Lounge Lizards


Live 1979-81

One of the better CDs I've discovered in recent times, this is an all-instrumental collection of tunes which sound like a mixture of acid jazz, noise, surf, and the soundtracks from Pink Panther-type movies. What is most striking about this album is the brilliant saxophone work of John Lurie (who has influenced people like Tom Waits). The music, n some ways, is highly self-indulgent, filled with dynamic tempo changes and terse abrasive bursts of the saxophone and the guitar. But it is also very structured in other ways, particularly with regards to the haunting saxophone and keyboard melodies/solos and sometimes the tight drumming of Tony Fier. In the insert, a reviewer writes "[t]he Lounge Lizards live have always been a cinematic experience for me" and proceeds to evoke a haunting description of the images that the music brings to mind. Instead of repeating it, I highly recommend you check it out for yourself.


Ram Samudrala || me@ram.org