Various Artists
Revelations Book II
(Which? Records)
Now here's a really strange one. The recurring slogan on "Revelations Book II" is "Two thousand years in the tomb/nine months in the womb." Produced and co-written by slick, intellectual, New York agit-pop artist Ron English, this concept album features fascinating contributions by musicians like Mojo Nixon, Phoebe Legere, Railroad Jerk, spoken word artist Whammo and the Reverend Vince Anderson. English also manages to draw a sterling performance from his oft-troubled associate in Austin, Texas, pop savant Daniel Johnston. While the album's theme revolves around the Second Coming of Christ, these provocative songs contain some fairly bold questioning of contemporary Christian dogma, offering alternative perspectives on religious faith. While the music itself ranges from traditional gospel to outrageous hard rock to evocative folk and sophisticated pop, it's the diverse vocal cameos that result in a most celebratory aesthetic. Reverend Vince provides a couple of Tom Waits-like performances and Ms. Phoebe Legere's exhibitionistic singing brings things back to the church in no uncertain terms. Intentionally flirting with the threat of potential blasphemy, this disc is often irreverent, but ultimately optimistic. Whether questioning the gender of Christ upon his return or commenting on organized religion's inevitable interface with corporate America, "Revelations II" is a thought provoking concept album with a number of quality performances.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.