesome work would soon do. 's not just here to sound tuneful, though, and the killer / rhythm section both keeps up the energy and provides surprising grooves. On chugging tracks like it's not hard to tell that 's Krautrock fandom is coming into play. With 's keyboards providing a pretty garage kick on top of it all, the result is an all-around treat. Brilliantly scabrous tracks are everywhere, one of the most memorable being simultaneously one of the most tuneful and aggressive songs from the early lineup, pouring it on along with the band. The driving funk of meanwhile, redefines misanthropy (and more) with a particularly central target in mind. meanwhile, almost establishes formula on its own: chanting and yelling over a quick, semi-rockabilly shamble and attack punctuated by unexpected stops and starts. ~ Ned Raggett