Zuzu's Petals
(Twin-Tone/Ryko/Rhino Handmade)
A band gets a close friend to write liner notes for their compilation CD because usually the writer "was there," and knows the band's ups and downs. They also know all the in-jokes and metaphors which the band will probably find amusing. The rest of us can sit outside the clubhouse and try to figure out what they mean. And if the continual shift from first to second person voice gets annoying, well who asked us anyway?
Marc Perlman's liner notes to Zuzu's Petals' 20-song retrospective explain absolutely nothing about the Minneapolis trio's lifespan. Or the reason for the misguided album title. Or why Perlman deserved the gig. (Oh yeah, he was in the Jayhawks, so he was there. Musicians shouldn't write liner notes.)
The music on Kicking Our Own Asses does, however, present the early '90s female trio - guitarist Laurie Lindeen, bassist Coleen Elwood, and future Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 drummer Linda Pitmon - as a hard-edged poppy trio, somewhat more melodically advanced than Scrawl but just as forceful in their best moments. The first three scrappy, punky tracks were born parallel to riot grrrl power, but the band evolved quickly. Their shining moment came with the next track, which also kicked off their debut album. "Cinderella's Daydream" had everything: a pounding waltz beat, a killer major-to-minor hook and Lindeen's pithy lyrical outlook. Both of their original albums were a tad inconsistent, but compiling three-quarters of each presents a solid profile that runs from thrash to heart tugging balladry. Also included are covers of Melanie, the Guess Who and Husker Du, whose "Standing by the Sea" gets more kick than its original version.
For better or worse, Lindeen has become better known primarily as Mrs. Paul Westerberg and an author of a memoir about those days. This disc proves she could've been a contender.
Standout Tracks: "Cinderella's Daydream," "Johanne" MIKE SHANLEY
