THE GOLDEN PALOMINOS

VISIONS OF EXCESS

  1/  Boy (Go)                                   (Fier,Harris,Stipe)           5.27
  2/  Clustering Train                           (Fier,Harris,Stipe)           6.05
  3/  Omaha                                      (Skip Spence)                 3.10
  4/  The Animal Speaks                          (Robert Kidney)               4.05
  5/  Silver Bullet                              (Fier,Harris,Straw,Cullum)    5.07
  6/  (Kind of) True                             (Fier,Harris,Straw)           4.45
  7/  Buenos Aries                               (Fier,Skopelitis,Straw)       3.45
  8/  Only One Party                             (Fier,Harris,Lindsay)         4.30

          Recorded at Radio City Music Hall Studio, New York
          Engineered by Don Hunerberg
          Additional recording at Evergreen Recording, Olympic Studio, Kurt Renker’s Studio
            and Grog Kill Studio
          Engineers at Evergreen : Lothar Segeler, Rob Stevens, Hahn Rowe and Robert Musso
          Engineer at Olympic : Doug Bennet
          Engineer at Kut Renker : Walter Quintus
          Engineer at Grog Kill : Tom Mark
          Mixed by “Iron” Mike Krowiak at RPM Studio
          Track 9 mixed by Dave Jerden at RPM Studio
          Track 14 mixed by Seigen Ono at Grog Kill Studio
          Produced and Arranged by Anton Fier
          Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound
Anton Fier : drums, DMX (1,2,5,7), percussion (1,2,7); Bill Laswell : bass; Jody Harris : guitars (1,4,5,6,8), guitar (2,7), slide guitar (5); Richard Thompson : lead guitar (1), guitar (5,6,7); Bernie Worrell : Hammond organ (1,2,4,5); Syd Straw : background vocal (1,5), vocals (6,7); Chris Stamey : background vocal (1,2,3,6), guitar (3), piano (3); Michael Stipe : vocals (1,2,3); Mike Hampton : lead guitar (2); Henry Kaiser : guitars (3); John Lydon : vocals (4); Jack Bruce (5) : vocals, harp; Carla Bley : Hammond organ (6,7); Nicky Skopelitis : guitar (7); Arto Lindsay (8) : guitar, vocals.

1985 - Celluloid (USA), CELL 6118 (Vinyl) 1985 - Celluloid (USA), CEL N.Y. 5502 (CD) 19?? - Charly, CPCD 8151 (CD)

REVIEWS :

The first in a long series of about-faces and left turns, Visions of Excess forgoes the noise-funk of the Golden Palominos' debut in favor of more pop-oriented material and staggering lineup of underground luminaries. Built around a nucleus of Anton Fier, bassist Bill Laswell, guitarist Jody Harris, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell, the album recruits vocalists from Jack Bruce to John Lydon to, most impressively, Michael Stipe, who turns in striking performances on the opening "Boy (Go)" (featuring guitarist Richard Thompson), the Jefferson Airplane-like "Clustering Train", and a cover of Moby Grape's "Omaha." The real find of the record is singer Syd Straw, who makes her debut on the lovely "(Kind of) True" and "Buenos Aires" and more than holds her own with the big guns.

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Jason Ankeny (courtesy of All Music Guide website)