THE FACE

What a psychedelic trip!

"The Face", first dvd from SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM, is not an conventionnal music thing. I bought it thinking it will be a live show or something like it but... I was wrong. All the dvd visual resume itself as a face. Yes, the dvd is 30 minutes long and the only thing you see is a face playing with an ambiant light. Nothing really interesting here except if you'r on a mush trip. In this case, the dvd can be very interesting.

The music of "The Face" is very ambiant. No singer here, only music from SGM divided in 7 chapter. Once more time, this can be very interesting if you are on some illegal substance.

Incredible if you are minded to see something new on home theater, nice if you put it like ambiant sound and visual at an psychedelic night and not very intereseting in other case, "The Face" from SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM is not the perfect DVD to buy. The price of the dvd is high if you compare it to the production cost but you gonna hold something unique in your hand. Buy with precaution

2.5/5

Picked this up from the show I caught of their's last night with only a vague idea of what to expect. Essentially what it is is improvised music from the band being played over the improvisations of a contortionist's face in response to the music. The end result is a very uninteresting one visually but a much more interesting experience aurally. I asked Carla, the violonist, about it and she said the music appearing on this half hour dvd was edited down from an hour and a half's worth of what they had recorded for the dvd. I would have much rather put my money down on an audio cd of just the improvised music they had done than on the fifteen bucks I spent for this. No redeeming quality concerning the video whatsoever; I would strongly advise NOT purchasing this dvd unless they drop the price down to no more than five dollars or you are a rabid completionist.

Two stars only for the good but brief improvised music.

By the way, SGM puts on an AMAZING live show, and I try not to throw around such words lightly. Fantastically talented multi-instrumentalists and dark, brooding atmospheres really give this band a Gentle Giant meets '74 era King Crimson vibe. If the opportunity arises, see them live at any cost!

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum offer up 7 slices of amazing improv music over THE FACE, Shinichi Momo Koga aka The Last Human Being. Current accompaniment to the band live, and late collaborator with SGM, Shinichi offers close up shadow dance improvisation in the japanese butoh tradition.These players are living their music, in the streets, and immediate. So, definitely NOT for the "progressive standards"crowd, this is ACTUAL creative music in the progressive tradition. So , for those who still appreciate creative music, this blend of American avant metal with hints of a canterbury sensibility will definitely tickle the eardrums.I bought this DVD at their NYC show at Mrcury Lounge in OCT of 05 and it sure was worth the price of three or four beers to me. Authentic, moving, and one of a kind for sure.