 (listen while you read)
Album: Showtime For Schuman
Artist: Schuman The Human
Label: Ugly Nephew Records
Year: 2007
Rating: Better Then Prozac!
Review By: mhmProductions
Mark Foster, a. k. a, Schuman The Human, began his musical life with a brief stint in the mid 90's as guitarist for veteran punk/soul/country legend 'Vic Godard'. Evidently Mark had a bit of a following out with his muse as she obviously frowned upon him after he embarked in a totally new musical direction. For some time he suffered from a case of writers block but after listening to a variety of strange music and watching a bunch of weird films he began to develop his niche. This refreshing and fun recording is evidence of Mark Foster finding his muse once again and I’m sure his muse has a smile on her face. Why?
Here Foster conjures an illusionist’s dream-mix, a fantasy tour and mind-boggling romp. Loaded with syrupy sweet pedal steel guitars, dead pan banjos, harmonicas, sweet-n-sour violins, luscious vocals threaded and layered within a body of satire seasoned lyrics and tongue-in-cheek poetics. The formula is obviously one that works but this one’s got a twist and if you’re not careful you’ll be wanting for more. I imagine hard-core punk rockers banging their gong to this recording, if perhaps in denial of the country and bluegrass elements it draws from and the happy feeling that accompanies. Why not?
Accompanying Mark on vocals is the current star of the cult comedy horror movie hit 'Freak out' . . . Miss Chilli Gold. Apparently she’s a former child progeny of Frank Farian from Boney M. - Miss Chilli Gold seems deliciously innocent and curiously seductive all within the same breath. This in fact compels the listener to hear more, if only to validate the curious promise of relishing the imagery of her lyrics.
For example, the cut DARK REGRETS exemplifies a curious interplay between the two characters “SHUMAN” and “MISS CHILLI.” Then the following cut, TOW THAT LINE, serves as an anthem underscoring the value of making a stand. Seamlessly modulating from a minor key to a major key, complete with hand claps and familiar melody hooks, TOW THE LINE is resolved by SHUMAN and company to transforming a melancholy lament into a mosh-pit ho-down! How do they do that?
The illusionist SCHUMAN works his act with an exaggerated twang and his brand of harmonious honey-dripping counter culture UK country “slow-grass” leaving me wonder, how he found this formula to get me to laugh at myself? The self-conscious human existence within our petty embarrassments found in our ordinary lives is celebrated within this collection of works and it makes me reassured and happy. I caught myself singing along in my van with the cut I’M SO HAPPY while feeling like a kid heading off to holiday camp before I even realized it! I snapped out of it when the girls in the car next to me were pointing and laughing at my happy, spontaneous impromptu sing-a-long. Woops... but guess what? I was truly happy!
We’re invited to share this medicine show / magic act, in SHOWTIME FOR SCHUMAN. Squeezed from the genius of this “former” punk rockers mind, Foster seemingly wrote a prescription to him self for happiness and it makes you feel like your name was mentioned in it by drawing you in to experience a personal range of emotional reminiscing. Foster seems to have discovered a niche that’s rooted in empathetic understanding that will warmly embrace the social-outcast-child within us all.
I recommend SHOWTIME FOR SCHUMAN with caution however. Listening to this CD may be addicting! Side effects may result in random happiness and an unexplained desire to get up and dance. SHOWTIME FOR SCHUMAN is currently available on limited CD pressing of 1000 through the Ugly Nephew label and available for purchase here at Bonxo. My favorite song off the recording is MARLENA’S GAME and my rating of the recording is excellent / better than Prozac!
~mhm mhmProductions
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