...of all saints. Damn you TFUL for having such a long name.
THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL # 282 "MOTHER OF ALL SAINTS"
Matador, 1992
1. ...
2. A Gentleman's Lament
3. Catcher
4. Hornet's Heart
5. Star Trek
6. Tell Me
7. Heaven For Addled Imbeciles
8. Hive
9. Hummingbird in a Cube of Ice
10. None Too Fancy
11. Wide Forehead
12. Infection
13. Pleasure Circle
14. Tight Little Thing
15. Hosanna Loud Hosanna
16. Tuning Notes
17. Shuddering Big Butter
18. 1" Tall
19. Raymond H.
20. ...
21. Cistern
22. El Cerrito
23. Fish Bowl
Personally, Thinking Fellers Union Local # 282 has everything I look for in a band: endlessly creative, ridiculously inventive, fiercely independant, yet still able to make a song that is memorable and catchy without shame. You really can't go wrong with any of their albums, as they are all perfect, as this is easily the most consistent band I've ever heard. But I chose this because it has my favorite TFUL282 songs (like the catchy-as-hell "Hornet's Heart" that starts like a Sun City Girls song and has some of the weirdest guitar lines this side of Captain Beefheart) and it's their longest.
There's really only about 12 songs on this album, as with all their albums, there are tons of snippets of "Feller filler" which range from hilarious to annoying to head-scratching. I once read that TFUL put those on there so as to not be taken so seriously; their music is so good and complex and they're such skilled players that they didn't want to come off as condescending perfectionists. Unlike math rock bands who showoff the fact they can count a lot in every song they do, TFUL's moments of complexity never feel forced. They're more concerned with crafting unique, interesting songs. And they do in spades here.
For those who haven't heard TFUL # 282, there are three guitarists (who play lots of different instruments too) with alternately-tuned guitars playing extremely creative and well-structured rock songs that are actually kind of undefinable. There are elements of noise rock, pop, folk, surf, and even classical in their works, and it's all done with a sense of humor.
For fans of Polvo, Sonic Youth, and Truman's Water; you can hear echoes of that stuff here, but TFUL # 282 easily takes the cake. Honestly, probably the best album you all haven't bought yet. Amazing.
A classic.