Before you listen to this CD, you should turn on a lava lamp and a black light, light a candle and some incense, braid your hair, (if you’ve got any) and then put on your favorite dancing shoes. Yes, just the shoes. Oh yeah! Once you’ve done all that, flip on your stereo, turn the volume knob up to 10 and then get ready to rock out naked around your house for the next hour or so.
Powerman 5000 have come out with a groovy new CD called “Tonight The Stars Revolt!” (Dreamworks Records) and it’s stuffed with 13 songs that make you do funny shit in front of your mirror when no one else is home. It’s really that much fun if you can just let go and find your inner rock star. You know you want to. Don’t you?
The first time I caught a listen from the new release, I was out at the Gig on Melrose. The DJ there was playing ear catching stuff and the song “Nobody’s Real” came on. I turned to my partner in crime and I said, “Is this Manson? Who IS this? Is this Orgy? Why the fuck is this so familiar?” But then that familiar growling voice occurred to me. “No… wait! WAIT! That’s Spider! This is that new Powerman, isn’t it? I LIKE this song This song ROCKS man! I gotta go get this thing tomorrow! WOO!!!!!” Now it’s being requested on ‘Total Request Live’ on MTV.
Some of the other songs that left a signature PM5K tattoo on my brain upon the first listen were “When Worlds Collide“, “System 11:11“, the title track and “Automatic“. There are some cool special appearances by DJ Lethal, Spider’s brother Rob Zombie, and Ginger Fish on others.
Powerman 5000 have pulled out all the stops and have become quite entertaining while still keeping their feet firmly planted in the hardcore/rap/funk soil. I won’t spoil any of the other sparkly surprises on this one. Just dig in with your eyes closed and grab with both hands. And don’t forget to wear the shoes.
Lesa Pence
