Naked Beast by Naked Beast
"Featuring three ex-Crime members, Naked Beast’s eponymous debut surprises and mesmerizes. A delightfully weird, yet totally cohesive vision, each of the album’s eight songs flows seamlessly into the next. Frontman Johnny Strike reads choice excerpts from his books throughout, accompanied by intermittent full-fledged bangers. Part spoken word, part punkadelic romp, this album is fiercely enjoyable." - Razorcake
"The combination is electric and never stalls or feels forced. The spoken word pieces in particular are captivating – only suitable for safe harbor. I’m very curious how they will perform this material live. One of my favorites of 2017." - KZSU 90.1FM
"Featuring Johnny Strike, Hank Rank, and Joey D’Kaye of San Francisco’s first-gen punk royalty Crime, this baby coheres into a meaty pre-hardcore punk appendage flipping open a notebook of yarns and ripping out pages of potent stuff ranging from Burroughs in trench coat mode to Bukowski to Black Lizard pulp to tough-as-nails no-nonsense street reportage. But there’s also some straight-up songs here, and that’s cool." - The Vinyl District
"The fracas & threats of today’s own bizarre socio-political situations makes the seemingly anachronistic “Aether Station” feel a bit closer to home, as well as operating as an ear worm that burrows itself into your dome with catchy bass line & apocalypse edged guitar work that is sharp as a razor. This new incarnation of CRIME illustrates a Bay Area phenomenon entering a new chapter & the iconic punk lords could not have returned at a better time.” - Impose
NAKED BEAST started as a literary vehicle with CRIME members Hank Rank and others backing up a series of readings Johnny Strike gave in San Francisco with cut-up tapes, distorted guitars and old timey sound effects under the name Remote Viewer, and later as Dr. D.
Strike met Michael Campbell, a local artist who also worked in soundscapes and found sound. Another CRIME part-time member Joey D'Kaye came aboard to pick up a 2nd guitar, synthesizers and theremin. With Roger Strobel on bass the gang morphed into NAKED BEAST. The group developed new material, but kept some of the spoken word, as well as the experimental spirit. After various mishaps, setbacks, illnesses, name changes etc the band finally, after two years, got down to business in the summer of 2014 and recorded their album.
Produced by Rank's son George S. Rosenthal at The Complex in San Francisco.
Tracklist
| 1. | Gnostic Wolf | 3:55 |
| 2. | The Girl From Somewhere | 1:09 |
| 3. | Crazy Carl's Thing | 9:08 |
| 4. | Emergency Music Ward | 3:40 |
| 5. | The Homeless Mutants | 1:07 |
| 6. | Aether Station | 3:17 |
| 7. | Ports of Hell | 2:00 |
| 8. | Remote Viewers | 2:37 |
Credits
Johnny Strike: Voices, guitars (words)
Hank Rank: Drums, percussion
Roger Strobel: Bass
Michael Campbell: Processed sounds, bowed strings, soundscapes
Joey D'Kaye: Guitar, synthesizers, theremin
