Fatso Jetson

Toasted (Bong Load)
by Craig Regala

I have a couple discs by these guys on SST and they seemed like the logical second generation rockist prime movers for that most august of seminal ’80s rock labels. Fatso Jetson have a full-on individualist rock as rock sound, building their structure outta hard rock power-prog surf/istro moves riding a straight ringing drum tumble that splits heavy Bonhanesque thumping with small trap rock’n’roll moves that power both burly garage and stoner bands alike. Top it with the wise ass yap of the word guy (who locates the band muse amongst the stuff-sliding-around-the-corner-of-your-vision), powered by ear grabby riffs ‘n’ tunes. Of the three F.J. recs. I have, this is the most “Mississippi Queen”ly… Well, if you strain it thru Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge” and JFA’s “Pipetruck.”

The quirks are streamlined a bit, more towards molten rock gouk than the previous platters’ tinge of Meat Puppet/Minutemen/Zoogz sidle motion allowed. But they certainly haven’t changed course, just kinda hiked up the aggro and made good use of Mr. Chris Goss as producer and guest singer on the finely wrought “Magma.” Maybe a tribute to the band; if you know, mail me. I hope they never ditch their propensity to throw some melodious Fripp/Krieger guitar around. Live they’ve prolly always been right there where you want ‘m to be, sitting on your chest feeding you grapes and vodka as well as cookies with that purpely hemp stuff in ‘m. With that in mind, they could’ve thrown a nice 20+ minute take on their tune, “Corn On The Macabre” (from Stinky Little Gods), whilst in the midst of delving into some psychedelics and The Butterfield Blues Bands’ East West on the end of this disc. Maybe they’re saving it for an all psyche-improv desert session, The West Coast Rebirth of Couch Flambeau? It certainly may be. It’d make the exact same amount of “sense” for these guys to tour with Primus as it would for Queens of the Stone Age to tour with The Smashing Pumpkins. Let us not forget that self-determined “exactions” are a millennial value.