Carl Hancock Rux’s biography calls Rux Revue ‘an experiment of sorts, a kind of science project’. It is something alright, but I’m not sure whether you get Dr. Jeckyl or Mr. Hyde. Rux is a renowned poet whom The New York Times selected as “One of 30 Artists Under the Age of 30 Most Likely to Influence Culture Over the Next 30 Years.” A 1998 issue of The Village Voice featured him as among “Eight Writers on the Verge of (Impacting) the Literary Landscape.”
The music is produced by John King of The Dust Brothers and Tom Rothrock & Rob Schnapf (of Beck fame) and is quite trance-inducing and eerie. So you may wonder how the music mixes with Rux’s words. Well this isn’t an album of melodies. The words are big, the thoughts are deep and the state is unconscious. Being that I love poetry I find it all intriguing.
“Miquel” sticks out for both its great music and Rux’s overpowering voice. Each song possess a story, most are a look at the life of Rux, and the best thing you can do is to visit his site (www.carlhancockrux.com) to read the lyrics. His words are to important for me to try and break down into some concise chunk of thought.
If anything this album will not appeal to the masses. And that is unfortunate. I think everyone should give his words a listen. He speaks the truth and even though most of us can’t handle the truth we should at least acknowledge it.
+ rae gun
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