ALL

Percolater (1992)

Phil McCock

Wow….

10 years!

Has it really been that long?

Back then in Australia, I was just a spotty faced teen getting bombarded with Guns N Roses cock rock and 10 minute Kirk Hammett guitar solos…

(pssst….I still have my Appetite For Destruction and Master Of Puppets albums….but ssshhhh….don't tell anyone :))

Around about that time, this odd little piece of music happened to be passed on to me on a crappy, tinny sounding audio tape….

And after all these years, I STILL maintain that this, my first ALL experience, is an "odd little piece of music".

Honestly, I wasn't too impressed on first listen….Instrumentals??…..bizarre spoken tracks??…..about bugs??

Remember this was 1992, the net was still a baby not fit for use by average people, and you REALLY had to go searching and find an indie music store to get alternative music (well, in Australia anyway).

Suffice to say….I wasn't used to this.

Anyway….after a few listens….this album really started to grow on me…..Scott's sweet vocals and harmonies kicked in….and finally….I got it.

At its core this is pure speed pop….but with that twist that I later came to understand was inherent with any All/Descendents release.

"Charligan" opens things with an instrumental foot tapper….."Nothin'", "Dot" and "Minute" are 3 of the albums more straightforward quality pop songs.

"Missouri 63" is an odd enjoyable little number.

Lyrically, "Empty" and "Egg Timer" have real punch (something desperately lacking at the time), but musically they seem just a little flat to me.

"Hotplate" had me checking the tape to make sure that I hadn't taped ZZ Top over the top by accident, and "Breathe" ends the album with style, in an almost ballad like fashion with one of the most melancholy tracks on the album.

Overall, this is enjoyable quirky pop. Good stuff.

(Also worth noting, Percolater is the last appearance on lead Vocals of Scott Reynolds on an ALL lp)