Extremely Cool Fairfax VA

Extremely Cool

Chuck E. Weiss

Slow River / Rykodisc Records, 1999

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/02/1999

Before we talk about Chuck E. Weiss, we have to talk about TomWaits. Waits is the kind of musician whom you either love or hate;there really is not much of a middle ground. I still remember beingshocked that his album Bone Machine won a Grammy - an album I couldn't stand.However, to Waits's defense, the older I get, the more I findmyself able to appreciate his work.

Weiss - whose latest album Extremely Cool was helped out in many ways by Waits, fromproduction to vocals to instruments - could well have been anartist in the same vein. This is his first album in 18 years - andafter just one listen, I found myself asking, "What took you solong, Chuck?"

This album is a smorgasbord of styles and genres, from nearlyperfect Delta blues to light rockers to the type of alternativenoise that Waits has made a career out of. Thing is, with Weiss andhis motley crew of guest musicians (including Waits and Rick Vito),it works... well .

What makes Extremely Cool work is that you don't know just what liesahead of you behind the door of the next track. Is it a Cajun-basedparty ("Oh Marcy")? Is it slightly bizarre blues ("Deeply Sorry")?Or is it just plain bizarre ("Horseface", "Pygmy Fund", "Do YouKnow What I Idi Amin")? Normally, such a jumble would lead me todistraction, but Weiss's sly, cock-eyed delivery of the musicconquers all.