Album Review: Pocket Fishrmen – The Greatest Story Ever Told
Wow; here’s a weird one. Imagine, if you will, that Dead Kennedys were a comedy band. One from Austin, Texas. Now imagine that they stayed together for three decades, making bratty songs with provocative titles (“Amy Carter,” “Mommanatrix,” “”Flaccid is the Night,” “Priapus Power,” “Go Go Saddam Hussein” … you get the idea.
Now imagine that they crafted a sort of greatest-not-hits collection and gave it an over the top title. Imagine, too, that said album (featuring re-recorded versions of the band’s “classics”) includes a vinyl LP and a CD, with different songs on each (and a digital version that has even more tunes). Everything about Pocket Fishrmen’s music is design to offend and amuse in equal parts (ok, perhaps not equal), and at this they succeed quite well.
The songs are played at speed metal pace, and occasionally suggest punk you’ve heard before (The Damned’s “New Rose”) and punk you probably haven’t heard (“I Cannot Be a Nun” by immortal Atlanta punkers the Restraints), and the half-shouted, half-sung lyrics are a hoot.
Fourteen songs (on the LP) is a lot of Pocket Fishrmen. Sixteen (on the CD) is starting to push it. And thirty (the digital version) is too damn many by far. But excess is what this music is all about. Sure, it’s dopey, but it’s fun in its own way. One suspects the band is even more over-the-top live onstage.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.