BLUE MEANIES - Live Live Live
(Thick Records)
Release Date: 9/8/98
Review: Mark Woodleif
(October 02, 1998)
As one of the best and wildest bands to be associated with third-wave ska, Chicago's Blue Meanies ironically remain one of the genre's most under-rated and misunderstood groups. It could just be a case of the band being too smart for their own good, as the Meanies mix a blender-ful of genres -- hardcore, jazz, metal, psychedelic, ska -- into a unified presentation that defies attempts at categorization. The band admits as much on the stunning 21-track LiveLiveLiveLive when, during between-song banter, they crack: "We have a new term for our style of music -- it's called 'music.'" I'd call it subversive, at every turn, as the Meanies' colorful, manic is sure to instill massive debate over the "rules" of ska. The funny thing is there are no rules any more, and Blue Meanies may be the first freaks to arrive at that conclusion. Call 'em pioneers. (Brought to you by former Skankin' Pickle main man Mike Park.)
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