Tribe of Dan

Item: The Bootus Red
Author: James Stewart

The Bootus Red

(1998)

Reviewed by James Stewart

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Mister M RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1998

garage rock grunge indie rock

Poised on the brink of success with their debut album Shook Up Shook Up, things were looking very bright for Tribe of Dan back in 1991. It came as something of a shock, therefore, when tribal leader, Dan Donovan, announced that he was breaking the band up and moving into more acoustic lands.

In the intervening years, Donovan has released three critically acclaimed solo albums of mainly acoustic material, recorded another album with like-minded songster Mr. Bennett, and busied himself with a number of other projects like directing a video for Eden Burning and designing album sleeves for Split Level and the Electrics, among others.

Those years bear their influence on this record. At least one of the tracks here, "No Bad Dog," first appeared in a slightly different form on a tape-only release called Root, and slight tinges of self-plagiarism can be heard. The Bootus Red has a slightly more contemporary feel than its predecessor. A lot has changed in the music world in the past seven years and the album reflects that without sacrificing any of the uniqueness of Tribe of Dan or the raw quality they bring to their recordings. They aren't afraid to be slightly unconventional with their atmospheric guitar-based rock, and there are some dark elements. Some would say mystical. There is a balanced mixture of mellow and raucous, often within one song.

If proof were needed of the band's Christianity, it can be found, albeit in slightly coded form. A reference to "that house on the hill" in "In The Blood" is a reference to a song from Eden Burning's album Brink, where it is used as a metaphor for Christianity. There are also other lines in this particular song about looking for hope in "the blood." As this analysis will show, however, Donovan and his bandmates are not concerned with simple statements of faith but with self-expression through their songs.

All three band members (Donovan the only returning member) share vocal duties - Donovan plays guitar and takes the lead vocals, Matt Middleton plays drums, and Dan Harris is on the bass. All members have songwriting credits--"Boom The Boom" is a group effort, and Harris wrote "The Staring Song" (which appears in two different versions but isn't really a song).

The quality of the songwriting is consistent, but different elements are occasionally built in, such as the crazy harmonica sounds on "No Bad Dog," the odd sample, and spoken word vocals. This is a very moody album, and this and the slightly odd vocals mean that it will not be a hit with every listener. For those who do take to it, however, there are many gems. The moody and turbulent sounds sometimes hide the lyrics, but it isn't just the music that has a dark side; in "Happy Hole" Donovan sings:

You undo me
You go through me
You screw me
Here in this happy hole
You lose me
You abuse me
You all confuse me
Here in this happy hole

while in "Inside Of Here" he asks:

Is justice a dream?
Is blindness a sin?
Is heaven so far?
Inside,
Inside
Way down deep
Inside
Of here"

This is no commercial record and its rough edges will probably highlight a divide between those who love it and those who hate it. There is much to like, however, and a lot to explore for those who are willing.

4.5 tocks