A lot of people regard this as the band's third best album, behind Meantime and Aftertaste, but it is far and away my favorite. It is more experimental than anything else they have done, including a cover of the jazz standard Beautiful Love, a song written mostly in 7/8 time (Vaccination), a raw blues stomp played on an electric banjo (Sam Hell), and an off-the-cuff oddity written by bassist Henry Bogdan (The Silver Hawaiian). This album more than any other shows the true range of these talented musicians without sacrificing any of the hard edge established on Meantime. The departure of original lead guitarist Peter Mendege hardly makes a difference, and underscores that songwriter Page Hamilton is without a doubt the heart and soul of this band. Although this record didn't do as well as the record executives hoped, it still produced a minor MTV hit (Wilma's Rainbow) and had several songs included on various soundtracks and compilations.
Page HamiltonVocals, Guitar
John StanierDrums
Henry BogdanBass
Rob EcheverriaGuitar
Released 1994
Produced by T-Ray and Helmet
Mixed by Andy Wallace
Wilma's Rainbow
You heard about, "be your own man"
You talk a lot and loud
Illustrate the obvious boy
You're mentally endowed
Watershed year comes
You're flush with fever
The richest junk dealer
Honestly, a book you read once let you
Think in rhyme. The old extreme sits
Pale and molds now for the
Millionth time
Wilma's rainbow of peaceful colors
The richest junk dealer
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I Know
Wafer thin
The waif is in
She's chlorine clean and portion fed
Feed the dog
Slop the hog
Shine the Baptist and debark the dog
It's all right, I know
You're the only one who can
Show us at all
Get it done
Circulate
What I hear, fear motivates
So intense
So sensitive
In your head where fashion lives
It's all right, I know
You're the only one who can
Show us at all
It's ok, I know
You're mean and hard and bored
It's always something
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Biscuits For Smut
Served up in the backyard
Cooked too long on high
Flying out the window
Even dogs have passed them by
Didn't know she was lied up
Better fed than forced
Time to meet the protagonist, boy
He never showed remorse
Choking on the one thing
His tongue had gotten too fat
A barely walking dead man
Seemed to know where he was at
Drive himself to the airport
Getting out of here
Overworking the small town
The law couldn't get too near
Come on smut
You might've stayed
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Milquetoast
Tell me if you think it's all right
I'll give in to what you know
I don't see the habits that
Become me
I've saved up my useless thoughts
Well means, it works I'm on your side
I said that? Well so, I lied
Remember I tried not to be wary
This failed me once too much
Unrecognized
Well preserved
Don't forget what you heard
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Tic
The tic begins where's the manner end?
The climate change will never get in
Silent and strong and prepossessed
You never need to make you own mess
Weasel to me is charming to some
Loathsome and glib
Habits like self-love
Wearing slim fast you carve your niche
Lean smug back and work your pitch
And all the way I'm gone, no
Demon race to find
You paint if up and know that
Any face can lie
Affect my greatest style, what
Suits me best of all
Keep my pocket filled, lean right and
Fall
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Rollo
Sorry for myself, I've lost my
Kharmic wealth but
I can take from you with antiseptic stealth
I'll dig my own grave, get my
Front yard paved
There's always a penny earned
Another dollar saved
What lies ahead
I always make my point, soak
Bread in dirty oil
"Right's" too strong a word
The neighborhood's been spoiled but
I know what I know, stuck that
Inner glow
I don't have time to learn
I said I know what I know
I'm wrong, I won't admit it
I won't get it
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Street Crab
First I'll panic quick and listen
To advice
Agree to anything and try to be
Too nice
Then my skin flakes, another allergy
I'm not making sense, just
Ignore me
Thirst I had at last
Run the water
Shut my mouth and run past
What's the matter?
Street crabs buy in fast
Infect the water
Safe and sound like the perfect food
Ice the beer, it's easy to feel good
What was that you said? I thought
I heard my name but
Every street crab will push the
Vowels the same
Thirst I had at last
Run the water
Shut my mouth and run past
What's the matter?
Street crabs buy in fast
Infect the water
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Clean
Spread your mind the fish feed
Don't ignore my speech my
Heart bleeds
Make yourself the perfect butt
Some passing thought, I don't know what
Don't remind me, I'll take
What I need to
Get back in case the door swings and
Don't forget to hide
Your mood rings
Fit to tie
I thought I knew good company
I'd like to be you
You're right behind me and
Mouth all I read
Don't remind me, I'll take
What I need to
You're right behind me and
Mouth all I read
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Vaccination
Petty news, it's only your bad ear
It might be worth it
To watch what you hear
Feeling great now you expand your view
You can't forget, somebody hates you
Justify my worst behavior
Search in blood-lines
Exchange a favor
Humble goals
Bad nutrition
Rely on me
There's one condition
Humble goals
Bad nutrition
Rely on me
There's one condition
Imitated
So adored
The wind picks up
My suit gets torn
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Beautiful Love
(Instrumental)
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Speechless
Indecisive and deaf or dumb
Tongue-dried in the sun
Nervous speech and your mental health
Drunk on every detail
Loosened up from the moral slide as though
There's nothing to hide
It corresponds with your secret view and
Never weighs upon you
I'd blame someone but I've got you
Like everyday that bores me
Sleep fine at night and
Wake up to my early speechless morning
It works like crime, adjust your view
Waste your time improving
She's cut so well and lifelike too
You'll bleed to death before me
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The Silver Hawaiian
Land sakes alive, the steak's alive
Give him a hug and he drinks and
He drives
Why the long face Mr.Ed? It's
The hour of darkness and
The hour of dread
Hey Betty
Find 'em and grind 'em and
Never remind 'em
Biscuits and jam you're
Eating your pie too. Minor legends
And you're right too
Give 'em a hug
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Overrated
Today's another day you won't deny that
It came so slow you don't remember
When you got so fat
Up above the bathroom mirror the light'll
Make you weak but
It's that pacifying lie that grows now
Every week
And still you hate it, it's overrated
I'll never forget things like, "Who did what?"
Cover old ground and drag
What's useless up
I won't feel guilty about being late again
There's no one to answer to and
No one to hate
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Sam Hell
Sam invents the you you want to see
Don't believe in predestiny
Bacon you never need bring home
Sam Hell gets you redeemed
By grace alone
Sam's the mayor of First Avenue
Nothing goes on he doesn't want to
A wife that wears his 'in' stocking hat
She's known for making good
Gravy and cat
Heart attack
Time to eat and pay
Cellulite won't wash away
You never knew if you'd been dead or
Just old
Sam Hell never gets that cold
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