If it were possible to fit John Hiatt, Randy Newman and Gordon Lightfoot in a blender and hit the puree button, the aftermath would be something akin to, Truth Is Stranger Than Fishin'. A spirited concoction of wit, romance and whimsy applied with a totally refreshing style and an acknowledged, "stupid quotient." Vocally reminiscent of the former and latter compounded with Newman's style of wry drollness. TFIA are a self proclaimed power duo from Houston Texas, consisting of Keith Grimwood (the short one), bass and gritty vocals and Ezra Idlet (the tall one), aggressive acoustic guitar and vocals. The unusual moniker is taken from a mid '60s Richard Brautigan novel and the album title comes from Beatrice Cook's book of the same name. Both leave little clue to the joyous abandon and talent contained within. The acoustic guitar has been recorded in stereo (courtesy of a Bartolini pickup) and the bass is tight and smooth, which only serves to add to an inexplicable ambiance found throughout the album. The opener, "Spider's Fence" begins with the delicacy of an intricately woven web and evolves into a tale of deep searching into "self." "Cracked Up," is a healthy attitude to remember when life throws too many marbles under your feet. "Cracked up, really laughin', in the middle of the saddest part... my life's been funny lately, I've got to laugh to keep from crying." The tongue - in- cheek "Prom Night In Pig Town," a bittersweet standout written by John Gorka, is augmented by what sounds like a cello although there are no indications of such in the sparse liner notes. "Soon the night," could have been scribbled in the middle of a 'knock-down-dragout' fight. A hope of reconciliation that only the 'forgiving night' can bring. "Just remember that we're friends and friends can always say they're sorry..." Ain't it the truth. By way of a nimble bass line and some tasty guitar picking comes,"Trouble Let Me Rest In Peace," one of the bluesier numbers that practically oozes from the speakers. With its' chorus of, "I wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it, if I just knew what I wanted to do, then I'd do, it won't take too much now to help me get through it." A line like this can't help but make you smile. Crank this one after you've had,"one of those days," and try to keep your feet still. Robert Johnson couldn't do a better job. "Lost In Her Lips," documents the misfortunes of some poor sod who endlessly daydreams about the lips of his lover. He loses track of conversations, the time of day and just about everything. "If Lewis And Clark has just discovered these lips the expedition would have ended up in Mexico." Phew. She must have some pucker. As usual the tune is rounded out by the tasty performance these two get raves for. "Sleepytime Cartoon," is a hilarious ditty of a workaholic who can't get anything done around the house 'cause he's never around. He comes home to find the dog wollowing in the trash rescuing pork chop bones and his bed is filled with a "dead" wife and pesky cat and of course, "it's too dark to be mowin' that lawn." The vivid pictures this conjures up are alone worth the price of admission. There are two strikingly serious songs that open and close side two. Gordon Lightfoot's "Ode To Big Blue" a lamenting tale of the Blue whale, the largest creature on the planet and "11 Easy Steps," a song of true love or true self, rife with sarcasm. "...and no imagination is the only thing that can stop me." In these two you couldn't find a more faithful Lightfoot cover anywhere. Even from Gordon himself. Nor could you find a more biting, truthful confession of success/failure. And although these tunes may run deep, we aren't getting off the hook quite so easily. The remainder of the album is a romp and a half. The ups and downs of life as seen through the somewhat crossed eyes of two unique and funny guys who certainly don't need a sledgehammer to drive the point home. "Lucky Guy," He got the "pink slip", his car died in a "hellatious fire" and the I.R.S. just took his house. Ahh, what else matters but the love of a good woman? "The Day The Bass Players Took Over The World", a short but sidesplitting homage to the lowly bass man who retaliates by kidnapping the horn section, drugging the drummer and tying up the guitar player, "with them big ol' flat wound strings." Which brings us to,"Tongue Tied" the 'meanest' song on the album. Probably the best 'non- apologetic defiance' song ever written. "If you're thinking I'm sorry,I'm not." 'Nuff said. And last but not least,"Not Fade Away." Yes, The Buddy Holly tune which has been turned into a marvelously funky acoustic thumper bordering seven minutes in length. A showcase of their succulent gifts, with the familiar riff from "Tequila," jammed into the bridge. (The stereo acoustic really shines here). And by the way, these guys also do children's albums. If this offering is any indication, I can hardly wait to hear what happens when they let it all hang out for the kids. Should be even more of a treat, if that's at all possible. As an added bonus, Trout Fishing In America will be performing their off center repertoire at Raoul's towards the end of October. The 24th to be exact. Do everything you can to not miss them. Be there or be really, REALLY, square. (SC) © 2000 Dr. Rock'n'Roll
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