BOX OF CHAMELEONS

Box of Chameleons is three CDs filled with 128 total tracks, intended (I guess) as a kind of Sun City Girls audio scrapbook/collage. Very few tracks exceed two minutes, and very few tracks sound like anything other than an excerpt from a rehearsal jam. Rick & Alan Bishop (brothers) and Charles Gocher make a very adventurous team, rarely sticking to any kind of straightforward beat, in favor of impressionistic noise experiments that, at their best, resemble some of Henry Cow's improvised bits. Lots of electric guitars, bass, drums, odd percussion, and free form horn blowing. And LOTS of noise.

Occasional vocals peek in, and there are a few solo piano and solo acoustic guitar pieces that sound somewhat composed, but overall this enormous set of music plays like a sonic portrait of the band experimenting together, complete with all the advantages (invention, excitement, the occasional premeditated composition) and disadvantages (monotony, boredom, forgettableness) that this format provides. I can get into it when I just feel like zoning out and allowing myself to free-associate with the band, but even that kind of goodwill is put to the test over the course of three full-length CDs. I've never made it through more than one in one sitting, but maybe that's not a bad thing. Overall, two stars - not the place to start with these guys, but fans will certainly get off on it - for a little while, anyway.