REVIEW: Banyan, Anytime at All (Higher Octave)
- Chris Hill
1997's Banyan came about thanks to CyberOctave's keen interest in the jams recorded the previous year by Porno for Pyros and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, and Money Mark (and produced by the Dust Brothers). The follow-up, Anytime at All, was a planned event, but the spirit of improvisation remains dominant. Perkins redrafts Watt and Cline (for what is essentially his solo outlet) and adds new cohorts Rob Wasserman, Flea & John Frusciante (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Buckethead, Bad Azz, and a slew of others to the lineup, then steps back from the command chair, giving the musicians room to follow their creative inclinations, and making each an equal contributor to the final, free-form product.
Because of the loose structure, a mnemonic slipperiness pervades Anytime at All. The songs melt their way into the ears, play, then slide on, evading recall scant minutes later like mental mercury. Devoid of a meaty "whole album" presence, the cd fleshes itself out with funk and jazz jam riffs galore, each song an organic, transitory creation: conceived, gestated, and delivered day by day in the studio.
Some of the thirteen tracks teeter on the brink of wank, and some plunge blissfully over. In particular, the 14:52 opus "The Apple and the Seed". The song's final minute segues into a drums, percussion, and bass-driven jungle soundtrack motif that should have been the song's centerpiece, rather than its climax. It's a litmus test for your own free-form appreciation limits.
That's the downside. On the upside, there are numerous moments when a drum riff, a horn note, or a fine bass run rises from the sonic bog, grasps the earlobes, and demands proper attention. Willy Waldman from the Memphis Horns (on trumpet) and hip hop engineer Dave Aaron (on clarinet) are responsible for a number of these tugs, as is Perkins, who displays his playing versatility. He uses the full range of a drum kit, plus kettle and steel drums. Even water becomes a percussive soundboard - a fine creative touch on "Early Bird". It's the dot on the i in "organic".
"Keep the Change", another standout, combines blissed female vocals ("I had a dream I was covered with mushrooms/ There's malice behind these questions.") over a trip-hop beat. Herb friendliness a plus in the listener, I imagine.
Totaling 69 minutes, Anytime at All makes a decent soundtrack for a relaxed Sunday 3C (coffee, croissant, and crossword) morning. Also useful as road-rage antitoxin during the daily commute. http://www.cyberoctave.com/ for further album/group info.
