ANAL TAP

Through most of the 1980s and all of the 1990s Paul Brett appears to have published little if any music, but I suppose a couple of disks of elevator music and an obscure instructional record would do that to someone as talented as he. He collaborated with old friend JOHNNY JOYCE from VELVET OPERA in the early 2000s for "Acoustic Power", and returned very angry in 2005 with "Anal Tap", which is essentially about how we are all screwed, mostly at the hands of a sick society, nasty politicians, drugs, pedophiles, the Queen, celebrities, and bastards. If I sound blunt, I'm being the prince of subtlety next to his lyrics. Direct messages such as these lose much of their impact in an art form where nuance and metaphor have gained favour decade upon decade, but Brett seems unaware or at least unswayed.

Considering that "Anal Tap" is 30 years the senior of "Phoenix Future", it's a similar record of acoustic bluesy folk, but this one is entirely rendered by Brett alone, and his virtuosity yields to his agenda time and again. Nonetheless, "Earth" and "Cocaine", in particular, blend both to near perfection, and "Cult of Celebrity" is a rare lively moment and appreciated as such. Just cover your little dears' ears!

Of limited interest beyond Brett's own collectors, "Anal Tap" won't sit well with prog purists of any stripe, but some might appreciate his unwillingness to turn the other cheek.