The Walrus - Music With Big Fuckin' Teeth!

10/25/2007

Anyone Can Do It, Thanks to NYC's The Godz

Wouldn't it be fun to hear a tribe of primates cover The Beatles and completely embellish, mock, and destroy it all at the same time? Well, back in the high-tide of the hippies, before the birth of punk, an unknown band from NYC consisting of four far-out maniacs called the Godz, did just that.

The Godz are for fans of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and White Light/White Heat era Velvet Underground. Their second album, Godz 2 from 1967, features a freaky rendition of the Beatle's tune "You Won't See Me," along with God'z originals. Incessant shakers, off-kilter drums, pulsing bass, acid-laced jangle guitar, and repetitive vocal howls are signature styles that run rampant in their sound. These (seemingly?) untrained musicians redefined how music is, first and foremost a raw act of expression, resulting in a kind of freak-out/free-jazz garbage dump from heaven.

Interestingly enough, the Godz have recently reassembled in their golden years, settling on a more relaxed blues/rock sound, a far cry from their early groundbreaking material. Too old to play? No way, man!

According to the band's MySpace page, they hope to gain major support for their "Senior's Right To Rock" campaign." Sticking it to "The Man?" Always.

Purchase Godz 2 from Amazon.