Nick Olivero's Mondo Generator - Best Of
by Paul Waller
published: 25 / 2 / 2017
Label:
Heavy Psych Sounds
Format: CD
intro
Ex-Queens of the Stone Age multi-instrumentalist Nick Oliveri stuns with killer track after killer track delivering a ‘best of’ compilation worthy of its name
Having never heard Mondo Generator’s studio work before at all, I am taking this initial shot, the ‘Best Of’ no less, as just a regular album to review. And whilst the first run through was a fuzzy Americana fuelled stoner rock brick to the head, leaving me nonplussed if a little bit dizzy; further listens have truly won me over. You know that lazy journalistic expression, rip-roaring. It’s rather apt here. Whether it’s the lightweight but infectious indie rocking guitar stabs of 'Detroit' or the thunderous riff that opens ‘Like You Want’ this set of songs explode and fizzle throughout the massive track listing. My favourite here is ‘So High’. It’s a song that is over ten years old but feels vital and relevant; it’s a god damning rock monster with a chorus to die for too. I am kicking myself for not hearing this sooner. It could have been an anthem for my youth. The only issue I can find here is with the aforementioned massive track listing. There are so many songs to contend with that the album feels overlong and not as concise as a full length should be. This may be fine for a Spotify playlist but when I put an album on and I love that album I would rather spin it again straight away than put it away thinking that’s enough of that for today. It’s a minor gripe though from an otherwise surprisingly killer album.
Track Listing:-
1 13th Floor2 F.Y.I.F.
3 Sonicslowmotiontrails
4 Like the Sky
5 Dog Food
6 Smashed Apart
7 The Last Train
8 So High
9 Simple Exploding Man
10 Four Corners
11 Dead Silence
12 I Never Sleep
13 Shawnette Jackson
14 Detroit
15 Lie Detector
16 Take Me Away
17 Like You Want
18 Sleep the Lie Away
19 Turbonegro Must be Destroyed
20 All the Way Down
21 Paper Thin
Label Links:-
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
https://twitter.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUND
https://www.youtube.com/user/MonoStereo79
https://instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewMarika Hackman - Big Sigh
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart