| The Band That Would Be King | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Half Japanese | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, punk rock, lo-fi | |||
| Length | 46:17 | |||
| Label | 50 Skidillion Watts | |||
| Producer | Kramer | |||
| Half Japanese chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B− |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10 |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 5/10 |
The Band That Would Be King is an album released by the Maryland rock group Half Japanese. It was also their third and last studio album released on their label, 50 Skidillion Watts.
Critical reception
Trouser Press wrote that "a lot of the songs are fragmentary, and the music — a sloppy mess of guitars, harmonica and saxophones — sounds largely improvised, but a few tunes ('Some Things Last a Long Time,' 'Postcard from Far Away,' etc.) are genuinely delightful."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jad Fair, Don Fleming, J. Rice, Rob Kennedy & Scott Jarvis, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open Your Eyes/Close Your Eyes" | 1:08 | |
| 2. | "Daytona Beach" (Ft. Fred Frith) | 1:47 | |
| 3. | "Lucky Star" | 2:21 | |
| 4. | "Some Things Last a Long Time" (Ft. George Cartwright) | 2:20 | |
| 5. | "My Most Embarrassing Moment" | 0:49 | |
| 6. | "Buried Treasure" | 1:05 | |
| 7. | "Open Book" | 1:00 | |
| 8. | "Little Records" | J. Fair, Fleming, Rice, Kennedy, Jarvis, David Fair | 1:17 |
| 9. | "Deadly Alien Spawn" | 2:36 | |
| 10. | "Postcard from Far Away" | 1:38 | |
| 11. | "Ventriloquism Made Easy" | 0:42 | |
| 12. | "Something in the Wind" | 0:38 | |
| 13. | "Bingo's Not His Nam-o" | 1:19 | |
| 14. | "Put Some Sugar on It" | 2:47 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "What More Can I Do?" (Ft. Fred Frith) | 1:24 | |
| 16. | "Brand New Moon" (Ft. George Cartwright) | 1:36 | |
| 17. | "Another World" | 1:34 | |
| 18. | "Every Word Is True" (Ft. Fred Frith) | 1:20 | |
| 19. | "I Live for Love" | Daniel Johnston | 2:06 |
| 20. | "Werewolf" | 1:30 | |
| 21. | "Ride Ride Ride" (Ft. John Zorn) | 0:31 | |
| 22. | "Sugarcane" | 2:31 | |
| 23. | "I Wish I May" | 1:32 | |
| 24. | "Ashes on the Ground" | Mark Jickling, David Fair | 2:41 |
| 25. | "Curse of the Doll People" | 0:33 | |
| 26. | "Horseshoes" | 2:11 | |
| 27. | "Bluebirds" (Ft.George Cartwright) | 1:39 | |
| 28. | "Frankenstein Meets Billy the Kid" | 0:56 | |
| 29. | "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" | 1:11 | |
| 30. | "Africans Built the Pyramids" | 1:35 |
(last three only mentioned on label, not on the sleeve)
Personnel
Half Japanese
- Jad Fair – vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Don Fleming – guitar, vocals
- Mr. J. Rice – guitar
- Rob Kennedy – bass
- Scott Jarvis – drums
- Kramer – organ, bass
Guest Musicians
- Fred Frith – guitar on 2, 15, 18
- George Cartwright – saxophone on 4, 16, 27
- John Zorn – saxophone on 21
Production
- Kramer – recording, mixing, production
- David Fair – cover
References
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (September 13, 1989). "THE REMAINING HALF OF HALF JAPANESE" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Half Japanese". www.robertchristgau.com.
- "The Band That Would Be King - Half Japanese | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 74.
- Masters, Mark (February 2, 2015). "Half Japanese - The Band That Would Be King". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 174.
- Buckley, Peter (August 10, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Half Japanese". Trouser Press. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
| Half Japanese | |
|---|---|
| Jad Fair | |
| Studio albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| EPs | |