Sing Monkey Sing, the fourth album from alternative Southern rockers
Raging Slab, is a bizarre experience to say the least. A haphazardly assembled collection of half-baked, atonal Southern-tinged grinds, the album is simply a huge question mark -- especially following the masterful accomplishment that was 1993's
Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert. Honestly, tracks like "Econoliner," "Lay Down," and "Gravity" are so bad that one can only conclude that
the Slab was just delivering a premeditated dud in order to fulfill its contractual obligations to
Rick Rubin's American Recordings. "Should'a Known," the grungy first track on this shambolic mess, finds vocalist Greg Strzempka in the midst of a bad
Iggy Pop impression, mumbling and bumbling his way across a song that never comes together. And even a somewhat melodic ballad like "Better" still sounds lazy and incomplete, no thanks to Strzempka's out of tune whining. Avoid at all costs. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia