Anton Barbeau - Guladong

  by Andrew Carver

published: 3 / 3 / 2004

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Review

Anton Barbeau, the pop king of Sacramento, has returned with the follow-up to 2002’s 'The King of Missouri' — and unfortunately 'Guladong' looks pale beside its predecessor. 'King' was recorded at Gold Dust Studios in Walthamstow with members of British psychedelicists the Bevis Frond. By comparison, half of Barbeau’s latest is just the man himself. On other tracks he’s joined by drummer Brad Cross; a smattering of other guests help out on a track each. Barbeau is the same playful, horny purveyor of twisted pop — slightly in the Robyn Hitchcock mode, or a straightfaced Tall Dwarves — and Cross is a perfectly capable accompanist, but 'Guladong' still sounds like a demo. The primary culprit in this case is the “wee digital 8-track” used for production. Instead of the creative spark generated by the interaction of musicians, you get the inspiration-sapping effect of a performer  playing with himself (err ... so to speak).  Cross’s drum sound is also cruelly treated by the dry digital sound and is reduced to a sad clatter on several tracks. Barbeau fans will likely still enjoy it, as his songwriting skills are still present and accounted for, but for newcomers it’s easier to recommend something from his extensive back catalogue.

Track Listing:-

1 Telephones And Singalongs
2 You Look Good In Yellow
3 Grapes On A Plate
4 It Won't Be Long Till The Banjo Patrol Comes Along
5 Stewart Mason
6 Ruth From Leeds
7 I'm Just A Country Girl
8 Keep My Face Clean
9 The Prince Of Chairs Has The Happiest Dream In The
10 Mahjong Dijon
11 Chinese Boots Of Spanish Leather
12 Guladong
13 King Of Missouri 2
14 K's Wet Whistle

Band Links:-

http://www.antonbarbeau.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Anton-Barbeau

Label Links:-

http://www.pinkhedgehog.com/
https://en-gb.facebook.com/Pink-Hedgeh
http://www.last.fm/label/Pink+Hedgehog
https://www.youtube.com/user/PinkHedge

Have a Listen:-