Forgotten Albums - House of Freaks - "Monkey on a Chain Gang" (1987)

When Richmond, Virginia’s own House of Freaks emerged in 1987 with their blend of drums, guitar and vocals with no bass, it was seen as a different kind of rock music for a different kind of audience. With the release of 1988’s Monkey on a Chain Gang, the band set themselves apart from the rest of the pack with their introspective lyrics and musical approach.

The voice of Bryan Harvey is one that is hard to forget, especially with the dynamic drumming of Johnny Hott behind him. From the start of the record, with the double whammy of “Crack in the Sidewalk” and “40 Years,” the lyrics just hit you and won’t let up. “40 Years” in particular is incredibly introspective with its remembrances of the 40th anniversary of WWII as well as time lost and won. When one listens to the music, it’s hard to believe it was created by only two men; “Lonesome Graveyard” stands out in this instance with Bryan’s guitar staccatos all over the place and Johnny’s subdued pounding driving the rhythm.

Among the record’s many standouts, the restrained fury of “Black Cat Bone” will ring in your head long after the record’s finished. The chorus, where Bryan shows his true power is absolutely astounding and will make one wonder why the record wasn’t a bigger hit.

Ultimately, the quirkiness of a two-man band helped them garner some notoriety but once people discovered the music, they realized that they were listening to something totally different from the rest of the ‘80s music scene. It wasn’t until the record’s follow-up, 1989’s Tantilla, that they started getting the recognition they deserved; this new discovery ended up scoring the band a major-label deal with Giant, which ultimately fizzled out after one record, 1991’s kooky and interesting Cakewalk.

After a few more years, the two went their separate ways but continued to remain friends, even living close to one another in Richmond. The band were thrust back into the spotlight in 2004 when this album and Tantilla were re-released by Rhino Records in deluxe editions. Sadly, Bryan Harvey, his wife and their two young daughters were tragically and senselessly murdered by two thugs on New Year’s Day, 2005. While he and his family met a tragic fate, his memory and that of the music will continue to live on as long as people are willing to experiment musically.

Check out a later review of the superb deluxe edition: http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=9953

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