Rock Star God
(Sub Pop)
Have the Makers really sold out? If so, are they better for it? The Spokane, Washington brats officially split the garage-punk playground after four LPs of lo-fi, Troggs-inflected scree when they released 1998’s pallette-expanding Psychopathia Sexualis. That record elicited howls of “sell-out!” and “glam rock poseurs!” from devotees of the band’s early sides, who will most likely blanch upon hearing Rock Star God, probably refusing to even utter the band’s name for the rest of their lives.
A cryin’ shame those folks are so closed-minded, though, because RSD is the work of a band in control. Despite reading like a Moody Blues record--a “55-minute conceptual recording” complete with “Intro”, “Outro”, and Parts 1 & 2 --- it actually rocks with gusto, and calling these musings on fame, sex, morality and mortality a “song cycle” is far more accurate.
Only the twin caterwauls of “I’m A Concrete Wall” and “Too Many Fuckers (on the streets)” retain the keys to The Makers’ garage rawk. The album turns instead to clear, big production, mid-period-Stones lullabies, (“Texture of a Girl”, “God’s Playing Favorites”) New York Dolls-style vamps (“When We Was Gods”, “Sex Is Good Food”) and wry humor typified by “A Better Way Down”, which counsels a potential rock star suicide to “try to look good, have fun with it...it’s the last cool thing you’ll ever do”.
Making this hi-fi Makers move is Micheal Maker, leering from the polished rock sound to ham up the Jagger/Johansen role; belting, bragging and breaking down better than ever before. Here Maker proves Psychopathia Sexualis was no fluke... the dude can really sing! The band proves they can really play, too. In fact, if the Makers keep selling out like this, the title of this record’s not gonna be a concept, it’s gonna be a prophecy. What does it matter if its spelt r-o-c-k or r-a-w-k? Your ass is still moving, right?
Time Out New York, 2000
