Anyone doubting the authenticity of
Shonen Knife as legit alternative rockers should direct their attentions to this title, which couples their 1986
Pretty Little Baka Guy LP with bonus live versions of two of the LP's tracks, "Riding on the Rocket" and "Kappa Ex." The ten studio sides perfectly demonstrate the band's quirky, if not terminally catchy, approach to crafting pop melodies. Their grunge-inspired instrumentation and D.I.Y. execution give the material a rough and edgy quality. Lyrically,
the Knife are all over the place, ranging from the ecological concerns of "Making Plans for Bison" to the confessions of a sweet-tooth on "I Wanna Eat Chocobars" and the fun little romp on "Ice Cream City." The angular and trippy "Public Bath" extols the virtues of the decidedly Eastern tradition of public bathing facilities in a manner that only they can pull off. As for the live tracks, what they lack in fidelity is more than compensated for in sheer inspiration. This is a recommended find for any and all prospective parties, and has been reissued on CD several times since initially surfacing in 1991 on the indie Rockville Records label in a version that, incidentally, included eight live tracks rather than two. ~ Lindsay Planer